Bucks County plumbers are bracing for another busy “Brown Friday” this Thanksgiving, with kitchen sinks, bathroom commodes, and sewer line clogs expected, writes JD Mullane for the Bucks County Courier Times.

Plumbers have been responding to these emergencies for almost 75 years, mostly from heavy use during the holiday and the weekend.

The biggest causes of Brown Friday emergency calls are food prep and cleanup, which start before Thanksgiving during food preparation and can reach their peak the day after the holiday.

“We get a lot of kitchen sink blocks in the days before (Thanksgiving), as people are prepping food and jamming stuff down their kitchen sinks,” said Tim McHale, proprietor of family-owned McHale’s Plumbing in Levittown. “It’s an increase in business every year right around that time.”

Toiled and sewer blocks are also common during this time.

To prevent Thanksgiving clogging catastrophes, plumbers recommend not pouring grease down the drain.

“Putting grease down the sink is really a terrible idea,” said McHale. “Soak it up best you can. Newspapers, paper towels. Lots of them. Or just let it dry, let it harden, then scrape it out the next day.”

Those with garbage disposals should also be cautious about what they dispose of as, McHale said, they’re only there for scraps.

Read more about the prevalence of Brown Friday during Thanksgiving time in the Bucks County Courier Times.

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