The False Butter Fact That's Wreaking Havoc On Your Drain

Most folks are aware that certain things should never go down your drain. Bacon grease and frying oil quickly come to mind, for instance. Yet there are plenty of other foods capable of causing serious plumbing issues that people often mindlessly wash away, like butter. You might think that after boiling corn in butter, there is nothing wrong with simply tossing the excess down the drain with some hot water, but that may actually be a recipe for disaster. 

Whether you buy the best or worst butter at the grocery store, it is all composed of roughly 80% butterfat, and fats are simply a no-no when it comes to dumping them down your sink. Just like grease, it can cool and cling to the insides of the pipes meant to take it away. The result: clogs that can range from mildly annoying to incredibly expensive to repair. 

You may be under the impression that if you run hot water while discarding unwanted butter down the drain, the fat won't solidify in the pipes. Unfortunately, that is not the case. The hot water will only keep it moving until the water cools. Once that happens, the butterfat will become solid, only now it will be in the deep recesses of your plumbing where no amount of hot water from your sink can liquefy it again.

Drains clogged with fats like butter, oils, and grease – called FOGs in some circles – can do more than cause a minor inconvenience. You may notice water running down the drain more slowly than usual, which might require paying a professional plumber to clear out any obstructions. Yet, your community's sewer system is the biggest concern when people neglect to dispose of FOGs properly.

Nearly a decade ago, London made international headlines when a "fatberg" composed of congealed fats, oils, grease, and debris was discovered clogging up the city's sewer system. These substances mixed with trash solidified into a rock-hard object over 800 feet long and which weighed almost as much as a blue whale. Crews attempting to clear the clog worked around the clock to break it apart and get the sewers back to normal operations.

Many folks use an old coffee can or jar to hold leftover bacon grease until they are ready to throw it out. If you have an excess of leftover butter, that is a great place to put it. However, most people only have a dab or so clinging to their plate when they finish up their meal. In that case, simply take a paper towel and wipe off as much of the fat as possible before washing. It will keep your pipes running smoothly, but more importantly, your community won't need to send folks into the sewer system for days on end to remove something that was easily preventable.