The Damaging Effects of Oil Disposal in Your Plumbing

Almost 100 gallons of cooking oil was dumped in Renton’s Black River, requiring the Washington Department of Ecology to oversee a widespread clean up of the impacted area. Though cooking oil is non toxic, the damage it caused was extensive to the local wildlife and ecosystem. Oil floats on top of the water and blocks oxygen from reaching fish and other water creatures. The oil can also coat the wings of birds, weighing them down and leaving them unable to fly or clean themselves. According to King 5 News, it is unclear if the dumping was accidental or intentional, but the Washington Department of Ecology is doing their best to mitigate the damage. 

Dumping oil in local water sources is illegal, but did you know that dumping oil down your home’s drain is also not recommended? Improperly dumping oil is not only bad for wildlife, but it can seriously damage your Renton plumbing as well. If you ever dump oil down the drain, there are other things that can happen besides just a clogged drain.

Oil is hydrophobic, meaning that it does not like water and does not dissolve or mix well with it. Oil is also less dense than water which is why it will float or sit on the top of the water’s surface.  When oil is dumped down a drain, it will cling to the pipe walls and resist the flowing water’s efforts to wash it off. 

This layer of grease will then begin to attract other debris and waste that can eventually lead to clogs. If oil is continuously dumped, the grease layer will grow and get worse as it hardens over time, causing more severe clogs and possibly leading to standing water or sewer backups. Buildup from dumping oil down a drain is something that only gets worse the more it occurs. Not only can oil dumping affect your home, but it can also affect your neighbors and vice versa. A grease or oil clog could eventually make its way to a shared sewer line and as the oil builds up, it could lead to a serious and expensive sewage overflow.  

The best disposal solution is to wait for the oil to cool and then dispose of it in the trash by placing it in a leak proof container. There are some steps that you can take to remedy accidental oil dumping l

ike using baking soda and hot water or special cleaners to flush out your drains, but they won’t do you much good if the oil has been building up. If you need extensive drain cleaning services to remove months or years of oil and grease buildup, then your best option is to find professional plumbing providers.

Trusted Plumbing & Heating offer professional and exceptional drain cleaning services. If you need your drains cleaned and cleared of any grease, gunk, or buildup, then call us today at (425) 333-2559. We’re standing by to assist!