- June 24, 2021
Why You Should Never Pour Grease Down a Drain?
Just like grease and fat clogs up human arteries, it clogs up drainpipes. Even if you pour grease with hot water or soapy water, this is still not a great idea for the health of your pipes.
To be safe, you should never pour grease down your sink or into a drain. Even small amounts build up over time and can cause big, costly problems. Oil and fats are in liquid form while hot, but once they cool they solidify, which is what causes blockages.
What Happens When Oil and Grease Are Poured into Drains?
Hot oil and grease may slide easily down the plughole after cooking a meal. And you may not notice any problems for a long while. But what you can’t see is this hot oil coming to a rest in the pipes, cooling down and solidifying. Over time, the build up becomes a full blockage for your pipes, which is hard to reach.
Some oil will make it past you pipes and settle in the sewers. This is where oil congregates and solidifies from many other houses and restaurants which eventually becomes a fatberg. These are soap like compounds made up from fatty acids binding with calcium, that grow in size and eventually block the whole sewer system. Disgusting right!
How to Dispose of Grease Safely?
Butter, shortening or any type of cooking oil shouldn’t be poured down the drain. Pour it into a storage vessel like a plastic bottle, a large Ziploc bag or a bowl and leave it to cool. Once it’s full, you can throw it into the trash or take it to a local recycling center that accepts cooking oils.
For small amounts of oil and grease in a pan, wait for the oil to cool. Next, use a spatula to scrape the hardened grease into the trash bin. Any remaining oil can be soaked up with a paper towel and thrown away.
What to Do If You’ve Already Poured Grease Down Your Drain?
If you’ve poured some oil down your drains, it’s likely you can remedy the situation before it gets blocked. Here’s what to do;
- Pour boiling water down the sink to turn the solidified grease back to a liquid
- Add some dish soap to help with the process
- Run the hot tap to start moving the liquefied grease through the pipes
Contact AJP Plumbing for Maintenance and Drain Unblocking
Grease and oil poured into a sink will trap food waste and particles over time. This eventually causes a blockage which prevents water from draining away. When this happens, you’ll need to call in your local plumber for drain unblocking assistance. AJP Plumbing are on call 7 days a week, 365 days a year for emergency plumbing services. Call us anytime on 0421 568 884.
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