PHOENIX — The day after Thanksgiving is well-known as one of the busiest shopping days of the year. It is also the busiest day of the year for plumbers, who coined it Brown Friday.
Plumbers respond to various problems following Thanksgiving Day, mostly from grease going down the drain and stuffed garbage disposals, according to Mr. Rooter Plumbing. While Brown Friday is just one day, these plumbing issues normally spike within the two weeks after Thanksgiving Day.
Yelp dug into the data and found that searches for "emergency plumbing" were up 65% in the days after Thanksgiving in 2023. In Phoenix, which Yelp named the 13th most clogged city in the United States, searches for plumbing-related issues were up 16% in the Brown Friday period in 2023 compared to the two weeks before Thanksgiving.
Yelp’s Trend Expert Tara Lewis made a list of ways residents can avoid participating in the day:
- Toss leftovers in the trash, not the sink
- Check for leaks before Thanksgiving
- Know your shut-off valves in case of an emergency
- Toilet paper only, please!
- Dispose of grease and oils in a container, don't pour them down the sink
- Spread out water usage to avoid overloading the plumbing system
Yelp also offers a feature where users can "Request a Quote" to schedule services, compare businesses and see response times.
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