Plumbers Agree: Bacon is Bad … - Always Affordable Plumbing & HVAC

affordable sacramento plumber-grease in pipes

05 Aug Plumbers Agree: Bacon is Bad …

Posted at 19:16h in Sacramento Plumber by alwaysaffordable

…For Your Pipes

A Sacramento Plumber Explains Why Trash is Best for Fat

Affordable Sacramento Plumber | Grease in Pipes

Bacon goes well with just about everything: eggs, baked potatoes, even chocolate (try it!). However, the tasty treat does not pair well with pipes. As emergency plumbers serving the Sacramento area, the Always Affordable Plumbing team has seen a sizeable share of greasy clogs. That is to say, people are pouring liquid fat down the sink. But they shouldn’t be!

Anyone who has ever made bacon knows how good it smells and sounds. A few minutes in a hot pan can yield several strips of salty goodness. After that, though, you’re left with a fair amount of grease. This is a fatty substance present as a solid in bacon, but that turns into a liquid when hot.

What Goes Up, Must Come Down (in Temperature)

Spatters of hot grease can hurt! Moreover, the liquid can be downright dangerous if a lot is spilled onto skin or an open flame. Many people are eager to get rid of it as quickly and easily as possible. A clean kitchen is important, but it can be a hassle to wait for grease to cool. So down the sink it goes …

Remember, though, that if grease turns solid in a cooling pan, it will also do the same thing in your pipes.

Yes, the whitish, congealed mess left over after a big batch of bacon is a sign of what’s to come. It’s thick, it’s sticky, and it doesn’t easily wash away. If that coats the inside of a pipe, it can restrict water flow. Moreover, enough of it can cause a clog.

Hot Water Doesn’t Help

You may be tempted to run hot water in the sink to keep the grease liquid. This may make sense as a short-term solution. But the grease is going to cool down sooner or later. It may just be farther along in your pipes. As a result, you could be dealing with a fatty plug that measures several feet long.

It may also stay liquid long enough to get into the larger municipal sewage system. There, it can meet other blobs like it. To clarify: If you are “cheating” by pouring grease down the drain, others are, too. As a result, massive chunks of cooled grease can form. In some cities, the lumps have grown so massive as to create “fatbergs” that float in sewers and create massive clogs (and problems).

Use It or Lose It

Waiting for grease to cool takes patience. But if you can take the time to cook bacon, you can take the time to clean up properly. Consider pouring the hot liquid into a heat-safe container and letting it cool there. After that, you can store it in the fridge and use it for cooking later. Use it to wilt greens for a Southern-inspired salad. Pop popcorn in it. Create a dish of some of the tastiest fried rice you’ve ever had.

Animals like bacon grease, too. There are plenty of instructions online for creating bacon-based bird feeders. We’ve yet to meet a dog who would say no to a homemade bacon grease and peanut butter treat.

If you don’t feel like saving it, you can, of course, chuck it in the trash. Line a container with foil, let it cool in that, then throw the foil and fat away.