In this blog, learn whether grease or fat can be poured down the drain and how to properly dispose of it.
Do you frequently pour all of the cooked-on fat and grease down the drain after cooking? Then you ought to immediately cease doing that!
While cleaning the kitchen, many of us engage in this behavior for convenience’s sake. However, the truth is that it is a risky practice that will ultimately damage your drain pipes.
The primary purpose of drains is to remove wastewater. Additionally, the composition of all that grease and fat differs greatly from that of water. Therefore, if you continue to pour them down the drain, you will unintentionally invite a wide range of plumbing issues into your home.
Keep reading if you’re curious about how that could be possible because that’s what we talked about in this brief guide. So, let’s get started right away!
Should grease or fat be poured down the drain?
Even though it may appear to be convenient, you should never pour oil and grease down the kitchen drain. This should not be done for all of your drains, not just the ones in your kitchen. We have also discussed the reasons why you should not do that in this section.
We have already mentioned that grease, oils, and fats have very different chemical compositions than water. We will need to delve a little deeper into the chemistry of these substances in order to better explain this.
Fatty acids, glycerol, and a variety of other complex organic compounds are typically the components of grease and oils. Because these substances are so viscous in nature, oil and grease feel so sticky to the touch.
Because of their stickiness, if you pour them down the drain, they will settle along its inner walls. The deposits will build up over time and prevent water from flowing through the drain.
However, that is not the only issue you need to be concerned about. Most of the time, the water in your home has dissolved minerals like calcium and magnesium. These combine with the fatty acids in the grease deposits to form “fatbergs,” which resemble waxy soap.
The fatbergs are a problem for your plumbing system because they clog your pipes and eventually corrode them. Additionally, you will frequently be faced with issues such as overflowing water from your fixtures, foul odors, and gurgling drains.
How do you get rid of grease and oil from your drain?
Therefore, you now understand why it is a terrible idea to flush oils and grease down the kitchen drain. However, you might occasionally accidentally pour the grease and oil down the drain because habits are hard to break.
If that happens, don’t worry; removing them from your home’s pipes is fairly straightforward. The clinging fat and grease will be washed away by pouring a little boiling water down the drain.
Baking soda, vinegar, and hot water are also options. These work much better than hot water to break up stubborn grease deposits and clear your drains faster. A drain snake, a pressurized hydro-jet, or a plunger are a few additional options.
How can fats and grease be disposed of safely?
It is not possible to flush grease and fat down the toilet. So, how are you going to handle this waste? The response is easy: They should be dried out, put in a safe, airtight container, and thrown away like any other solid waste.
Alternatively, you can reuse them by placing them in a clean container. For cooking oils, which cannot be dried out as easily, this is possible. You can dispose of the oil at sites that recycle waste if it is too old.
Pouring grease or fat down the drain
We acknowledge that it may initially be challenging to give up the ease of disposing of fat and grease down the kitchen drain. However, you must break this habit at all costs if you want your drains to remain unclogged. As a result, you won’t have to worry about plumbing issues as you continue to prepare mouthwatering meals for your family. We have discussed how to deal with it even if you accidentally pour some at first.
However, you should be aware that these are short-term solutions and should only be utilized in unplanned circumstances. If Fatbergs have completely clogged your pipes, you should call in a professional plumber like J.O. Plumbing.
