As the holiday cooking season approaches, Spartan Plumbing is warning Arvada homeowners that pouring grease down the kitchen sink can lead to serious and expensive plumbing problems. The family-owned company says many of the sewer backups it sees in late fall and winter begin with everyday kitchen habits, when roasting pans, fryers and extra dishes send more fats, oils and grease into household drains than at any other time of year.
According to the City of Arvada, common household items such as cooking grease, oils, fats, wipes and chemicals can clog pipes and cause sewer backups in homes and neighborhoods. The city recommends letting grease cool, scraping it into a container and throwing it in the trash, and wiping greasy pans with a paper towel before rinsing them. The city also notes that maintenance of the sanitary sewer service line, from the home up to and including the connection to the city's main line, is the responsibility of the homeowner.
“Hot grease goes down the drain as a liquid, but it doesn't stay that way,” said Sammy Carr, co-owner of Spartan Plumbing. “It cools and coats the inside of the pipe, and every time it happens the opening gets a little smaller. By the time the sink backs up, it's usually been building for a while.”
The company recommends that homeowners pay attention to early warning signs such as slow drains, gurgling fixtures or water backing up into a tub or floor drain. A clogged drain arvada co homeowners notice in a kitchen line can sometimes require hydro jetting to clear built-up grease from pipe walls. For single fixtures, such as a kitchen sink or bathtub that will not drain, Spartan Plumbing provides clogged drain cleaning arvada households can schedule before the problem spreads further down the line. When a backup happens during a holiday gathering or overnight, the company offers emergency drain cleaning arvada service around the clock.
“The easiest call is the one you never have to make,” Carr said. “Wipe the pan, put the grease in a can, use a sink strainer, and only flush toilet paper. If the drains start slowing down anyway, have it looked at before the house is full of guests.”
The implications for homeowners extend beyond a single clogged sink. Sewer backups can damage floors, walls and personal belongings, and they may require professional cleanup. Because the service line from the home to the city main is the homeowner's responsibility, ignoring early signs can turn a simple drain cleaning into a larger repair project. Spartan Plumbing is licensed in Colorado and offers arvada drain cleaning along with sewer, water heater and general plumbing services. The company is based at 5440 Marshall St. in Arvada and serves homeowners and businesses in Arvada and nearby communities.
