How to avoid 'Brown Friday' and other plumbing disasters

In case you've never heard of it, "Brown Friday" is as famous as Black Friday — at least in plumbing circles. The name refers to the brown sludge that builds up in kitchen sinks following major holidays like Thanksgiving. Large gatherings mean more cooking and cleanup, which causes grease and food waste to accumulate inside your pipes and clog your garbage disposal, leading to slow drainage or blockages that put a damper on your festivities — making Brown Friday the busiest day of the year for professional plumbers.

To help you prevent or cope with common plumbing problems over the holidays, the experts from Mr. Rooter^® Plumbing, a Neighborly company, offer tips and tricks for keeping your plumbing in good working order.

Careful cleanup

Whether you're prepping vegetables for the big meal or cleaning plates afterward, be mindful of what you're putting down the drain. Even the best-working garbage disposal is no match for the food and grease a typical Thanksgiving dinner can dish up.

Try these tactics:

• Peel and scrape veggies into the trash instead of your sink to keep your pipes and disposal from getting clogged.
• Let grease cool, then wipe out with paper towels and discard instead of pouring it down the drain. Fats congeal when cold, combining with debris to create clogs.
• Scrape dirty plates into the trash to keep bones, food scraps and fatty deposits out of your plumbing.

Coping with a clog

If you end up with a clogged sink, take these steps first:

• Use hot water, then soap and a plunger: Sometimes clogs soften with hot water enough to be dislodged with a little dish soap and a plunger.
• Reset your garbage disposal: A button or switch on the side or bottom of your disposal can reset it.
• Baking soda and vinegar: Pour one cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by one cup of distilled vinegar, and cover the drain with a stopper. Cover for 30 minutes, and then run hot water to see if the clog clears.

If these efforts don't work, the issue may best be handled by a professional plumber, like those at Mr. Rooter Plumbing, to avoid damage to your pipes.

Be proactive when hosting an event

To keep your system from overloading, ask houseguests to give your shower or bath a rest for 10 minutes or so between uses.

It's also best to remind guests that some things — like wipes (even those that may claim to be "flushable") — shouldn't be flushed down a toilet, as they can create clogs.

If your home's plumbing is on a septic system, ensure everyone is fully informed about what's acceptable to put into the system and what is not. A quick reminder: Wipes, just like with regular toilets, don't go in a septic system; neither do cigarette butts, diapers, feminine hygiene products, food scraps, pet feces or litter, latex products, paper towels and tissues.

Be prepared for freezing temperatures

Another issue that crops up this time of year is when temperatures plummet, leaving pipes vulnerable to freezing. Frozen pipes can create inconvenient and costly problems, especially when they burst and cause water damage in your home.

To protect your pipes:

• Insulate your home: Insulating your entire home means better insulation for your pipes. While not as effective as pipe-specific insulation methods, a warmer home can keep pipes freeze-free most months.
• Run the heat: Hopefully you're already running the heat when temperatures drop below freezing, but if you aren't, you should — even while you're away from home.
• Insulate your pipes: Pipe insulation prevents frozen pipes and improves the efficiency of your hot water heater, saving energy. Good insulation helps regulate your pipes' temperature in colder months, making it virtually impossible for them to freeze.
• Consider air sealing: This form of insulation wraps around pipes, is easier to install than other forms of insulation, and helps stabilize pipe temperatures.
• Leave taps dripping: If you leave taps dripping when temperatures are below freezing, the water won't stay still, preventing the likelihood of a freeze.
• Increase airflow to pipes: When temperatures plummet, consider opening cabinets and cupboards to increase airflow to pipes. This allows warm air to help keep pipes from freezing, and it also works for thawing frozen pipes.

If you live in an area that commonly experiences extremely cold temperatures over the winter, you may want to consider pipe insulation as your first defense against frozen pipes.

Whether you have a plumbing problem right after the holidays or want to ensure your pipes are ready ahead of time, the experienced plumbers at Mr. Rooter Plumbing can help! For drain cleaning services, pipe insulation or repairs, their courteous plumbers have the skills and tools to tackle whatever problem you have — or to ensure your plumbing is in top shape before your guests arrive.

Learn more at MrRooter.com/BrownFriday.