Grease is NOT the Word – The Effects of Pouring Grease Down Your Drain
One significant cause for service calls to plumbers is grease clogs in drains. The problem is completely preventable, though, and you should never poor cooking oil or grease down the kitchen drain.
Animal fat and vegetable oil are liquid immediately after you cook with them, but after they cool they can harden the inside of your drainpipes. One of the effects of pouring grease down the drain is that it can block not only your kitchen drain, but also your nearby bath and laundry lines. This depends on the layout of your plumbing, but it is not worth the risk.
It is possible for you to fix a grease clog yourself, but it is also possible that you will make the problem much worse. One big issue is that you could damage your pipes extensively by pouring chemicals in them to unclog the drain. Doing so could end up costing your far more than if you had called a professional from the beginning. Getting rid of a small clog will cost far less than having to replace your pipes. Some ways for getting rid of grease instead of pouring it down the drain are:
- Wipe off the pan with a paper towel
- Pour cooled grease into containers and dispose
- Save bacon grease for later use Another tip you can use to keep your drains running clear, without damaging your pipes, is to pour bleach down your drain once per week.
You can also fill your sink with hot water before you let it drain a few times per month. In addition, you can run hot water down your drain every time you use it. You can avoid the effects of pouring grease down the drain by not pouring fat and oil down the drain, and you can avoid paying a plumber to unclog your drain with a little prevention and maintenance.
At Sobieski Services, Inc., our goal is to help our customers in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey learn more about energy and home comfort issues – especially HVAC and plumbing issues – so that they can save money and live in healthier, more comfortable homes.
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