Thanksgiving Day is a day that so many people look forward to! Family, friends, football… AND FOOD!

The night before we spend stuffing the turkey and getting pies ready to go into the oven. Thanksgiving Day starts early in the morning and almost the whole day is spent cooking for the big meal! Turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, cakes, pies… Mmmmmm… I’m hungry just thinking about it! While it’s Thanksgiving Day that is the busiest day for families and cooks, it’s the day AFTER that is the busiest for plumbers – and not for the reason that you might be thinking.

After the big meal is over and the cleanup begins – we try to do it as soon as possible just to be done with it! Plates scraped, grease dumped out, trimmings thrown away – and so often all of this gets put DOWN THE DRAIN. This is the number one cause of plumbing calls for “Black Friday”. We think our garbage disposals and drain pipes are invincible, but unfortunately – they aren’t.

The next most common problem is clogging of sewer lines. Believe it or not, there are calls quite often because of attempting to flush things down the toilet! YES, you read that right! Guests staying at their family’s houses aren’t used to the plumbing of their host’s home. From too much tissue to plates of food someone doesn’t eat – there are calls for everything!

We’ve got a few tips to help you do your best to avoid clogs of all sorts:

1. First and foremost, don’t wait until the garbage disposal is “full” before you turn it on!

2. Don’t wash any oils or fats used in cooking down the drain!

3. Avoid putting starchy or stringy waste into your garbage disposal. No potatoes, celery or skin from any meat!

4. Make sure there is a little time in between showers. Waiting 10-15 minutes gives water time to drain!

5. Don’t flush toiletries down the toilet. Cotton swabs, cotton balls and any kind of cleaning cloth don’t dissolve and will clog your pipes!

Whether you take our recommended precautions or not, if you have any issues, F.H. Furr is always here to help and we’re just a call away! Even on what might be our busiest day of a plumber’s year!

Most importantly, Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. We hope that the beginning of this holiday season finds you and yours happy and healthy!