Protect your Sewer and Drain Lines: Do NOT Pour Grease Down the Drain!!
What remains after you fry bacon, broil hamburgers or bake meats? Grease and cooking oil!! These substances are referred to as FOG – fats, oils and grease, and they are real enemies to your sewer system! When you pour grease and oils down your drain or in to your garbage disposal, over time it will cause a buildup in the pipes. This buildup constricts the flow of wastewater and could cause sewers to back up in to your home. Damage from the backup of sewers and drains is not covered under the standard homeowner policy, so without the proper insurance coverage, the cost of repairing the damage caused by this could come out of your own pocket!
Some people assume that washing grease down the drain with hot water or with a degreasing agent is okay. What happens though, is that the grease goes down the drain and cools off and then solidifies onto to the walls of the drain pipe. When this happens, the line constricts and eventually becomes clogged. This can happen inside the property owner’s line or in the main sewer line. Chemical drain cleaners are often used to open clogged drains but these chemicals can also damage your pipes.
To prevent this from happening to you, never pour cooking grease or oils down the sink! Use paper towels to wipe excess grease and oil from pots and pans, plates and kitchen utensils. Scrape all food scraps in to the garbage can, not in to the garbage disposal. Cooking oil or grease that is still hot should be poured in to a heat-resistant container and allowed to cool. Once it cools and solidifies, simply discard it in the garbage.