It's not a myth; the day after Thanksgiving is the busiest day of the year for America's largest provider of plumbing, sewer and drain services, Roto-Rooter. Think about the reasons why. The holiday is all about a big meal. When cooks get busy in the kitchen preparing a feast, lots of food and scraps end up down the kitchen drain and into the garbage disposal. Turkey drippings. It’s just grease. Hot drippings may be in liquid form when poured down the drain but the liquid will solidify like candle wax once it cools down inside the pipes. Rice and pasta swell when introduced to water. Worse, they’ll break down into a starchy gel and clog the pipes. Toss in some poultry skin, dressing, vegetable peels and a bone or two and you’ve got a sewer or drain clog of monumental proportions.

Many Thanksgiving hosts have overnight guests who take showers, baths, flush toilets and might even do a laundry load or two. This extra strain on the plumbing system is like the proverbial last straw that breaks a camel’s back. Chances are that the house already had a partially clogged drain or two but the problem was not altogether noticeable yet. However, once a few more guests show up, the drains become overwhelmed. Worse, the actual problem might be past the sink drain down in the main sewer line under your front yard. Tree roots grow into the pipe at the joint and catch all of the grease, toilet paper, food scraps and wet wipes that go down your drains. Eventually, every drain in the house backs up with raw sewage. It can be a very nasty mess that threatens to ruin the holiday mood of even the most delightful host.

Never fear, Roto-Rooter is here. We staff up on the Friday after Thanksgiving and maintain an unmatched state of readiness all weekend long because we’ve learned a thing or two about Thanksgiving clogs after 78 years in business. That means that we’re ready to help on short notice if you have a plumbing or drain problem. And get this, most Roto-Rooter locations are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Even better, most Roto-Rooter offices do not charge extra for service at night, on weekends or on holidays. That means you’ll probably pay the same rate no matter when you call us. Note that there are some independent Roto-Rooter offices who don’t follow this pricing practice so just ask the customer service representative about holiday rates when you call 1-800-ROTO-911 (1-800-768-6911).