Holiday Plumbing Guide: Avoid ‘Brown Friday’ Disasters After Holidays
Thanksgiving brings friends, family, and heavy cooking — which means your plumbing system is working harder than any other time of the year. Grease, food waste, and increased bathroom usage can turn into messy emergencies. With a little planning, you can avoid becoming another Brown Friday statistic.
What Causes Brown Friday Plumbing Failures
Grease poured down the sink solidifies inside pipes
Fibrous foods (celery, potato peels) wrap around disposal blades
Eggshells and coffee grounds collect in pipes
Multiple guests flushing unfamiliar items
Too many dishes overwhelming hot water supply
Pre-Holiday Prevention Checklist
Before guests arrive, take 20 minutes to prepare:
Clear slow drains now, not after dinner
Empty and refresh garbage disposal
Put food waste into trash, not into pipes
Stock extra toilet paper and trash bins in all bathrooms
Test toilet flushing and fix any running toilets
Kitchen Do’s and Don’ts
Do:
Run cold water before and after disposal use
Feed waste into disposal slowly
Scrape plates into the trash first
Do NOT:
Pour grease or oils into drains
Grind bones, pits, or pasta
Put starchy vegetables, peels, onion skins down disposal
Bathroom Traffic Rules
Politely remind guests that only toilet paper gets flushed
Keep a plunger visible (prevents embarrassment and delays)
Check for bathroom leaks before the big day
After-Holiday Clean Up
Flush drains with hot water
Inspect under sinks for moisture
Listen for slow or gurgling drains
Run a water heater recovery cycle
Hosting this year? Schedule a pre-holiday plumbing tune-up with Economy Plumbing so you can focus on what matters — not what’s clogging the drain.
