Do you dispose of cooking grease properly?
You've heard it over and over, "Don't put grease down the sink!"
But let's be honest... it happens!
Whether you don’t have a can to pour that hot grease in, you’re just in a hurry, or there’s an accidental spill, we’ve all done it once or twice.
As much as you may need your favorite pan to cook up that next item, it’s worth the wait and the extra effort it takes to dispose of your grease properly. Not only is grease bad for your drainage system, but it’s bad for your city’s water treatment plant, and has potential dangers to wildlife.
So, next time you are tempted to take a short-cut, consider the following dangers that could result. You might be surprised how much damage grease causes or how much it could cost you to fix that damage.
Let’s look at how grease gets clogged in your home’s pipe system.
When grease is poured down the kitchen sink, it must go through the entire hidden drainage system; down the sink drain, across the house, out through the yard, all the way out to the city main line. As it travels through the system, it cools and hardens inside the pipes. Each time grease is disposed down the drain, it will begin to build up until there is no more room for anything to flow.
As a result, this build-up can cause sinks, tubs, and showers to drain slowly… or not drain at all! You might even notice that there’s unwanted waste flowing back into other areas of your home due to blocked drainage. Gross! Time to get some help!
In these photos below, you can see how our crew at Emerson Contracting NW needed to excavate in order to expose the drainage pipes. We cut into the pipe to reveal the massive grease clog!
Repairing Grease Clogs are Costly!
If waste is flowing back into other plumbed areas of your home, you are now in a position that it MUST be fixed because not only is it disgusting, it's smelly, unsanitary, and leaves your home unusable. These repairs can be frustrating, time-consuming, and very costly. On average, repairing blocked lines like this can cost anywhere from $6,000 to $20,000 or more!
Unfortunately, grease blocked drain pipes are a very common issue in today’s homes. Our diet of fatty foods, cooking with oils, rushed schedules, and careless habits contribute to this problem. This is a great reason to have a camera inspection to properly view the pipes prior to purchasing a new home!
Protect your home and keep it healthy.
Proper home maintenance and best-practices will provide a longer life for all those hidden places.
Remember - always dispose of your grease properly to ensure that your lines are in good working order and you won't be surprised with a yucky bill!
Need help with pipe drain problems?
- Emerson Contracting NW can do a camera inspection to check for potential problems with your home's pipes and drain systems.
- We have the excavation experience you need if outdoor repair is needed.
- Take a look at some of our projects on our gallery page!
Contact us by calling 503-837-1372 or use our convenient contact form and we’ll get back to you. We’ll answer your questions and offer a free assessment.
BONUS: Tips to Keep Grease Out of the Kitchen Sink
- Plan ahead! Stash a few tin cans and get that container ready when frying.
- Let the grease cool before throwing it in the garbage.
- Wipe out excess grease from your frying pan with a paper towel before rinsing in the sink.
- If you do deep-fat frying, sometimes the oil can be recycled and reused. Check out the link below!
- https://www.thespruceeats.com/how-do-i-dispose-of-used-cooking-oil-908995