Food waste is unfortunately common in residential and commercial spaces, and people often need to get rid of it properly. If you’re the type to discard these leftovers over on your sink, then you might be experiencing a grease buildup in your drains sooner than most. It is one of the consequences that commercial and residential plumbing experience. Know more about these and learn how to deal with them by reading below:
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How Does It Happen?
If your kitchen drains take too long to drain that dirty water, it might be time to clean it up and remove all that oil, fat, and grease buildup from food and soap. That’s right! Grease comes from food and soap, so even if you do not discard your food waste over to your drains, you can still experience some clogging in the future. Despite going the extra mile and installing vents, kitchen range hoods, access doors, and panels, you won’t be able to escape natural clogging from food waste.
Once the grease starts building up and clogging your drains, you might notice a foul odor. It can be frustrating and even cause discomfort, especially when you are washing plates or preparing food at the counter next to it. It is possible to solve this nasty problem without spending too much money. Once you learn more about this common occurrence, this problem will happen less frequently or won’t happen at all.
Two Main Causes of Grease
1. Food
Especially in commercial kitchens, grease buildup is very common. With the number of plates that come and go through cleaning, it would be impossible to try and scrape every food scrap into the trash bin. Grease, oil, and even fat come from different types of food like meat, rice, coffee grounds, dairy, eggshells, and anything you cook with oil.
2. Soap
If you are not the type to use fat-free soaps, chances are the soap you use comes from vegetable or animal fats. Soap easily clumps up the food scraps when you wash the dishes and things you use for cooking causing grease buildup in your drains.
Is Your Drain Clogged?
Are you worried about your drains but don’t see any problems with them? There is a way to know if your gutters are experiencing a block without getting down and dirty. Typical signs of blockage include slow draining and gurgling noises. You might also smell something off in the sink even though there are no food scraps around it. These should be warning signs to check on your drains immediately.
Different Ways to Deal with Grease Buildup
You can deal with the grease buildup in your pipes in many ways, some of which you can do on your own. There are some cheap ways to deal with a clogged pipe, but there are also more expensive but convenient ways to fix problems like these. Here are some different ways to remove that grease from your drainpipes:
1. Hot Water: One of the most common ways to deal with grease buildup that has been around for years is to pour some hot water down the drain. If your drainpipes are metal, then you won’t have any trouble pouring some boiling water down the drain. If your pipes are plastic, however, this isn’t a method you can do as it can cause damage.
2. Vinegar: Another thing that you can do is add a little vinegar into the hot water and flush it down the drain. It is as effective as your standard drain cleaner and much cheaper. It also lessens the chances of damage, as some other chemicals may be dangerous to your pipes. You may repeat this method until the clog clears up since it has no adverse effects on your drain pipes.
3. Plunger: Another traditional method you can do yourself and in the comfort of your home is to use a plunger. Although using a plunger is known to be a short-term fix, at least it can lessen your worries for another day or two before you call in the experts to deal with the drains.
4. Hire Drain Cleaners: Should all the above methods fail, perhaps it’s time to call in drain cleaning experts. It will ensure that your clogging problems will go away and that experts will check the drain and ensure that it won’t happen again. It is also an excellent way to ensure that your drains get the necessary maintenance, inspection, and cleaning.
Knowing how this happens and the different ways to deal with it will help you understand the importance of cleaning your pipes from time to time. Even if you think that your sinks are acceptable, it would be best to inspect them from time to time, so you avoid having to deal with the problem when it finally shows up out of the blue. Keep your drain pipes clean to avoid the hassle and stress of dealing with the grease buildup.
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