Hot grease seems harmless going down with hot water. But 20 feet down, it cools, solidifies, and coats the pipe. Each pour adds another layer. Eventually you have a fully clogged drain.
What grease does in your pipes
Goes down liquid, cools and solidifies into waxy coating, more pours stack up, food/hair/soap stick to the grease, pipe fully blocks ("fatberg").
The municipal problem
Grease joins others' grease in the city sewer. Fatbergs cause overflows. St. Tammany Parish treats residential grease as a major problem.
What counts as grease
Bacon grease, sausage drippings, frying oil, butter, lard, meat fat, cream sauces, gravy, mayo, oil-based dressings, large amounts of dairy.
Right way to dispose
Small amounts: Wipe pans with paper towel before washing. Medium: Pour into old can/jar, let solidify, throw in trash. Large (deep fryer): Most St. Tammany Parish locations accept used cooking oil for recycling, or solidify with cat litter and trash.
Years of pouring grease?
Your line probably has serious buildup. Signs: slow kitchen drain, gurgling, smell. We recommend hydro-jetting ($450-$850) to clean back to bare pipe. Stop pouring grease after and the problem won't return.