One of the most inconvenient things about cooking is the cleaning afterwards. Oh, how fun it is to deal with left over grease from the frying pan! Many people have different ways of disposing cooking grease and some people even reuse it. However, it is very easy to dump excess grease and oil down the drain without even giving it a second thought. Pouring hot oil down the drain might not seem like a big deal in the moment, but even the occasional grease disposal shortcut can add up over time and result in a hefty plumbing bill.
Many oils, coconut oil, bacon fat, even including butter are in a liquid state when warm, but in a solid state at room temperature. Once you pour that hot grease down the drain, it is going to coat your pipe walls and linger around waiting to catch leftovers to cause a major plumbing issue. The congealed oil will coat your pipes, especially the U-bend under the sink.
If the oil does manage to clear the scene, it will make its way into the sewer system where it doesn’t belong. Here it mingles with other people’s discarded grease as well as wastewater treatment chemicals. When the fatty acids in oil encounter calcium, which is commonly found in sewer water, a waxy compound is formed. The result is a fat blob that sticks to other fat blobs, along with the sewer’s walls and ceilings. An anchored blob, otherwise known as a “fatberg,” can grow over time.
Make sure you are properly disposing of used cooking oil. Store it, don’t pour it. Cooled oil can be collected in a container and then deposited in the trash. If you slip up, chase the oil with a pot of boiling water, followed by one cup of baking soda, then one cup of vinegar, and a final cup of water. Then, after plugging your drain for five to ten minutes, send through another pot of boiling water. That should keep the fatbergs away as long as you don’t dump oil down your drain on the regular.
If that does not solve the problem, call our professionals at Terrano Plumbing & Remodeling. We are just one phone call away and will be happy to assist with your plumbing needs.