Christmas is approaching, and rich food is on the menu in thousands of Norwegian homes. Pouring cooking fat down the drain can have costly consequences. Dispose of your cooking fat properly.
For many people, Christmas food is synonymous with cosiness, generous portions of good food and gathering round the table. For those of us in the plumbing trade, it largely means dealing with blocked pipes caused by cooking fat being poured down the sink. That’s why we’re giving you some tips on what to do with both rib fat and other types of fat left over from this year’s festive cooking.
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE PIPES WHEN YOU POUR COOKING FAT DOWN THE BIN?
If you pour cooking fat down the sink or toilet whilst it is still liquid, many people assume that it will simply flow down the pipes with the hot water. This is partly true, but the problem arises during the colder months when the pipes cool the fat down more quickly. Animal fat, in particular, solidifies quickly when it cools down and builds up as a deposit on the inside of the pipes. Over time, this deposit will cause the pipes to become blocked.
Grease deposits can build up not only in your pipes, but also further out in the municipal sewer network. If a pipe becomes completely blocked, the sewage will back up and spill into your home or onto the streets in your neighbourhood. This is not an experience we would wish on anyone!
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO WITH THE FAT
To avoid having to spend money on professional help to unblock your pipes, you should practise «grease safety». Essentially, you should always let the fat set in the frying pan, saucepan or baking tin in which the food was cooked, before scraping it out and wiping it up with kitchen roll, which you then bin. If there is too much liquid fat for it to set, pour it into a container and take it to a recycling centre or waste disposal facility. Large quantities of fat are classified as hazardous waste and must be handled accordingly.
Here are also a few tips on what you can do with the fat left over from your Christmas meals:
- Add it to sauces, soups or mix it into mashed root vegetables for extra flavour.
- Freeze the fat from your pinnekjøtt dinner in cubes and use it to make stock later.
- Delfia fat can be mixed with seeds and grains, chilled and turned into bird feed.
- On the website fettvett.no You’ll find all the information you need if you’re unsure what to do with different types of fat.
COOKING FAT IS A FEAST FOR THE RATS
There are several reasons to avoid pouring cooking fat down the drain. As well as causing blockages, it can attract rats. They live in the sewers and thrive on all your food scraps. By pouring fat down the pipes, you could help breed an entire colony of rats in your neighbourhood.
PREVENT BLOCKED PIPES YOURSELF
No matter how careful you are to ensure that grease doesn’t end up down the drain, you won’t be able to prevent it entirely. As a preventative measure, it is therefore recommended that you check and clean the trap regularly, both in the kitchen and in the bathroom.
See also: How to check the water trap (link to article on water traps)
WHAT SHOULD I DO WHEN THE DAMAGE HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE?
Are you wondering whether your pipes have started to become blocked, or have you perhaps already encountered problems? VITEK has extensive experience in pipe inspection, flushing and pipe renewal. We’d be happy to carry out a no-obligation site visit to assess your problem.
Please get in touch with us; we look forward to speaking to you.