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Beware of the FOG

Monday, April 13th, 2015 at 11:00 am

It slides slowly down the insides of your drain, clinging as it goes. When it finally deposits, it hardens into a thick, impenetrable layer that will slow and eventually clog your drain. This slimy, sticky mess is what’s known to professional plumbers as FOG: fats, oils and grease. And once FOG takes hold of your drains, it’s very hard to get it out. But fear not: there is one highly effective tool against all FOG, and that’s professional drain cleaning. The plumbing experts at Brooks Plumbing know FOG well, and they have the training, expertise and tools to completely remove FOG from your drains and garbage disposal – all you have to do is give us a call.

Won’t Hot Water Work?

A lot of people will tell you to pour hot or boiling water down your clogged drain to get rid of the grease, but when it comes to FOG, hot water can actually make the problem worse. Why? Hot water melts FOG and pushes it further down the drain; when it cools, it simply re-forms the build-up, but it’s now much deeper in your plumbing system. A home remedy that may work, if the build-up isn’t significant, is a combination of baking soda and white vinegar, but if this doesn’t help, it’s time to call for a professional plumber for drain cleaning.

Tools for Drain Cleaning

Professional plumbers use two main types of tools to clean your drains and remove FOG build-up. The first type is an auger. Also known as a drain snake, augers come in a wide variety of types and widths, but the design of the tool is basically the same no matter what the size. Augers consist of cables that can be snaked down drains. Different types of heads can be attached to the auger, and many augers are motorized to maximize on the power. A second type of commonly-used drain cleaning tool is the hydrojet. Hydrojets are akin to small power washers for your plumbing. Like a power washer, hydrojets use water to scour your plumbing, dislodging FOG and clearing it from the drains.

Has FOG made its way down your drain? Call our experts today, and let them ‘lift’ the FOG with a professional drain cleaning for your Olympia, WA, home!

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