Keeping grease out of kitchen drains

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GL77

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I'm careful about keeping grease out of the drain but there is still some that gets washed down from residue on dishes and pots and pans and it seems to build up after time, especially in the garbage disposal. I just finished cleaning it all out and wondering where does all that stuff come from since I rarely even use the garbage disposal. Anyway, I've read that if you pour a half and half mixture of boiling water and vinegar down the drain every so often, it clears grease out of the pipes. Is this true? I also read somewhere else that it's not a good idea to pour boiling water down pipes. So, I don't know what to do, what do you plumbers say? I have typical PVC waste pipes.
 

Terry

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We use Bio-Clean for helping with grease in pipes. It turns grease into carbon dioxide. It's an enzyme not an acid.

Below is a picture of what happens when grease goes down a drain.

grease-in-disposer-03.jpg
 
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GL77

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We use Bio-Clean for helping with grease in pipes. It turns grease into carbon dioxide. It's an enzyme not an acid.
Thanks, Terry. Is it something you just pour down the drain on a regular schedule?
 

JohnCT

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You can minimize buildup by making sure you use sufficient dishwashing detergent when you clean your pans. Adding detergent emulsifies the grease so it won't stick to your pipes. I always wipe down the pan with a paper towel before I wash it or put it in the dishwasher. If I have a particularly greasy pan or dish, I put it in the freezer for 10 minutes to harden it, then scrape the hardened grease into the garbage before washing. Been in my house 30 years now and never had a grease problem.

John
 

WorthFlorida

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If you're in an old home with galvanized (steel) drain pipes, grease will stick to it. With PVC it will rarely happen unless there was blockage to prevent good draining.
 

Terry

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If you're in an old home with galvanized (steel) drain pipes, grease will stick to it. With PVC it will rarely happen unless there was blockage to prevent good draining.

I've pulled pipes out of crawl spaces made of ABS, a plastic, that were filled with grease. I don't think grease cares what kind of pipe it is.
Restaurants are required to have grease traps and in some cities, the use of enzymes to prevent grease from entering the city lines.

If you have grease in your home lines, something like Bio-Clean, a teaspoon in warm water mixed up, and poured down drains before going to bed. Do that every night for a week, and often it makes a big difference.

pipe-with-grease-3.jpg


A three inch pipe filled with kitchen grease.
 
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John Gayewski

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I would use COLD water as indicated above to keep the grease from becoming a liquid. The other end of the spectrum you could waste a bunch of money and run tons of hot water and heat all of the pipes up and flush them with hot water. PVC can take up to 210 degrees for short periods of time (like a minute or two) there are T&P drains made of PVC.

I've never had a need to clear grease. I think if I had a problem I would try heat, then enzymes. I generally just as a matter of maintenance fill my kitchen sink to the top with hot water and pull the plug and turn the garbage disposal on. I believe let'en 'er fly like that provides a good scrub.

I know some people clean their disposal with ice chunks and lemon scraps. Never tried.
 
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