Grease is the number one cause of sewer pipe backups. If you have ever dealt with a clogged drain, then you know clearing grease clogs on your own or with drain cleaner is almost impossible. The internet is full of home remedies to help unclog drains, but they unfortunately only work on small clogs. For larger clogs, the use of trusted plumbing services to resolve the issue is your best bet.
Some of these tricks just move the grease farther away from the surface, making the eventual clog deeper than if it would have occurred originally. Pouring boiling water down the drain only works until the water cools, causing buildup further down the pipe and in the municipal sewer system. Vinegar and baking soda is another remedy that comes highly recommended but has little effect on clogs that are solely caused by grease build-up.
How Grease Damages your Drains
As the grease cools, it becomes sticky. Even oils that are in liquid form at cool temperatures adhere to the sides of the pipe or anything already stuck to it. As the inner wall of the pipe becomes coated with grease and food particles, it begins to snag errant food particles as they swim their way down to the sewer. This build-up catches food and waste particles and creates a blockage.
These blockages will eventually become impassable, especially with oils that are solid at tepid temperatures. The grease blocks and adheres to one another layer by layer, causing blockages and slow drainage of all the drains connected to the outflow pipe. Even food that has been ground up by a garbage disposal will get caught up in the clogged pipes.
The Proper way to Dispose of Grease
Grease should never be poured down the drain in any form. It is a common myth that putting leftovers through the garbage disposal makes the food move through the pipes smoothly. While it is true that preventing the drainage of large chunks of food waste prevents clogging, the pulverized grease will still float on the water and adhere to the sides of the drainpipes, causing buildup that cause blockages.
Always scrape food waste into the trash. Grease should be poured into a can or bottle with a lid and thrown in the waste bin. There is no safe way to dispose of grease through a drain.
Measures to Take if you Have Already Poured Grease Down the Drain
If you have poured grease down the drain regularly for a while, do not worry. Everyone makes mistakes! Every once in a while a drain cleaner is put on the market that claims to clean the grease out of pipes but these are generally effective only near their surface.
If you have a clogged drain and are concerned about your history of disposing of grease down the drains of your home, call a plumbing service and they can come to inspect your pipes for a long-term solution. This will be much more effective and efficient than trying home remedies and expensive, corrosive drain cleaners.
The professionals at Miles Plumbing are trained to diagnose all manner of drain problems and are experts at dealing with clogged drains. Trust us, we have seen just about everything that can happen with clogged drains! Call us today at 250-361-4488 or contact us at our website.
We offer 24-hour emergency plumbing services.
