Greases, oils, and fats are common by-products of foods that need to be disposed of during cooking. If simply washed down the drain, these oils can congeal in your pipes and create blockages. These blockages can cause serious damage, and lead to very costly repairs.
Reuters published an article on plumbing problems that can be caused by grease from Thanksgiving cooking.
“Adam Krantz, managing director for government and public affairs at the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, put the price tag for clearing blockages at hundreds of millions of dollars a year. Grease is “a very big issue,” he said. The problem has worsened in the last 25 years, he said, as the U.S. population grows and sewer systems, some with pipes 100 to 200 years old, become more fragile.”
To avoid home drain problems, experts have some advice:
- Clean up oil and grease with paper towels and discard them. Or pour off the grease into a container, let it solidify, and discard the container in the trash.
- Avoid putting stringy or fibrous waste down the disposal.
- Do not wait until the disposal is full to turn it on. Use plenty of water, and let it run for 20 or 30 seconds until it is clear
- Do not rinse off oil and grease with hot water
- Most importantly, NEVER wash hot grease or oil down the drain!
You can help prevent blockages and other issues yourself by flushing your sink drain once a week! Fill your sink to the brim with hot water and pull the plug. This will completely fill the drain pipe and will help move any blockages that may be building up on the pipe walls.
You should contact a licensed plumber if you are experiencing any of the following, as they may be signs of clogged drains:
- Slow water drainage
- Gurgling sounds our bubbling
- A bad odor coming from your drain
Read the Full Reuters Article here.