How much thought do you put into the pipework beyond the plugholes in your home? If it’s ‘rarely’ or ‘never’, you’re not alone. In the domestic sector, at least, the first many homeowners know of a problem in their drainage network is when it starts to change their system’s performance. In the commercial sector, property owners take a more proactive approach to ensure compliance with standards and to minimise the chances of blocked drains and any disruption and unexpected costs due to large-scale drain repairs and gutter cleaning.
At BP Drains Ltd, we cover a wide range of emergency drainage services in all sectors. Some of our core services in Faversham and the wider Kent area include all repairs, CCTV drain surveys, gutter cleaning, drain lining and clearing blocked drains.
The incorrect disposal of fats, oils and grease (FOG) is a key contributor to the latter problem. The less thought you put into your unseen drainage system, the more likely you are to see it as a magical apparatus that mysteriously transports all manner of waste away from your property.
The reality is, everything that flows down your plug in a liquid form has a system to pass through. In the case of oils, fats and grease, they often never complete that journey. Rather, they solidify and build-up in the pipe over time.
From budding chefs at home to a commercial kitchen, good practices and habits drastically reduce the chances of an emergency drainage situation – not to mention major drain repairs.
During the cooking process, fat, oil and grease is in liquid form. There’s a certain logic, then, that says disposal of these products should come via the plughole in the kitchen sink. To clarify at the earliest possible point – you should not do this.
Yes, FOG are liquid when hot, but as they cool, they return back to a solid. This cooling process starts the moment you remove the source of heat. When you pour waste fats and oils down the plughole at your Faversham home, they cool rapidly. This means they might not reach the sewer, especially during the colder temperatures of winter. Instead, they harden and coat the inside of the pipe.
If you make a habit of this, the coating will continue to thicken. This reduces the internal bore of the pipe and traps other debris too.
Think back to how your roasting tray looks after a roast dinner. That white ‘dripping’ fat is what will likely end up contributing to your emergency drainage issue.
Before long, you have blocked drains on your hands. While this doesn’t usually lead to the need for more serious drain repairs like drain lining, you will eventually need a CCTV drain survey to find out why your water is draining slowly.
When it comes to FOG disposal, there’s no need to complicate things. One of the most effective ways to dispose of this waste is to let it cool in to a solid before putting it into the bin. In domestic settings, you will likely have a minimal amount of waste anyway, so it’s a relatively straightforward process.
Of course, commercial kitchens generate far more FOG waste. Here, we recommend safely storing the old oil before taking it to a recycling centre. The local council in Faversham can advise on what services they offer.
While these approaches involve slightly more work and time, they make a huge difference in the avoidance of blocked drains and other emergency drainage situations. This results in less need for CCTV drain surveys and drain repairs, such as drain lining.
We don’t just offer our gutter cleaning and drainage services in Faversham alone. We also serve the following areas of Kent:
Unit 11, Invicta Way
Manston Park
Ramsgate, Kent
CT12 5FD