FOG Can Gum Up Your Plumbing | Billy the Sunshine Plumber

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FOG Can Gum Up Your Plumbing | Billy the Sunshine Plumber

If you get a plumbing clog caused by fats, oils, grease (or anything else), call Billy the Sunshine Plumber for help.

Pasco County’s utilities department is warning homeowners of the dangers of FOG. No, this fog isn’t the kind that makes driving hazardous. FOG stands for “fats, oils, grease,” a combination that can be lethal for a home’s drainage system. 

“Fats, oils, and grease are byproducts of food preparation, meat cutting, and cooking. FOG can be found in meat fats, oils, shortening, butter, margarine, sauces, and dairy products,” according to Pasco. “When FOG is left on preparation utensils and poured down drains or garbage disposals, it can build up in our collection systems, and can result in backups into sinks, toilets and drains – both in your own, or somebody else’s home. These backups pose serious public health and environmental problems – and they can be very costly, too.”

FOG is a problem that Charlotte, NC, is dealing with. This report in the Charlotte Observer explains: “Charlotte workers are once again finding huge grease wads clogging pipes around the city. This time, officials are trying a bit of humor to encourage homeowners to quit putting grease down their drains.

“‘You always thought sewer monsters were a myth, didn’t you?’ Charlotte Water posted on Facebook recently with a photo of huge grease wads in a city pipe. ‘It turns out they are real.'”

Pasco reminds residents that, before the FOG reaches city or county pipes, it has to get through the pipes at your home: “The first pipes that will become blocked with FOG will be your own pipes, and that could result in expensive plumbing bills. Keeping FOG out of your drains and the sewer system is good for your home’s plumbing.”

Pasco offers these tips for avoiding FOG clogs:

1. Whenever food is prepared and cooked, byproducts (especially cooking oils and grease) should NOT be poured down the drain or into garbage disposals.

2. Excess byproducts from food preparation should be removed from all utensils, knives, and cutting boards to be discarded in the trash.

3. Pans and pots with heavy grease build up should be wiped with a paper towel before being placed in the dish washer.

4. Minimize the use of excess cooking oils and grease when cooking or frying.

5. Pour used cooking fats, oil, and grease from the pan while it is still somewhat warm into a container that you can freeze (frozen juice cartons work well because they won’t melt when they come in contact with hot grease). Use a rubber spatula to scrape as much of the grease out of the pan as possible, and then it should only take one disposable paper towel to wipe the pan clean. Store the container in the freezer, which will keep the grease solid, and pull it out whenever you have fats, oils and grease to dispose of. When it gets full it can be taken to one of the county cooking oil recycling containers.

Of course, no matter how careful you are, sometimes clogs (of all types) happen. If you get a clogged pipe or drain and can’t clear it yourself, call a trusted plumber like the reliable plumbing experts at Billy the Sunshine Plumber for help. 

Billy the Sunshine Plumber has been the Tampa Bay plumber of choice since 1924 when he first opened for business. Billy the Sunshine Plumber is open 24/7/365 in Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties. Days, nights, weekends, or holidays, Billy the Sunshine Plumber is always here for you.

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