How to Prevent Grease From Clogging Your Pipes
The idea was that the congealed grease, being heavier, would settle to the bottom of the tank and not clog up the sewer. The job of cleaning out the grease trap was left to the managers because the company was to cheap to pay the hundred dollars or so to get a professional to do it with one of those big trucks with the vacuum hose on it. And, of course, none of the minimum wage employees would do it, they’d quit first. So the unfortunate task fell to the three managers working at the store.
The trap had to be cleaned on a monthly basis or the surplus grease would flood into the supermarket next door and an angry red-faced health official would show up at the restaurant and threaten to fine us. The procedure for cleaning the trap was as follows: You made sure that you dressed in old clothes, because you had to throw them away after you finished. It was impossible to get the sewer smell out. You then pried the heavy sewer lid off, took your trusty metal bucket with the rope tied around the handle and went to work.
Using a broomstick, you pushed the bucket down into the smelly slop until it filled the bucket and then you hauled the thing up with the rope. The muck was then put in plastic containers and disposed of in the trash. Sort of like bringing water up from a well, but you can imagine what the stuff smelled like, especially in then summer.
Anyway, dealing with nasty left-over grease can be pretty unpleasant, even at home. Every homeowner who has battled that clogged kitchen drain or had a tree limb grow into a sewer knows what I mean. This problem can be especially annoying around the holidays. Seems like turkey grease in the pipes is a big national problem, not only for the homeowner, but also for the sewer districts as well. The sewer people call it FOG. Fats, oil, and grease. Several sewer districts across the country have created cartoon spokesmen to let the public know not to try to flush that holiday grease down the sink.
In Los Angeles he is called the Grease Avenger, and here in St. Louis he is known as Walter Water Drop. Since FOG accounts for as much as two thirds of each city’s clogged sewers, both have a message for homeowners: First of all, never pour hot grease down the kitchen sink. Pouring it into the garbage disposal to disperse it won’t help either. It’s better to keep a grease can in the freezer like your Grandma did. When it gets full, just cover it tightly and dispose of it in the trash. Greasy water from dishes is also a big problem. Walter Water Drop recommends that you wipe the excess grease from your dishes with a paper towel before you wash them.
With a little common sense and preparation, you can avoid a big greasy mess, especially around the holidays, and you can be kind to the sewer system as well. Don’t let grease be the word at your holiday celebration.
