New to Cooking? Don't Let Grease Damage Your Pipes
When it comes to cooking, grease is a staple in the kitchen. From keeping your food moist to frying foods, you likely use your fair share of grease when cooking meals for your household. It's important that you are disposing of your grease properly. A common mistake some homeowners make is to simply toss the grease down the drain, but this seemingly minor action comes along with harsh consequences that won't just affect your plumbing system today, but for years down the road.
The Effects Of Grease On Your Drains
The most important thing to remember about grease is that it can take a considerable amount of time to cool. If you pour hot grease down your drain, it can travel a considerable distance before cooling and solidifying. Once grease is cool and in a solid state, it creates an obstruction or clog.
According to one study, oil and fat clogs account for 36,000 or 47% of all sewer overflows that happen each year. In addition to clogs, excessively hot grease can also damage pipes. This is especially true for drain pipes that are made from a PVC material. The hot grease can actually melt a hole in the pipe. If you are not immediately aware of this issue, each time water drains through the pipe, water could also be leaking out, causing significant water damage.
Repair Costs
If you're anything like the average person, spending your hard-earned money on a repair because of something you did isn't exactly your idea of a good time. However, this is exactly the type of situation you will find yourself in if you pour hot grease down the drain. If you are lucky, yes lucky, enough to only have a small amount of grease buildup within your pipes you could be looking at repair cost somewhere between $100 and $200.
However, should the grease clog travel deep within the pipes or cause internal damage to the pipes, you could easily spend $1,000 to repair the issue. Avoid these high costs by properly disposing of your grease.
Proper Grease Disposal
A great way to dispose of your grease is to take it to a grease recycling center, like Ace Grease Service. There are a number of these centers that will accept your oil to recycle and use it for a number of different purposes, such as for compost or fuel.
To prepare your grease for recycling, first strain the grease into a metal container. This will allow it to cool and solidify. If you plan to collect a large amount of oil before taking it into the center, store the oil in a cool place away from an open flame.
Don't let your desire to quickly get rid of grease damage your pipes. Make sure you are always disposing of your grease correctly.
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