In between the chaos in the kitchen, it’s tempting to pour oil down the sink to make the cleaning process faster. But there’s a good reason the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggests it’s a bad idea since fats, oils, and grease can damage your plumbing system in more ways than one. In fact, over a whopping 47 percent of sewer overflows and backups, leading to one of the most expensive plumbing problems like flooding. 

What Exactly Happens When Fats, Oils, and Grease Get Stuck in Your Sink?

Hot grease can quickly coat your pipes, and once water flows over them, all the hot and slippery oil will harden. Some examples of things that have fats, oils, and grease include meat fats, lard, cooking oil, sauces, butter, margarine, liquids from your slow cooker, food scraps, and more. 

Oils will build up and trap all kinds of food particles going down your kitchen sink, forming massive conglomerations that stick throughout the pipe’s walls. As grease accumulates over time, it will thicken and catch more particles, which can compromise your sewer lines and pipes the longer you let grease deposits slide. So what happens to your plumbing system when grease racks up? 

• Grease can dramatically reduce pipe flow capacity and lower water pressure;
• Grease can slow down your drain until it gets completely clogged; 
• Due to clogs, grease can also increase the risk of your sink getting sewage backups;
• As sewage backups enter your home, it can cause flooding problems;
• All the dirt and grime flowing from the sewers to your sink can bring disease-carrying bacteria to your home;
• Consequently, the disease-causing bacteria from the sewage back-up can also contaminate your home’s water sources; 

What to Do to Prevent the Buildup of Fats, Oils, and Grease

Now that you know throwing grease down your kitchen sink can break your pipes and the bank, here are some simple ways to break your bad habit and prevent grease buildup:

• Recycle all your cooking oil and grease by placing them into a wax-coated container, though any large plastic container would do too! You can hand it over to any recycling centers in your area.
  
• Wipe greasy dishes and other cooking utensils with a paper towel before throwing them into the trash. 

The Bottom Line: Why You Should Never Pour Grease Down the Drain 

Pouring grease down the drain can wreak havoc on your plumbing system, but its destructive power can also impact your neighborhood’s sewage. Letting all your greasy, oily, or fatty kitchen byproducts has costly consequences that can compromise your community’s main sewer line, which means your poor practices can affect others too. 

When you notice your drains are clogged, and you suspect grease to be the primary culprit, it’s best to contact professional sewer cleaning companies in the San Fernando Valley area. 

Are You Looking for the Best 24 Hour Plumber in San Fernando Valley?

Whether you need drain cleaning to unclog your toilets, hot water heater installation, sewer pipe repair, water heater replacement, and other emergency plumbing services in San Fernando Valley, Candu Plumbing & Rooting is there to address your needs and handle the dirty work for you! Get in touch with our expert plumbers today and see what we can do to ease your plumbing woes.