How to Get Rid of Fatbergs in Your Home

Have you ever heard of a fatberg? This is basically an accumulation of grease, fat, hair and other man-made items, all of which can combine to block the household or commercial drain. It doesn't present a very pleasant image in the mind's eye, admittedly, but it is definitely something to watch out for, especially if you're currently having issues with your drainage system. Could you have contributed to the formation of a fatberg, and if so, what can you do about the situation?

Nightmare Scenario

In recent times, engineers in London came across the mother and father of fatbergs, which had developed in an underground sewer system. It was so large that it weighed more than 100 tons, ran over hundreds of metres and took weeks to remove. You can only imagine how unpleasant a task this would have been, especially as it cost a great deal of money to rectify.

Same Problem, Smaller Scale

While you may not be dealing with anything on such a scale in your home, your blocked drains could well be caused by a miniature version. You may think that you're quite careful to ensure that food items are scraped carefully and never make their way down the drain, but do you flush wet wipes or sanitary items down the toilet? These particular products are very resilient and will take a lot of time to degrade. If they become lodged in your piping system, then they will attract hair, grease and fat quite quickly, and the blockage will definitely build up over time.

Better Practice

In the future, make sure that you have a waste bin next to the toilet and get used to disposing of sanitary products or wet wipes this way. You should take extra care to ensure that no oils or fats make their way down into the system when you are cleaning your household dishes, and if you are very careful, you shouldn't come across this type of problem again in the future.

Taking Action

Right now, however, you will need to fix the issue and will probably need to call in a plumber. They have the tools to break up and dislodge this type of fatberg, and it will be much easier for a professional to restore your drainage system to normality. If you imagine what those engineers in London had to face, then you'll want to avoid that type of experience in your place at all costs!

For more information, reach out to a blocked drain plumber.