Owning a home seems like there’s so much to do. Every time you turn around, something needs to be fixed, maintained, cleaned, or dealt with. So why give yourself more to do than you have to? There are some things that are easy to do or not to do, which will end up helping you in the long run. One such thing is the rule never to pour either oil or grease down the drain.
You’ve probably been warned at some point in your life that pouring grease down the drain is a bad idea. Everyone has their lazy days, though, and maybe you ignored this warning in favor of a quick dinner cleanup. While it is true that pouring very small amounts of grease down the drain once more than likely won’t cause any serious blockages in your pipes, if you frequently do this you will regret it. Disposing of cooking oil and other grease, like grease from ground beef for tacos, in the sink means you have a problem brewing in your kitchen pipes.
But it’s a liquid!
Yes, water goes down there and you can pour the rest of a glass of milk or cup of coffee down there too. Grease and cooking oil is not like pouring another type of liquid down the drain. If you think that running hot water down the drain will keep grease from sticking, it is important you realize that is not entirely true. The reason has to do with what oil does later on. You see, oil is only a liquid when it’s very hot. Oil may be going into your drain in this form but as it cools and makes its way through your pipes, it begins to solidify. When it has completely cooled, it then sticks to the surface of the pipes. This eventually causes a buildup which leads to either slower draining or a total blockage.
What about the garbage disposal?
Another common mistake is that it is okay to pour grease down a garbage disposal. The disposal does not have a special mechanism inside that destroys the grease; the blades are there to finely chop up food particles not grease. Instead of helping, the blades will become less effective! After repeated coatings of grease, they’ll be slippery and ineffective on chopping up food.
How do I know if there’s a problem?
If you’ve been putting grease or cooking oil down your drain, you’ll want to be on the lookout for a few warning signs. An impending blocked drain may be on the way if you notice slow drainage, gurgling noises coming from inside the pipes, and a bad smell. Since you already know there’s an issue, you don’t want to get rid of the clog yourself. Putting harsh chemicals or tools down the drain could make the situation worse!
Call in a professional plumber
Call in a plumber to take care of the problem! For homeowners here in Fultondale, AL, the professional plumbers to call are at DrainBlaster Plumbing Service. When you have clogged drain that needs to be cleaned you can count on Drainblaster Plumbing Service being there as soon as possible, no matter the day or time. Reach out to us at (205) 637-0668 and tell us a little about your drain situation so we can best assess what needs to be done. And remember, we offer a 10% senior citizen discount. It’s just one more way we show how dedicated we are to the Fultondale, AL community. We’re here to help!