Should You Pour Grease Down The Drain?

If you’re wondering if it’s really okay to pour grease down your kitchen drain, hold it right there! It’s understandable that pouring grease down the drain can be tempting for a quick cleanup. Just run hot water down the drain along with the hot grease and problem solved, right? Maybe pouring grease down the garbage disposal is better you might ask? Well, wrong on both counts. Keep reading to learn why you should never pour grease down your kitchen drain and what to do with the grease instead.

GREASE, KITCHEN DRAINS, AND PIPES DON’T MIX

So, you’ve got hot grease in your frying pan and you want to get rid of it fast. The problem with pouring hot grease down the kitchen drain is that, over time, the hot and oily mess can cause serious and expensive plumbing problems for you. As the hot grease runs down the drain and pipes, it begins to solidify. Solidified grease in your pipes is a sticky trap for other debris and particles that flow down the drain. The buildup of grease and gunk can eventually clog pipes, slow the drain, and wreak havoc on local sewer systems and septic tanks.

GREASE AND GARBAGE DISPOSALS ARE A NO-NO!

A common plumbing myth is that it’s okay to pour hot grease down a garbage disposal. That’s totally incorrect! Garbage disposals are not indestructible at all, and there are many items that you shouldn’t place into the garbage disposal, such as stringy vegetables and starchy foods, including hot grease. Once the grease solidifies, it can clog the small holes in the flywheel which impedes the garbage disposal’s smooth functioning. Further, the grease can solidify in the waste line and drain pipe creating clogs there, too. You probably don’t want the nasty odors that solidified grease can cause either!

HOW TO PROPERLY DISPOSE OF GREASE

So, what are you supposed to do with that hot and messy grease? Good question! While you’re bound to have trace amounts of grease end up in your sink from washing pans and dishes, there are better places to pour hot grease than down your kitchen sink or garbage disposal.

For example, let’s say you’ve prepared a pan of juicy hamburgers for dinner. It smells delicious and you’re ready to eat! That’s great. Just set the pan full of hot grease aside. Later, when you’re cleaning up after dinner, the hot grease has now solidified in the pan. Simply use a spatula to scrape the solidified grease into the kitchen garbage can.

Another alternative to pouring hot grease down the kitchen drain or garbage disposal is to keep a metal or glass canister handy. This could be an empty coffee container or mason jar, for instance. Keep the container specifically for hot grease handy so that it’s easy to access any time you have hot grease you need to dispose of. When the container is full, scoop out the solidified grease into the garbage bin and you’re golden! No messy grease in your kitchen drain or disposal! Or, you can set the container of grease aside for future use.

ALREADY POURED GREASE DOWN THE DRAIN?

If your kitchen sink begins to smell nasty because you’re in the habit of pouring grease down the drain, there are a few troubleshooting measures you can take to try to remedy any current greasy buildup and gunk in pipes. Turn on the kitchen faucet to hot water. With the hot water running, squirt some dish soap down the drain. Next, carefully pour a gallon of boiling water down the drain. The hot water may liquefy some of the solidified grease in the pipes, and the dish soap may help wash away the gunk and debris. If this doesn’t do the trick, call us at Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup!

If you’re having problems with the kitchen drain, garbage disposal, or any other plumbing issues in your St. Cloud home, call (320) 207-1079 to reach the plumbing professionals at Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup. We’re available 24/7 day or night for your convenience!