How Fats, Oils and Grease can affect sewer inspections

How do fats oils and grease affect sewers? Fats, oils and grease are one of the most harmful types of waste going down drains. Cooking and Food preparation in households are the main source, as well as commercial restaurants and takeaway establishments. Many dispose of fats, oils and grease properly by emptying them into tubs, bottles or jars and then disposing of them with their general rubbish, but when disposed of down the sink, it can cause many problems.

They’re not water-soluble, although they may be disposed of in liquid form; as it goes down the drain, it cools, hardens and sticks to the insides of the drain pipes. Once it reaches the sewers, it absorbs more water, gains any other additional waste that attaches to it, and can create severe blockages causing overflows and, in extreme cases, burst pipes.

So, how can fats, oils and grease affect sewer inspections?

Inevitably, such blockages cause sewage inspection teams more time and work. Sewer inspection teams will come across these blockages after reports of sewage backups or flooding or could come across them at a routine inspection.
In routine sewer inspections, the team may find buildups in the pipelines before it becomes a blockage situation. They can be cleared without any severe ramifications using cutting tools or ultra-high-pressure water technology.

If a pipe is already clogged by these fatty deposits, it could take longer to sort out and will need a thorough inspection once the pipes are cleaned to ensure that the pipe’s integrity is intact. It will need more time and equipment to fix if it isn’t.

The best way to prevent such problems with fats, oils, and grease is to stop them from being disposed of down the drain. Homeowners and businesses only realize how much of a problem these materials could cause once they become a visible problem. There are many simple ways you can inform homeowners and businesses to help prevent these blockages from occurring; you can read about them here.

So now you know the answer to the question, How do fats oils and grease affect sewers and you now know how to dispose of them correctly so now you can reduce the waste and the blockages.