Getting ready for the holidays? Taking care of your pipes could save you thousands

Every day, numerous households contribute to a growing and costly problem with what most people consider a harmless kitchen practice. Pouring fats, oils, and grease (FOG) down the drain is common, yet it poses serious risks to both your home plumbing and the broader environment.

While washing these substances down the sink may be easy, this simple act can lead to costly repairs or worse – sewage backups in your kitchen or baths during the holidays. Here's why it's necessary to understand the effects of FOG and how to properly dispose of these substances to protect your pipes and your wallet.

What Are Fats, Oils, and Grease?

FOG comes from animal fats, vegetable fats and oils used to cook and prepare food, including cooking oils, butter, lard, meat scraps, and dairy products. When these substances enter your plumbing system, they don't remain liquid for long.

As they cool, fats and grease solidify, clinging to the walls of your pipes and creating stubborn blockages. Over time, these blockages build up, trapping other debris and ultimately obstructing water flow.

The Impact of FOG on Plumbing Systems

When fats, oils, and grease enter the drain, they can lead to severe issues in residential, commercial and municipal plumbing systems. Inside your home, FOG can create clogs in the pipes, leading to slow drainage, unpleasant odors, and even sewage backups. In extreme cases, it can necessitate costly repairs, such as pipe replacement.

In municipal systems, FOG buildup can cause major sewer blockages, requiring expensive maintenance and sometimes resulting in sewage overflows. This can pose health risks to communities and lead to contamination of local water bodies.

Communities spend billions of dollars every year unplugging or replacing grease-blocked pipes, repairing pump stations, and cleaning up costly and illegal wastewater spills. Excessive FOG in the sewer system can affect local wastewater rates.

Environmental Consequences

FOG not only affects plumbing systems but also has environmental concerns. When blockages lead to overflows, untreated wastewater can spill into rivers, lakes, and oceans, polluting ecosystems and endangering wildlife.

Additionally, managing these clogs in municipal systems consumes precious resources, which could be used for environmental preservation efforts.

Proper Disposal: How to Prevent FOG Clogs

The good news is that preventing FOG-related plumbing issues is simple and requires just a few easy changes to your kitchen routine. Here are some ways to keep fats, oils, and grease out of your drains:

1. Cool It and Toss It: After cooking, allow FOG to cool and solidify. Once solid, scrape it into a disposable container and throw it in the trash.
2. Wipe It Down: Before rinsing pots, pans, and dishes, wipe them with a paper towel to remove excess grease. Don't pour cooking oil, pan drippings, bacon grease, salad dressings or sauces down the sink or toilet.
3. Scrape It Off: Scrape food scraps into the trash with a paper towel or napkin, not in the sink. The garbage disposal does not remove FOG, it just makes the pieces smaller. Using cloth towels or rags to clean plates or greasy dishware will end up in the sewer when the cloth is washed.
4. Use a Grease Container: Keep a designated container in your kitchen specifically for collecting used cooking oil. Once it's full, dispose of it according to your local waste disposal guidelines.
5. Compost When Possible. Some solid fats, such as bacon grease, can be composted if you have a composting system that can handle it.

Taking a few simple steps to keep fats, oils, and grease out of your drains can protect your home's plumbing system and prevent costly repairs. Not only will you save money, but you'll also contribute to environmental protection and help ease the strain on municipal wastewater systems.

Remember, it's much easier – and cheaper - to prevent FOG-related issues than it is to fix them. So, the next time you're in the kitchen, think twice before letting grease slide down the drain. Taking a few extra steps to dispose of it correctly can protect your pipes and your wallet.