Grease and Your Kitchen Drain: A Guide

Grease and Kitchen Drains

Grease goes down a drain as a warm liquid and becomes a stubborn solid a few metres later.

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What happens in the pipe

Fat cools on the pipe wall and builds layers. Food particles stick to it, and in time the pipe narrows. In municipal sewers, grease forms big blockages that cities spend a lot to clear.

Better habits

Pour cooled grease into a old can or jar, let it set, then bin it the way your municipality asks
Scrape pans and blot the fat with paper towel before they see the dishwater
Use sink strainers
Run the disposal with plenty of cold water
Avoid putting rice, pasta and coffee grounds down the drain

When it is already slow

Boil water and pour slowly, a little at a time.
Use a cup plunger with the other basin plugged.
Clean the P-trap.
If it persists, the line needs cabling or jetting.

Clearing the trap yourself

Put a bucket under the trap, undo both slip nuts with your fingers, and drop the trap into the bucket. Clean the trap with a brush and hot water, then look into the trap arm. If you can reach grease with a gloved finger or a bottle brush, clean it out. Reassemble with the washers facing the right way and run water to test.

See kitchen drain cleaning, hydro-jetting and chemical drain cleaners.

Keep-handy checklist

Pour a pail into the sump pit before the thaw and watch it cycle
Close the inside valve for the hose bib before the first frost
Keep fat in a tin, not down the kitchen sink
Check the toilet for a silent leak with a few drops of food colouring

Your questions, answered plainly

Can dish soap wash grease away?

It moves it along, but it often re-solidifies further down the pipe.