We’ve all been there – you just cooked up a delicious meal, but now you’re stuck with a pan full of greasy, congealed oil and fat. Dumping it down the kitchen sink drain seems like the quickest and easiest solution, right? But hold on! That little “convenience” can rapidly become an expensive, smelly plumbing catastrophe that you wouldn’t want to deal with.
Pouring grease and cooking oils straight into your drains can seem pretty harmless, but that greasy gunk has a nasty habit of solidifying once it cools, creating stubborn clogs deep within your pipes. Before long, you could be facing backed-up sinks, foul odors wafting through the house, and even raw sewage overflowing into your home if the clog gets really bad. Definitely not an appetizing thought!
Greasing up your drains is such a huge no-no, especially for Seattle-area residents. In this guide, we’ll explain the damage cooking fats and oils can wreak on residential plumbing systems. Aside from that, we’ll teach you some simple, eco-friendly alternatives for properly disposing of grease every time you cook – no more risking those disgusting, costly drain disasters!
What Happens When You Pour Grease Down the Drain?
You might think pouring that leftover grease and oil down the kitchen sink is no big deal, but it can lead to some seriously nasty – and pricey – plumbing headaches.
Here are some of the most common issues you could be dealing with if you keep greasing up your drains:
Clogged Drains
Sure, grease is liquid when it’s piping hot. But remember – it cools and hardens pretty quickly once it cools down in those pipes. As it solidifies, it acts like a sticky trap, catching all sorts of other gunk like food bits, hair, and soap scum. This combination of things creates ultra-stubborn clogs that are a plumbing nightmare!
But how do you know if your clog is caused by grease? One of the red flags is if your sinks or tubs are draining at a snail’s pace or you hear gurgling noises coming from the pipes.. The blockage can keep getting worse and worse until water stops draining altogether.
Sewer Backups
If you live in an old home in Seattle, chances are that your home is still hooked up to older municipal sewer lines that are especially prone to grease buildup. As that congealed grease accumulates, it restricts flow and can actually cause raw sewage to back up into homes through the drain pipes. Gross!
Sewer backups aren’t just a smelly pain – they can pose legit health risks too. Sewage can contain all sorts of harmful bacteria, viruses, and pathogens that could make you and your family seriously ill if exposed.
Expensive Repairs
If a grease clog gets really bad, you’ll probably need to call in the pros for specialized drain cleaning services using heavy-duty equipment like hydro-jetters or rooters. Depending on how stubborn that clog is, those services could easily cost hundreds or even thousands of bucks.
When grease forms those ultra-clogged blockages, the backed-up pressure can actually crack or burst pipes. This kind of damage often requires completely re-piping sections of your plumbing – an extremely pricey and disruptive repair job that’s a total headache.
So at the end of the day, that little “convenience” of dumping grease down the drain could leave you with a seriously nasty mess, potential health hazards, and a whole bunch of money straight down the drain too. Definitely not worth the risk!
What Can You Do With Your Used Grease?
Now that you know just how much damage pouring grease down the drain can cause, you’re probably wondering – what on earth am I supposed to do with it instead?
Don’t worry, there are plenty of easy, responsible ways to dispose of used cooking grease and oils. Here are some greener options to consider:
Dispose of Grease Properly
The simplest solution is to let your grease fully cool and solidify after cooking, then carefully scrape it into a trash bag or container to throw away with your regular garbage. You can also pour liquid grease into a sealable non-recyclable container and let it solidify before tossing it.
Save glass jars, aluminum cans, or other sealed containers specifically for collecting and disposing of grease. This prevents spills and contains odors until you can take out the trash.
Recycle Grease
Many cities, including Seattle, offer recycling programs that accept used cooking oils and grease. These are then converted into environmentally-friendly biofuels or other sustainable products.
In Seattle, you can take your sealed containers of grease to neighborhood recycling depots or schedule curbside collection through services like Solid Ground. Check online for the nearest drop-off location.
Reuse Cooking Grease
With proper handling, you can actually reuse certain cooking oils and grease for future meals. Strain out any food particles, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 months.
It’s best to avoid reusing grease after frying fish or foods with strong odors that can transfer flavors. You’ll also want to discard grease that has a burnt or off smell.
No matter which disposal method you choose, the key is keeping grease out of your drains and pipes to prevent costly plumbing disasters. A little extra effort goes a long way!
What Should You Do if You Have an Existing Grease Clog?
Uh oh, looks like you’ve already got a nasty grease clog situation on your hands from pouring it down the drain. You don’t have to panic just yet! There are some DIY tricks you can try first before calling in the big guns. But you should also know when to wave the white flag and get experts on it!
DIY Solutions
Hot Water and Dish Soap
For smaller grease buildups, you might be able to flush it out with a mixture of boiling hot water and dish soap. The heat can help liquify and break up that solidified grease, while the soap cuts through it. Slowly pour the boiling hot soapy water down the drain and let it sit for 30 minutes before flushing again with more hot water.
Baking Soda and Vinegar
This old-school combo has been known to sometimes dissolve grease and dislodge clogs too. Start by dumping 1/2 cup baking soda down the clogged drain, then follow it up with 1 cup of vinegar. Let that mixture fizzle and do its magic for 15 minutes, then flush it all out with a kettle of boiling water. The chemical reaction can help eat away at the grease.
When to Call a Professional
If you’ve given those DIY methods a solid try and that clog is still being stubborn, or you’re getting whiffs of foul odors coming up from the drain, it’s probably time to quit messing around and call in some backup. Same goes if you’ve got multiple slow drains or clogs happening all over your home – that’s a sign of a way bigger blockage going on.
In situations like this, remember that there is no shame in getting the professionals to help you. While those DIY tricks can sometimes tackle smaller grease buildups, you definitely don’t want to risk making the situation a total disaster by using harsh chemical cleaners or snaking cables incorrectly. That could make the problem bigger and lead to more spending in the future!
When in doubt, it’s better to be safe and get the pros involved to fully assess and clear that nasty clog the right way. It’ll save you a ton of time, money, and stress in the long run!
How to Prevent Future Grease Issues
Okay, so you’ve dealt with that nasty grease clog already. But you wouldn’t want the nightmare to keep repeating itself, right? Don’t worry, there are some easy things you can do to help prevent future grease buildups from turning into total drain disasters. A bit of preventative maintenance will go a long way!
Regular Drain Maintenance
Scheduled Cleanings: Listen – even if your drains seem all good right now, it can’t hurt to get them professionally cleaned out every so often. Having a plumber come flush out your pipes once a year can really help get rid of any grease or gunk before it turns into a mega clog.
Enzyme-Based Drain Cleaners: In between pro cleanings, those enzyme-based drain maintenance products can be super handy too. Unlike harsh chemical cleaners that can wreck your pipes, these use natural enzymes to just keep breaking down and dissolving any little grease or organic bits over time.
Educating Household Members
Listen, you can be an absolute grease disposal pro, but if the other people you live with aren’t on the same page, it’ll all be for nothing. Making sure your whole family or your roommates understand why pouring grease is such a no-no is key.
Set up some designated grease collection jars or containers in the kitchen and label them clearly. You can also stick up reminders by the sinks about never pouring it down the drain. For kids or forgetful roomies, it might take some repeating and reinforcing until that habit really sticks.
Dealing with a grease-clogged drain is just the worst, smelliest, most expensive headache. But if you make a little effort with regular maintenance and getting your whole household on board, you can avoid going down that road again. A little preventative work now saves you a ton of hassle and money down the line!
Don’t Let Grease Ruin Your Pipes – Listen Up!
Look, pouring grease down your kitchen sink is just asking for a world of plumbing headaches. Nasty smells, clogged up drains, maybe even sewage backing up into your house – definitely not something anybody wants to deal with. But if you’re smart about getting rid of grease properly and do a little preventative maintenance, you can steer clear of those pipe disasters.
Already got a grease clog situation brewing? Don’t wait around, call up our pros at Gene Johnson right away. Our skilled plumbers will get that mess cleared out pronto. Dial us at (206) 792-7495 to get service lined up before it turns into a total nightmare!
