What is Brown Friday? It is the Busiest Day of the Year for Plumbers
How to Avoid a Holiday Plumbing Emergency
You have heard of Black Friday, the busiest day of the year for shoppers. And Thanksgiving is the busiest time of the year for travelers. But Brown Friday, the Friday after Thanksgiving, is the busiest day of the year for plumbers!
Just as avoiding busy stores on Black Friday is advised, avoiding busy plumbing companies during Brown Friday is also advised. Wait times for available plumbers are likely to be longer than normal. And who wants a plumbing emergency while guests are in your home, meals are being prepared, and your need for working plumbing is greater than any day of the year?
The term “Brown Friday” might make you laugh, but it is no laughing matter. Plumbing and sewer clogs and leaks can be a costly and stressful nightmare that can bring your holiday to a halt. Luckily there are easy, affordable ways to prevent this nightmare.
How to Keep Your Holidays from Turning Brown
Holidays put a strain on plumbing. If your plumbing is going to break down, chances are it will be during the holidays, when you have more people in your home, taking more showers, preparing more food, washing more dishes, doing more laundry, and using the toilets more.
Fortunately, there are ways to make sure you avoid the embarrassment, stress, and expense of plumbing problems during the holiday.
1. Clear Your Drains in Advance
Sink drains, shower and tub drains, toilets, and main line sewer drains collect debris over time that puts them at risk for clogging. Drains are always potentially a potato peel or clump of hair away from their next clog. Getting a drain clearing in advance can free up potential clogs before they ruin your holiday.
Drain and main line clearings, as opposed to drain and mainline cleanings, are relatively quick and inexpensive services that will make your drains run faster and keep clogs from forming. Main line clearings usually come with camera inspections, which are a nice way to take a look at the condition of your sewer so you can plan for work in the future if needed.
Our expert plumbers at Steve’s Plumbing & AC are happy to come out and clear your drains and check your sewer well in advance of your holiday activities. But don’t worry, we are available 365 days a year, so don’t hesitate to call us during the holidays as well.
2. Hair Tomorrow, Gone Today
It is difficult to contain hair in showers and bathtubs before it goes down your drain. The best way to prevent hair clogs is to use drain strainers where you can, and to have your drains cleared regularly by a professional plumber. Our plumbers at Steve’s Plumbing & AC will clear your drains today, so you we don’t have to be in your hair on the day of your holiday.
3. Leaks Can Drain Your Wallet; Protect Your Money with a Plumbing Inspection
Small leaks in your plumbing often go undetected, but when water usage is increased during the holidays, they can become big problems. Leaks can happen under your dishwasher, under your water heater, under your sink cabinets, under your washer, and under your subfloors causing costly damage to your home over time and putting your family at risk for illnesses caused by mold. As insidious as hidden leaks are, exposed leaks put bring your holidays to a standstill immediately, diverting your attention from your family to finding towels, buckets, and mops.
Finding and fixing leaks is our specialty here at Steve’s Plumbing & AC! But why entertain our plumbers over the holidays – schedule a plumbing inspection well in advance instead! Our plumbers will fix those leaks when you have time and are not under holiday stress. Our plumbers will also check your water heater, so your guests won’t find themselves in a cold shower when they visit. Got a toilet that runs or doesn’t flush easily? We will fix that, too, so your guests don’t have to leave their business in full view.
4. Keep Potato Peels, Egg Shells, Bones and Celery Out of Your Garbage Disposal
Garbage disposals are ingenious devices that can process amazing amounts of food debris. But even the most powerful garbage disposals can be broken or clogged by holiday food debris. Potato peels pose the biggest danger to garbage disposals. These peels, as well as carrots, onion skins and celery, tend to get wrapped around the blades of the disposal impellers causing jams which can burn out the motor. They also get stuck to the sides which blocks the blades from dispelling food waste causing clogs. As tempting as it is to grind these up in your disposal, don’t do it! Create a receptacle that is clearly labeled where guests can place vegetable peels instead. Potato peels post the biggest danger to garbage disposals.
5. Be an Egg Head, not a Bird Brain!
Obviously, turkey and chicken bones should never be placed in your garbage disposal. These bones can jam the impellers in your disposal and burn out the motor, and the grease from the fatty skins can cause your drains to clog. But did you know that eggshells can jam your blades as well? Contrary to popular belief, garbage disposals do not have blades that will benefit from being sharpened by eggshells. They grind food by using whirling impellers that throw food against slits on the sides of the disposal to shred food. The fibrous material in eggs shells is difficult for your disposal to break down, and it can get wrapped around the impellers causing jams.
6. Lemon Peels and Coffee Grounds Just Stink
If your garbage disposal gets smelly, it can be cleaned with soap and water and a good rinse. Do not fall prey to the myth that lemon peels and coffee grounds will absorb garbage disposal odors – they will only add to the odor problem. And coffee grounds do not get broken down in garbage disposals, so you are risking a clogged drain if you put them in your disposal.
If your garbage disposal stops working, call us at Steve’s Plumbing & AC right away, and our expert plumbers will come out and install a new one for you.
7. Grease in the Drain is a Recipe for Disaster
Pouring grease down the drain then rinsing it down with hot water will not work. The grease will eventually cool, and as it does, it will settle in your plumbing and in your main line sewer and capture other debris as it passes by, making your clog even worse. Pour grease into heat safe containers such as soup cans, wait for it to cool, then place it in the garbage. The grease will eventually cool, and as it does, it will settle in your plumbing and in your main line sewer.
8. If Your Kitchen Sink Clogs, You Can’t Run the Dishwasher
If you find yourself in the unfortunate event of a kitchen sink clog or garbage disposal clog, you can no longer wash dishes in your sink. But do not turn to your dishwasher as an alternative – dishwashers drain through your kitchen sink, so you will be left in an even bigger mess. Call Steve’s Plumbing & AC right away, so our plumbers can get your sink, and your holiday, back in the flow.
9. Oh poop! Don’t forget to Avoid Toilet Clogs
A clogged toilet is no joke. The curvy passageways in toilets makes it difficult to use a snake to dislodge clogs, and sometimes the only way to get you back to your business is to replace your toilet. When guests are in your home, you may want to consider signage to protect your thrones, which can be both fun and effective. Toys, tampons, paper towels, and personal wipes can clog your toilet, cause a flooded bathroom, and put a damper on your holiday. Remember, there are only three items that should ever go into your toilet: #1, #2, and toilet paper.
If you do experience a toilet clog, keep in mind that your toilet may not be the source of the clog. Toilets empty into your main line sewer pipe, so sewer clogs can appear to be toilet clogs. When your sewer backs up, the sewage can eventually make its way into your toilets. If you expect a sewer clog, don’t use any of your toilets until you have a plumber from Steve’s Plumbing & AC come out and check your sewer main line. You may want to consider signage to protect your thrones.
Our Expert Plumbers are Always Here to Help, and Emergency Service is Available
The friendly expert plumbers at Steve’s Plumbing & AC are here for you 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, so don’t hesitate to call us. We will be happy to visit your home before, during or after your holiday. Contact us anytime at 808-563-4054, or schedule service online. Want to be at the head of the line when you need service?
Join our Osana Club to receive priority service and discounts on services. Learn more about becoming a member of the Steve’s osana.
