NORTH ROYALTON, Ohio — While Black Friday may be a big day for holiday shoppers, it's also a busy one for plumbers who have dubbed the occasion "Brown Friday" because they often see double or triple their normal call volume.
“We call it 'Brown Friday' because we get a lot of snaking out toilets, snaking out drains,” said Dan Madaczky, a plumber with Sal’s Heating & Cooling. “It's a combination of the wrong stuff going down the drain and more load on the plumbing system because a lot of people have a lot of guests over.”
Extra family at the house means extra strain on the sewer system.
“Today we had 64 calls, and the day isn’t even over,” said Madaczky.
On an average day, Sal’s Heating & Cooling gets 15 to 20 calls.
So what's sinking the most people?
Putting food down the drain that isn't supposed to be there.
“The two worst things to go down a drain, potato peels and celery. Celery is horrible because it's so stringy,” said Madaczky.
When it comes to the garbage disposal, avoid putting the following down the drain:
- Potato Peels
- Celery
- Bones and Skins
- Coffee grounds
- Grease and Cooking Oils
- Egg shells
That brings us to the troubles that come after Thanksgiving dinner, in the bathroom.
“The more you use something, the more people that are over, the more likely it is to break,” said Madaczky.
Emergency plumbing services on a holiday can cost you extra, so that's also something you'll want to ask the plumber before he or she comes to your house.