Every house has plumbing, whether connected to a public utility or a private well or septic tank. In rural areas, septic disposal of solids is common, and a septic tank needs cleaning every so often. In more urban areas, homes are connected to public sewage facilities instead, but either model of sewage disposal may sometimes face clogging issues in the pipes. When this happens, grease disposal may be essential for clearing out backed-up plumbing. Plumbing services can be called upon to clear out the pipes, and grease disposal is certainly something to take seriously. If not, pipes can become clogged, and this can spell disaster. Grease disposal, when done correctly, can keep pipes clear. What is there to know about safe grease disposal and caring for one’s plumbing?
Proper Grease Disposal
Sewage pipes are designed to handle waste water and other materials, but some substances can be problematic for these pipes. Natural materials such as fat, oil, and grease (sometimes known as FOG), can be a real issue in there. it should be noted that if too much fat, oil, or grease ends up down the home’s pipes, then these materials may have a chance to harden, almost like plaster, on the pipe walls. This can make for serious clogs and backing up if enough material accumulates, and this can affect business buildings and private homes alike. Often, a homeowner will scrub clean pots or pans or other cookware and send a lot of FOG down the pipes. The homeowner cannot see it, but this can cause a problem fast. Such materials will gather and harden, as mentioned above, and this may be common at points where tree roots have gotten into the pipes. This causes sewage to get backed up, and it may emerge from manholes into the natural environment. This may include a public street, for example. Or, the water may get backed up into a building’s utilities, such as the toilets. Overflows are always a threat when improper grease disposal is done.
Fixes
If improper grease disposal has already resulted in blockage and overflows, plumbers can be called upon to clear out the affected pipes. Every year, some 36,000 sewer overflows take place in the United States, and nearly 47% of them can be attributed to grease, fat, and oil buildups in sewer pipes across the nation. Businesses, for example, may install and make use of grease traps that don’t allow any grease into the main sewer pipes, and these devices should be cleared out every so often by plumbers. In addition, homeowners are urged to prevent fat or grease from getting down into the plumbing at all. A homeowner can scrape such materials from cookware and put it into solid containers that can be disposed of with other trash. Prevention is the main solution here, and it can save a homeowner from having to call plumbers to clear out clogged pipes.
Other Fixes
Plumbers can be called for a number of other repairs, too. Damaged pipes may be worn out of have loose connections with each other, and they will constantly leak or spray loose water as they are used. This can add up fast, and a homeowner’s water bill may climb unexpectedly high as their pipes keep leaking water every day. Estimates show that as much as one trillion gallons of water are wasted among all American homes that have faulty pipes and plumbing in them. In the house, leaking water can damage drywall and also build up in the basement. Standing water in the basement can erode the walls and floor, and it can also promote mold growth with the excess moisture in the air.
The utilities in a home may be out of date and waste water even if there are no leaks. Old toilets, sinks, and bath tub faucets were not built with modern water preservation in mind, and they are inefficient. In this case, a homeowner can hire plumbers to replace these old utilities with new ones that are low-flow and water efficient. This can save a lot of money in the water bill over time, helping these items pay for themselves. This also eases strain on natural water sources.