It’s Saturday morning, and you whip up a tasty batch of bacon for breakfast. When you’re done cooking, you dump the grease down your drain without thinking. Your family finds you panicking and asks what’s wrong.
“I accidentally poured grease down the drain,” you tell them. “And I don’t know what to do!”
Pouring a little bit of grease down the drain isn’t the end of the world, but if you do it regularly, your plumbing system will pay for it. Below, learn how to fix grease in a drain using DIY methods. If you have no luck, call us for drain cleaning services in Broken Arrow, OK.
Why Grease Buildup Spells Trouble for Your Drains in Broken Arrow
Hot grease is liquid, and your sink was built to handle liquids, so there’s nothing wrong with pouring it down the drain, right? Wrong! When the grease cools to room temperature, it can solidify in your pipes, causing a major blockage.
Even if grease doesn’t completely clog your system, it’s sticky stuff, and it’ll easily cling to the sides of your pipes, serving as a magnet for all manner of food debris.
Cooking grease can also go rancid inside your pipes and give off a foul smell. You definitely don’t want your kitchen to smell like rotting bacon or used fryer oil while you’re trying to cook dinner.
“I Accidentally Poured Grease Down the Drain! How Do I Remove Grease From Pipes?”
Now that you know the dangers of grease for your Broken Arrow plumbing system, you’re probably saying, “Oh no! I accidentally poured grease down the drain. Am I going to have to pay a fortune to fix it?”
First of all, don’t panic; you may be able to fix the problem yourself. Here’s how.
Pour Boiling Water Down the Drain
Boiling water cures many ills, and that includes grease stuck in your drains. The hot water will melt grease, causing it to exit your pipes.
However, boiling water alone may not be enough to do the job because oil and water repel each other. For more grease-fighting power, add a few drops of dish soap to the water and mix well until the solution is bubbly.
If you’re trying to remove a grease clog, keep pouring hot water down the drain until water no longer backs up in the sink. Stopping prematurely can cause the grease to resolidify further down the pipe, and you’ll have an even harder time removing it.
Try a Homemade Drain Cleaner
“I accidentally poured grease down the drain. Time for the drain cleaner.” Stop right there!
When you’ve got a grease clog, your first thought may be to reach for a chemical drain cleaner. Resist the temptation because these products tend to do more harm than good. Additionally, many brands aren’t capable of fixing a grease-clogged drain.
For a gentler yet effective solution, make a mixture of baking soda, vinegar, and hot water. Pour the mixture down your sink and let it sit for a few minutes. The fizzing action should dissolve the clog easily.
Use a Snake To Dislodge the Clog
Snakes, sometimes called augers, are helpful for removing drain clogs caused by food debris. When you use a snake, your goal is to break up the grease clog so it isn’t as solid. You can then follow up with boiling water or a vinegar-baking soda treatment.
To snake your drain, run the snake down the drain until it hits something solid; this is the clog. Keep winding the snake until you feel the clog begin to break up.
Clean the P-Trap
If the above tips don’t work, you can try cleaning the P-trap. This is a U-shaped section of pipe that sits below your kitchen sink.
You’ll have to remove the P-trap to clean it. Place a bucket or large bowl below the P-trap before removing it to collect any spillage. Next, remove the P-trap by hand or with a wrench. Wash the P-trap thoroughly to remove grease, then replace it. Make sure to fully tighten the fittings to prevent leaks.
“I Accidentally Poured Grease Down the Drain. Now, What?” Call Our Plumbers in Broken Arrow, OK
“I accidentally poured grease down the drain. What should I do?” Stop worrying and call the experts at Quality Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electric! We can help with grease drain cleanup, provide grease disposal tips to prevent grease clogs and more.
Call us for service in Broken Arrow, or keep reading to learn the signs you need drain cleaning.
