Plumbers' Busiest Day? Friday After Thanksgiving

Nov. 25, 2010— -- Thanksgiving feasts may taste good at the dinner table, but once everyone has had their fill of turkey and stuffing those delicious dishes can wreak havoc with the kitchen sink.

So while the rest of the country prepares for a holiday weekend of eating and sleeping, plumbers across the country get ready to get to work.

According to Roto-Rooter, a national plumbing and drainage service, the day after Thanksgiving is the single busiest day of the year for residential plumbers.

Incoming calls to the company inquiring about clearing out the kitchen sink alone spike more than 50 percent above the average Friday, the company said. Over the four-day weekend, call volume increases by 21 percent.

"When you think about Thanksgiving, everyone's home, everyone's basically eating at home," said Tony D'Alessandro, general manager for the Roto Rooter branch in Farmingdale, N.Y. "Between Thanksgiving and that Friday morning, we see a surge in volume of calls."

On a typical Friday, D'Alessandro's branch receives about 100 to 125 calls, but the Friday after Thanksgiving, it will receive 250 to even 300 calls for help.

They've seen all kinds of objects get stuck in the kitchen sink, D'Alessandro said, including kids' toys, pens, household objects and engagement rings.

Around Thanksgiving, turkey bones feature high on the list of clogged sink culprits, he said.

The holiday season can get especially busy, as family and friends from far-flung places gather and everyone gets caught up in festivities and food. But D'Alessandro urges people to exercise caution in the kitchen.

"It's all common sense, but we don't always think about it," he said.

For a few top tips on keeping your drains unclogged, click on to the next page.