Why You Should Never Throw Grease Down the Drain
When it comes to cooking, clean-up is the worst part, especially cooking with grease and oil. Just as grease is bad for your body, grease and oil are also terrible for your pipes and can cause a plethora of problems that are not only a hassle but can become incredibly expensive and stressful. Grease is bad for your pipes, no doubt, but what is the reason for that? What do you do if you’ve already poured grease down your drain, and should you worry? Here’s what you need to know. Follow along with Joe the Plumber.
What Happens to Grease in Your Pipes?
Knowing that grease is bad for your pipes, it’s important to know exactly what it does to your pipes. For starters, grease solidifies once it cools down. Once the oil is poured into your sink or garbage disposal, in time, the grease will transform from a liquid state to a solid-state, eventually causing a blockage and clog of your pipes. If the grease passes through your pipes and heads to the sewers, the grease evolves into a bigger problem: fatbergs.
Fatbergs are an accumulation of non-biodegradable substances, such as ‘flushable’ wipes and grease, that form in sewers and cause havoc on the sewer lines, which affect your sewer lines in the process. Fatbergs can grow incredibly large and are only restricted by the size of the pipe. If you are in need of plumbing services in Cypress, Texas, contact our team today for a quote.
How to Properly Dispose of Grease
No matter if it’s bacon grease, lard, or avocado oil, all grease tends to solidify, and oils tend to stick. As a result, they demand to be disposed of properly and safely to avoid costly repairs, sewage backup, and awful smells from your pipes. When it comes to grease, it’s important to take note of its solidifying structure. While this solidified grease may be easier to move, liquid grease fresh off the grill—such as bacon grease—should be poured into a container or a jar.
Hot grease poured directly into the trash can will melt your trash bag and subsequently cause a mess. This is why it’s important to wait for the substance to both cool and solidify. Once it’s cooled, simply scrape out the container or jar into the trashcan, and voila! The grease is already properly disposed of. Remember that grease doesn’t dissolve or magically go away, so keep that in mind when you throw things away. It may be easier to throw away a container than to pour grease into your trash can. It’s all about preference. Do you need drain cleaning services? Hire Joe the Plumber of Cypress today.
One Major Cooking Oil Myth
Cooking oil, for a while, was widely and falsely believed to be safe to pour down the drain. This couldn’t be further from the truth, as the oil can stick to the lining of your pipes, causing erosion, leaks, and blockages over time. If you’re looking to dispose of a small amount of cooking oil, it’s best to pour the oil into the trash and put paper towels on top. The paper towel soaks up most of the cooking oil, so no need to worry about spillage or anything like that. While this may be a few extra steps, it’s better to dispose of grease the right way.
Grease in Drain? There’s Still Hope!
If you’ve already poured grease down your drain, there are a few things you can do to try to dissolve or remove it. Pouring boiling water over the sink can help reactivate the liquid state of the grease, which is easier to handle than the solidified version of grease. Then pour a drain cleaner—preferably a homemade one made with baking soda and vinegar—down the drain. Remember that this method isn’t perfect, and without the help of a professional, it’s hard to know how the grease has affected the pipes. To truly remove the grease off your plumbing lines and drains, it’s best to contact a professional with experience, such as Joe The Plumber.
Hire a Profession Plumbing Company in Cypress, TX
If you think you might have some grease buildup in your plumbing system or drains, don’t fret. As hard as it may be to assess your plumbing or flush out the grease on your own, a professional makes it a lot more manageable. Call a company you can trust, with years of experience like Joe The Plumber, to remove the grease from your drains. With certified training, specialized tools, and genuine enjoyment of helping others, you can be assured that Joe The Plumber will get the job right the first time, putting your mind at ease. Contact us today.
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