Why You Should Never Pour Grease Down the Drain

Picture this: you’ve just finished eating a nice big meal. It’s time to clean up. You pick up the pan that is filled with grease from the night’s delicious food. After a brief moment of hesitation, you decide it’s easiest to rinse it down the sink.The rest of the cleanup goes quickly. You turn out the kitchen lights and walk away. But down your drain, a serious plumbing problem might be taking shape.

It’s true. Pouring grease down the drain is one of the fastest ways to create big problems in your pipes.

So let’s discuss what actually happens when grease goes down the drain, as well as some ways to keep your pipes in good working condition.

Grease Cools and Solidifies

When grease is hot, it looks pretty harmless. It’s liquid, it flows easily, and it disappears down the drain without a second thought.

But have you ever let grease sit for a bit? You’ll notice that as it cools, it begins to solidify. More than that, it’s sticky and difficult to remove from surfaces such as countertops or even your hands. 

That’s also what’s happening inside your pipes. Yuck! And the more you pour grease down the drain—even small bits of it—the more it builds up layer by layer. Over time, that buildup narrows the pipe opening, restricting water flow and creating stubborn blockages.

Before you know it, you’re facing a full-on clog.

It Doesn’t Stop at Your Pipes

It’s worth noting that grease buildup doesn’t just affect your home’s plumbing. It can also travel into sewer lines and combine with other debris, such as wipes, paper products, and food particles. As you can imagine, this creates large obstructions over time. 

Before you know it, your neighborhood could be facing problems like:

• Slow drains

• Gurgling sounds

• Bad odors

• Backups in sinks or tubs

We’ve heard from some homeowners who believe running hot water or dish soap will prevent grease from solidifying. It doesn’t. While hot water may carry the grease further down the line, it will eventually cool and solidify somewhere within your plumbing system. Soap can break grease into smaller particles, but it doesn’t eliminate the buildup completely.

What To Do With Your Grease Instead

We’ve talked a lot about what not to do with your grease. So, what’s a better solution? One way to handle grease is to pour it into a heatproof container with a lid. Discard it once the container is full and the grease has hardened. Alternatively, you can wait until the grease has cooled in the pan, then discard it into the trash with a spatula.

Also, try wiping greasy pans with a disposable towel before washing them to reduce grease and other residue from building up within your dishwasher.

We get it. Pouring grease down the drain seems quick and harmless. Unfortunately, we’ve seen it lead to major plumbing issues all too often. A little prevention via other disposal methods can save you from bigger problems.

If you notice signs of grease buildup, such as slow drains or unpleasant odors, contact us! Our team services the Rochester, NY, and surrounding areas, and we’re happy to help with professional drain cleaning to get things flowing properly again.