FOG is the biggest cause of blocked drains
FOG? What is FOG and why does it cause blocked drains? Glad you asked, let us explain. Firstly, FOG stands for "Fat, Oil and Grease" and we have all been guilty of pouring it down the sink at least once. Even if it's just cleaning that frypan you used to cook bacon in. Recent studies in the US claim that 47% of sewer blockages are caused by FOG. Similarly, in the UK it is 50% and in Malaysia up to 70%. Whilst we don't have figures for Australia, anecdotal evidence by Reline Solutions would suggest we are in the same ballpark.
Why does FOG cause blocked drains?
If you are a responsible homeowner or cook, you have probably poured the fat and grease out of your pans into a container that you can then throw into a bin. What has happened to that fat after it has cooled down in the container? That's right, it has solidified into a solid greasy lump. This is exactly what happens when it is poured down your drain. It cools down and solidifies into a solid mass that can then become caught in your drain.
But wait there's more to it than just that.
Saponification is the process of creating soap. To create soap you essentially mix vegetable oils and animal fats with a Base such as Lye (Sodium Hydroxide or Caustic Soda). Your average sewer has various Base chemicals from biological processes, leaching from concrete pipes and stuff being poured down the drain/toilet (Drano is actually Sodium Hydroxide). Now you can see where we're going with this. Your fat and grease can actually be converted into soap, which can become quite hard and difficult to budge when stuck to a sewer pipe.
Now you can imagine that once you have a blob of grease or soap stuck to the side of the pipe, there is much more chance of other debris becoming stuck to it. Particularly as the pipe narrows and slows down the flow, preventing a good flush out.
Hang on, back up! Does Drano create soap?
That's right. In fact, that is exactly how Drano works. When you pour it down your drain, it will break up the fats and oils and turn them into soap. When you follow this with a good flush the soap can be broken up and flushed from your drain.
Now that's all good if you have a small number of fats and oils down your drain. However, if there is a large amount, Drano can actually work against you and turn it into a solid block of soap.
So what are Fatbergs?
Fatbergs is the name given to large blobs of fat and grease that have blocked sewers and drains. They can often be caused when fat and grease mix with so-called "flushable wipes" (read our blog on flushable wipes ). In 2013, Thames Water in London pulled a Fatberg out of their sewers that they estimated to be the size of a bus. Don't believe us, check out the video here: bbc.co.uk .
So what have we learnt about FOGs?
We've learnt that FOG stands for Fat, Oil and Grease. We've also learnt that you shouldn't put these down your drain as they are the biggest cause of blocked sewers.
If you do have a blocked drain, no matter what the cause, Reline Solutions can help. Find out more about how we fix blocked drains .
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