Grease is an enemy to your drain lines. Although flushing grease down your sink is the easiest option, it will cost you money in the long run. When it is poured down the sink, it solidifies and hardens at the bottom of the pipe making it difficult for solids to pass through. A snowball effect can occur when the hardened or solid grease catches debris flowing by and it builds and builds until your entire home is clogged. You can prevent this by simply throwing it in the trash once it’s cooled.
How to fix
If you would like to try and save some money, the first thing you can try is a degreaser. When pouring degreaser down the sink, turn on your hot water and it will help get rid of some of the grease. The hot water melts it while the degreaser washes it away. This is a quick and simple way to try and decrease the amount of grease and build up that is in your pipes.
Although degreaser helps decrease the amount of grease in your pipes, the only sure option for cleaning it out in your line would be to have a plumber come snake you pipe and place a camera in the line to ensure it has been cleaned thoroughly. If you have already flushed a lot of it down your sink you may need your line cleaned.
After snaking a drain some of the clog may remain, so as an extra assurance we suggest using a sewer camera to view the inside of your pipe. If you have something other than grease like a belly, roots, or a break in your line then a repair is required. If grease isn’t your issue and you’re trying to solve the problem of your clog you can read more on drain issues here.
Below is a video on how grease can coagulate and cost you a lot of money. We had to dig this line up due to repeat backups even after cleaning the line. We found that there was a belly (low spot) as well as plenty of grease that had settled in the pipe. Every time it was cleaned the grease would just sit because it couldn’t wash away until we dug up and repaired this section of pipe. As you can see, our technician had to mess with the grease before it finally let go. It is quite difficult to remove it without repair.
If you’re in need with cleaning your drain lines, give us a call today at (704) 289-6858.
