Busiest day of the year for Plumbers

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

For many of us, the day after Thanksgiving is primarily known as Black Friday — the kick-start to the winter holiday shopping season. But for workers in one industry, it goes by a slightly different moniker: Brown Friday. The nickname comes from the high number of service calls plumbers receive the day after a holiday that strains people's waistbands and kitchen sinks. Many plumbers say that Friday following Thanksgiving is twice as busy as any other day of the year.

While Brown Friday gets its unappealing name from the sewage byproducts workers are often hired to handle, many plumbers report that service calls for bathroom fixes aren’t as common on that day. Instead, kitchen sinks, garbage disposals, and drains are the top offenders (though plumbers acknowledge that having more guests does put additional pressure on a home’s wastewater system). Most post-Thanksgiving plumbing issues stem from two culprits: grease and potato peels. Hot grease washed down sink drains eventually cools and solidifies, leading to buildup that can plug pipes. And when a massive heap of starchy potato peels makes its way down a partially clogged pipe, the grease and peels can congeal to create a kitchen nightmare. Fortunately, experts say there’s an easy way to prevent a Thanksgiving catastrophe: Toss meats, bones, and stringy or dense foods like those potato peels into the trash can instead of down the sink. 

[Rye Miles #13621]

They had a story about this on the local news channel weird but it seems true!

[Cypress Sun]

Many people put stuff into their drains that they shouldn't and (IMO) disposals exacerbate the problem. Some think that using hot tap water to "help" the oil/grease that they pour into the sink drain dissolves the oil/grease...it does somewhat, until it gets to the P trap and below. Then it cools and adheres to the side of the drain conduit like glue, getting thicker and thicker layers as time goes on. Once it gets into the sewer system, it forms "greasebergs" which are really giant grease clogs. 

 

Greasebergs and flushable wipes (which aren't really flushable) are major problems for all major jurisdictions. Michigan Slim could provide much more insight into this problem.

 

Glad I was an electrician and NOT a plumber.

[Alpo]

37 minutes ago, Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 said:

Toss meats, bones...  into the trash can instead of down the sink.

I use the organic garbage disposal.

 

 

 

 

[Alpo]

If you rent, and the drain is clogged, who pays for the plumber? You or the landlord?

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

2 minutes ago, Alpo said:

If you rent, and the drain is clogged, who pays for the plumber? You or the landlord?

In my case the landlord, gadd she was stupid.  I had warned her when I heard my toilet gurgle. She insisted the problem was in my apartment. My toilet would gurgle when upstairs flushed their toilet. Eventually everything backed up into the downstairs sink.

 

A week later I had a water bubble in my bathroom ceiling. Plumber opened the ceiling and we saw water curling down the pipes and I said “ so the leak is upstairs “ she said “how do you know that?” I said “water only goes down.”

[Pat Riot]

2 hours ago, Cypress Sun said:

Glad I was an electrician and NOT a plumber.

Plumbers and Electricians can make a good living, but Electricians seem to be a happier bunch. Every plumber I have ever known had this weird depression about them. They also must have been “nose blind”. They didn’t smell so good. 
 

A few years back I had an opportunity to talk with some young men that were graduating high school. 2 were going to college to study computers and computer science. They were picking on the other kid that was with them about his choice of vocation. 
Being me, I asked kid number 3 what his plan was. 
He said “I think I am going to go up to the IBEW Union Office and sign up to be an apprentice electrician.”

The other two kids made some comments about how kid #3 could come wire the new patio sound system up by their pool someday.

I told kid 3 he was making a very good move. 
Kid 1 and 2 wanted to know why?

I said, “Well, first off, you can’t swing a dead cat and not hit some joker with some type of computer degree. Second, the market is saturated with computer geeks. Third, this young man (#3) will start out making money while learning his trade. As soon as he signs up he will more than likely start working after some training and as he progresses so will his paychecks. By the time you get your BS he will be an electrician making around 80 grand a year with overtime and by the time you two finally get a real job he’ll be pulling down 6 figures.”

#1 & #2 just stared at me incredulously. #3 smiled.

Then I said “The nice thing is you guys will still get to see each other at your place of work.”

#1 said “Yeah? Why is that?”

I said “Because he will be dropping by Starbucks every day to get his coffee on his way to work. You two can partner up on the same shift as baristas, so you’ll have that going for you.”

That shut em up!

 

Boy #3 gave me a fist bump as I walked away. 

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

13 minutes ago, Pat Riot said:

Plumbers and Electricians can make a good living, but Electricians seem to be a happier bunch. Every plumber I have ever known had this weird depression about them. They also must have been “nose blind”. They didn’t smell so good. 
 

A few years back I had an opportunity to talk with some young men that were graduating high school. 2 were going to college to study computers and computer science. They were picking on the other kid that was with them about his choice of vocation. 
Being me, I asked kid number 3 what his plan was. 
He said “I think I am going to go up to the IBEW Union Office and sign up to be an apprentice electrician.”

The other two kids made some comments about how kid #3 could come wire the new patio sound system up by their pool someday.

I told kid 3 he was making a very good move. 
Kid 1 and 2 wanted to know why?

I said, “Well, first off, you can’t swing a dead cat and not hit some joker with some type of computer degree. Second, the market is saturated with computer geeks. Third, this young man (#3) will start out making money while learning his trade. As soon as he signs up he will more than likely start working after some training and as he progresses so will his paychecks. By the time you get your BS he will be an electrician making around 80 grand a year with overtime and by the time you two finally get a real job he’ll be pulling down 6 figures.”

#1 & #2 just stared at me incredulously. #3 smiled.

Then I said “The nice thing is you guys will still get to see each other at your place of work.”

#1 said “Yeah? Why is that?”

I said “Because he will be dropping by Starbucks every day to get his coffee on his way to work. You two can partner up on the same shift as baristas, so you’ll have that going for you.”

That shut em up!

 

Boy #3 gave me a fist bump as I walked away. 

I can agree with that.  I was in software for 50 years. When I was getting my PhD one bit of advice was not to compete with the guys behind me , basically because they would work for less. I had some great years.

[Cypress Sun]

40 minutes ago, Pat Riot said:

Plumbers and Electricians can make a good living, but Electricians seem to be a happier bunch. Every plumber I have ever known had this weird depression about them. They also must have been “nose blind”. They didn’t smell so good. 
 

A few years back I had an opportunity to talk with some young men that were graduating high school. 2 were going to college to study computers and computer science. They were picking on the other kid that was with them about his choice of vocation. 
Being me, I asked kid number 3 what his plan was. 
He said “I think I am going to go up to the IBEW Union Office and sign up to be an apprentice electrician.”

The other two kids made some comments about how kid #3 could come wire the new patio sound system up by their pool someday.

I told kid 3 he was making a very good move. 
Kid 1 and 2 wanted to know why?

I said, “Well, first off, you can’t swing a dead cat and not hit some joker with some type of computer degree. Second, the market is saturated with computer geeks. Third, this young man (#3) will start out making money while learning his trade. As soon as he signs up he will more than likely start working after some training and as he progresses so will his paychecks. By the time you get your BS he will be an electrician making around 80 grand a year with overtime and by the time you two finally get a real job he’ll be pulling down 6 figures.”

#1 & #2 just stared at me incredulously. #3 smiled.

Then I said “The nice thing is you guys will still get to see each other at your place of work.”

#1 said “Yeah? Why is that?”

I said “Because he will be dropping by Starbucks every day to get his coffee on his way to work. You two can partner up on the same shift as baristas, so you’ll have that going for you.”

That shut em up!

 

Boy #3 gave me a fist bump as I walked away. 

 

That should get a laugh, Thanks and Like emoji all at once.

[bgavin]

What is not to like?

Holiday weekend rates, often outside of normal business hours.
When young people ask me about going into the computer business... I tell 'em "be a plumber".
They can't replace your job with an H1B or AI.

[Chili Ron]

Howdy,

There are programmers and there are programmers.

Some write code and test it and put it into production and leave little time bombs

for others to fix.  

My first class in programming there was standing room, all seats taken.

Each test found more room.

Final test there was an empty seat every alternate seat.

Its one thing to say you are going to be a programmer and quite another to DO it.

Best

CR

 

[watab kid]

im no plumber but i pretend to be on many occasions each year at home - generally involves multiple trips to the hardware store and some choice words that children should not be exposed to ,  i just did such the other day , but i can say ive never had to work on the plumbing on this holiday , and im thankful for that , 

[bgavin]

There are real programmers (few and far between) and then there are the Script Kiddies and Macro writers.

Next June I will be in the game 50 years... seen every kind of coder there is.
Very few are truly brilliant.

[Sedalia Dave]

In my travels Friday I saw plumber’s vans at two different houses. 

[Sedalia Dave]

1 hour ago, bgavin said:

There are real programmers (few and far between) and then there are the Script Kiddies and Macro writers.

Next June I will be in the game 50 years... seen every kind of coder there is.
Very few are truly brilliant.

That’s for darn sure. 

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

• An electrician finished some electrical work at an attorney's home and then handed him the the bill.
  Upon seeing the bill, the attorney screamed "$400 for one hour? That's ridiculous! I'm an attorney and I don't charge that much!"
  The electrician replies, "Yeah, when I used to be an attorney I didn't either."

[Pat Riot]

9 hours ago, watab kid said:

im no plumber but i pretend to be on many occasions each year at home - generally involves multiple trips to the hardware store and some choice words that children should not be exposed to ,  i just did such the other day , but i can say ive never had to work on the plumbing on this holiday , and im thankful for that , 

I don’t do plumbing work if my wife’s at home. 
1. She tries to help until I tell her not to.

2. She turns on things she shouldn’t to see how it’s going. 
3. She doesn’t like my language or appearance after she has turned on something she shouldn’t have. 
4. My language can make a sailor blush after that. 
 

Funny thing is, if she isn’t home there is some minor grumbling and a few cuss words…when I realize she’ll be home soon and I am still working on the problem. 
 

[Cypress Sun]

2 minutes ago, Pat Riot said:

I don’t do plumbing work if my wife’s at home. 
1. She tries to help until I tell her not to.

2. She turns on things she shouldn’t to see how it’s going. 
3. She doesn’t like my language or appearance after she has turned on something she shouldn’t have. 
4. My language can make a sailor blush after that. 
 

Funny thing is, if she isn’t home there is some minor grumbling and a few cuss words…when I realize she’ll be home soon and I am still working on the problem. 
 

 

2.5 - She offers suggestions, then stays pissed at you for the rest of the day because you gave her "The Look".

[Dusty Devil Dale]

Here in Californasylum (at least the San Joaquin Valley area), the local Air Quality Control Board now prohibits putting wet food garbage into the garbage can.  Instead we must put it in the garbage disposal/drain, drop it into the green-waste recycle container, or toss it in outdoor garden compost.  

That's hilarious, because they are trying to comply with the new Federal EPA methane standards at their regulated landfills.   But the green-waste recycling locations are not EPA regulated, so methane produced there somehow doesn't matter.   

Previously, we were prohibited from disposing of garbage waste outdoors (as if they could enforce it) but now we are required to.  The neighborhood coyotes and raccoons are rejoicing for the holidays.   But they are not rejoicing because the planet is being saved. 

 

[Pat Riot]

Looking forward to Christmas in California. 

[watab kid]

7 hours ago, Pat Riot said:

I don’t do plumbing work if my wife’s at home. 
1. She tries to help until I tell her not to.

2. She turns on things she shouldn’t to see how it’s going. 
3. She doesn’t like my language or appearance after she has turned on something she shouldn’t have. 
4. My language can make a sailor blush after that. 
 

Funny thing is, if she isn’t home there is some minor grumbling and a few cuss words…when I realize she’ll be home soon and I am still working on the problem. 
 

i can relate to that - generally tell her its gonna be a long troublesome job and to leave me alone , seldom works , offers to help dont make sense either considering the location most plumbing takes place - we dont both fit in a cabinet base or behind the toilet , 

[Michigan Slim]

On 11/24/2023 at 9:05 AM, Cypress Sun said:

Many people put stuff into their drains that they shouldn't and (IMO) disposals exacerbate the problem. Some think that using hot tap water to "help" the oil/grease that they pour into the sink drain dissolves the oil/grease...it does somewhat, until it gets to the P trap and below. Then it cools and adheres to the side of the drain conduit like glue, getting thicker and thicker layers as time goes on. Once it gets into the sewer system, it forms "greasebergs" which are really giant grease clogs. 

 

Greasebergs and flushable wipes (which aren't really flushable) are major problems for all major jurisdictions. Michigan Slim could provide much more insight into this problem.

 

Glad I was an electrician and NOT a plumber.

I'm honored that you would think of me..... I think? Lol.

Yes, grease and wipes are the biggest maintenance cost in a collections system. With all the aging laterals coming from homes, it is also the biggest issue for homeowners, and it's self inflicted.