Why Oil and Grease are Bad for Plumbing

Why Oil and Grease are Bad for Plumbing

Are you stressed out with the slow-moving water in your kitchen sink? Can you smell a foul smell as you are washing the dishes? If your answers are YES to both questions, then you should be alarmed because your kitchen sink may be clogged. A clogged kitchen sink is one of the most common plumbing problems noted. And what causes blocked kitchen drains? Food debris and pouring down cooking oil and grease are some of them. Hiring a plumbing service in Canberra can be the best solution for your problem.  Here are the top reasons why you should avoid oil and grease to be in contact with your plumbing system.

1. Oil Hardens

You should never pour down used oil in your kitchen sink because oil hardens. When oil hardens over time, you should understand that it will occupy most of the drains. The damage is usually seen when a habitual action of pouring oil happens. When oil hardens up, it is not good for the pipes and the drains because it will block water flow. If this is something you do, do not be surprised when you will encounter slow sink drainage.

2. Hard Oil traps Food

As you continue to pour your used oil into the kitchen drain, you will realise that it is a bad idea when you can smell a foul odour. Hardened grease usually traps food debris as you are doing the dishes. When the food is in the process of decomposition, it will emit an awful smell. When you continue to smell foul odours, you know that you need an affordable plumbing service Canberra households commonly request for.

3. Clogged Greasy Sewers

When you practice pouring oil down your sink, you will not only damage your sink but the entire sewage system. It has been found out that a lot of sewers have greasy and oily remnants and food debris because people keep on throwing these down their sinks. It is not only giving off a horrible smell, but at the same time, it can affect the health of people.

What to do with the used oil and grease?

Since oil can cause problems down the sewers, every homeowner should be cautious in disposing of it. You can wait for the grease to solidify so that you can put it in a plastic or paper bag before disposing of it. Moreover, you can use paper towels to absorb the oil before throwing them into the trash bins for oil. These practices are proven to be very effective in avoiding clogged sink drains.

What to do if you keep on pouring Oil and grease in your sink?

Once it has been done, it is difficult to take action back. The best thing to do immediately is boil water and pour it down the drain. You can also add up some liquid soap. The two actions can actually loosen up the hard oil down the drain and let it flow with ease. However, this is not an assurance, mostly if the practice of throwing down the oil had been done continuously. It is best to talk to a plumber and have a plumbing system inspection. The plumber can give you suggestions on how to solve such problems.

Conclusion

The kitchen drain is a vital part of the home. It is where the washing of dishes is done. Once the sink’s drawing system is compromised, the health of the individuals living in the house can be compromised as well. You should not let oil and grease down the drain as they cause major problems like clogged pipes and sewers. You should be responsible enough to dispose of the oil and grease properly.