How Grease Causes Drain Clogs

The sink in your kitchen is one of the most important plumbing fixtures in your home. From hand washing to cleaning dishes and getting water for cooking, you rely on your sink more than you may even realize. If the drain in that sink is not functioning properly and is unable to dispose of wastewater efficiently and hygienically, though, your sink is nothing more than a built-in water bucket.

Most drain clogs are caused by errors on the part of the homeowner. Taking a few simple steps can help keep the drains in Raleigh home free of clogs and blockages. JD Service Now has some information for you about why you should never put grease or fat down your drain.

How Grease Will Affect Your Drain

Most people will not put hard objects such as bones down their garbage disposal or large chunks of food down the drain. When dealing with liquids, though, many homeowners are indiscriminate about which ones can go down the drain safely. If you have ever poured hot fat or grease down your drain you have made a common, but serious, plumbing maintenance mistake.

Fat and grease are only in liquid form while they are hot. When they begin to cool they solidify and congeal. That means that if you pour hot grease down your drain it will adhere to the walls of your pipes as it cools. This creates a sticky situation in your pipes that can trap other debris that normally would be washed straight through. While running hot water may cause the grease to liquefy again, it will continue to cool and congeal throughout your drain system.

The problem with grease clogs is that even when they congeal they are fairly soft. You can easily push through one with a drain snake and mistake that as meaning the clog is resolved. Unfortunately, there may still be grease lining the walls of the pipes and it will build back up before long. Store your grease and fat in a can or jar. Freeze it and dispose of it in the garbage to avoid drain clogs.

For more information about drain clogs and how grease can affect your drains, call JD Service Now. We look forward to helping you be a more responsible homeowner. Contact us today to schedule plumbing service in Raleigh.