Drainage experts have to deal with all types of drain blockages on a daily basis, but perhaps the most frustrating blockages, and the ones which could easily be avoided, are caused by household fat.
Waste water companies spend tens of thousands of pounds every year trying to educate the general public regarding what can and what can’t be disposed of down their drains – and the focus of these information sheets or campaigns all hinges around household fat.
Some of the current campaigns being conducted by waste water companies across the country include:
• United Utilities – What not to flush
• Yorkshire Water – Are you doing the dirty?
• Thames Water – Bin it don’t block it
• Wessex Water – Bag it & Bin it
The four waste water companies above have detailed instructions on their respective websites about what to do with waste fat, and often publicise their campaigns to try to stop people pouring waste fat into their drains, a thing which although common throughout the year is especially troublesome in the autumn and winter months.
The waste water companies’ hard stats show a shocking tale of homeowner neglect. Yorkshire Water’s website quotes that 37% of all blockages are down to the homeowner putting incorrect items down their toilet or sink, whereas Thames Water’s website claims that they have to attend 55,000 blockages every year across their supply area that were caused by unsuitable products being washed down the drain.
How to dispose of used cooking fat
If you have used cooking fat that needs to be disposed of you must never pour it down the kitchen sink. Solidified fat is one of the biggest causes of sewer blockage in the UK. When warm or hot fat is poured down a drain it quickly cools and solidifies. This may not initially cause a blockage, but after repeated pouring of fat down the drain the pipes’ internal diameter shrinks as the fat sticks to the pipe sides, until eventually there is no way that waste water can pass through.
If you have used fat in a cooking process the right way to dispose of it is to let it cool and then dispose of it in the general waste.
The drainage pipes that leave your property are only around 10cm in diameter and don’t take long to become blocked if you continue to dispose of fat down your drain. However if the worst does happen and you suspect drain flooding is caused by a build up of fatty deposits help is at hand.
Drain cleaning to remove fat
Drain cleaners in London use a number of ways to remove fat from clogged drainage pipes. Their first port of call in any drain blockage will be to try to use high pressure water jetting to remove the clog. This can prove especially useful when the clog is caused by congealed fat. When the clog is especially difficult to remove they may insert a spinning cutter into the pipe to cut through the obstacle.
Fat build up in your drain can be cleared by drainage experts and with the thousands water companies are spending on educating the general public about what not to flush it should hopefully become a thing of the past.