You've probably been told before not to pour grease down the drain, but perhaps you've done it a few times with no apparent ill effects and thus assume this is yet another old wive's tale. It is not. Pouring grease down the drain may not immediately cause a clog, but it will put you at risk for several pretty major plumbing issues. Here's a look.
Clogged Main Sewer Line
If the grease does not congeal immediately in the drain, it will keep traveling further down the pipes, which is actually much worse. It can solidify on the walls of these pipes, and each time you put grease down the drain, the layer inside the pipes will grow thicker and thicker. Soon, other items, like pieces of toilet paper and food, will get stuck to the grease. Before you know it, you will have a clog in your main sewer line, which results in all of the drains in your home slowing down or backing up.
You cannot clear a main sewer line yourself; you have to call a plumber. They will either have to use a plumbing snake or a hydrojet to clear the clog, both of which are rather costly procedures.
A Prematurely Full Septic Tank
If your home is connected to a septic system, you should be able to go two or three years between septic pumping appointments -- if you don't put grease down the drain. If you keep putting grease down the drain, the grease that floats to the top of your septic tank will keep the water from properly leaving the tank. This can result in sewage backups, sewage odors seeping into your home, and slow drains. The grease can only be removed by pumping the tank.
Saturated Drain Field Material
Sometime grease that has built up in the septic tank might be forced out into the soil around the tank, which is known as the drain field. This soil is supposed to filter harmful materials out of the waste water as it leaves your septic tank. But if it becomes logged with grease, it cannot perform this filtering duty very well. You might end up with stinky, untreated sewage in your yard as a result. And sadly, the only way to remedy a grease-logged drain field is by digging up and replacing the soil.
As you can see, it's a lot easier to just avoid putting grease down your drains! Visit a site like http://www.blountsspeedyrooter.com to learn more about plumbing repairs.
