Let me paint y’all a picture.
It’s a peaceful Saturday morning in South Louisiana. The coffee’s hot, the air’s thick, and the kitchen smells like someone just fried up a batch of bacon the way only folks down here know how. Life’s good… until that sink decides it’s had enough.
Suddenly, the water’s not drainin’, there’s a bubble or two gurgling up, and now there’s a smell comin’ from the drain that ain’t from no kind of breakfast anyone would want to eat.
Welcome to the dirty world of grease buildup in the sewer line.
What Is Grease Buildup, and Why Should Anyone Care?
Grease in the sewer ain’t like an old oil stain on your driveway. It’s trickier. It’s sneakier. And it doesn’t go away on its own.
See, when you pour hot grease down the kitchen sink—whether it’s from sausage, shrimp, or your world-famous fried green tomatoes—it might slide down the pipe lookin’ all slick and innocent. But give it a few feet, a little time, and some cooler pipe temps, and boom—it congeals. It hardens. It sticks to the inside of them sewer pipes like gum on a hot sidewalk. Next thing you know, your pipes are closing up like a crawfish trap in the marsh.
And it ain’t just the grease. That sticky mess grabs on to food bits, hair, coffee grounds, soap scum, and whatever else got washed down behind it. It grows into what we call a fatberg. Not pretty. Not pleasant. And absolutely not what you want lurking beneath your kitchen floor.
Common Signs of a Grease Clog
Folks usually don’t think twice about grease ‘til the sink won’t drain, or the toilet’s bubblin’ like a pot of gumbo on high heat. Some of the signs are subtle, but if you’re payin’ attention, your plumbing’s tryin’ to tell you:
Slow drains (especially in the kitchen)
Gurgling noises from sinks or tubs
Foul odors from drains
Water backing up in sinks or tubs when other fixtures are in use
Frequent need for plungin’ or snaking
If more than one fixture’s acting up? That could mean the main sewer line’s got itself a good ol’ fashioned grease jam.
“But Stephen, I Always Run Hot Water After!”
Bless your heart for tryin’, but that hot water trick? That don’t work long-term. Hot water only pushes the grease further down the line before it cools and sticks again. It’s like sweepin’ dirt under the rug—you might not see it today, but it’ll come back around and bite you.
How We Handle Grease Buildup
At SMJ Plumbing, we’ve been uncloggin’ greasy sewer lines in Slidell and all across St. Tammany Parish for years. We know the signs, and we know the smell (unfortunately).
When grease takes over a line, simple snaking ain’t always enough. That’s when we bring in the big guns: hydro jetting. Think of it like pressure washing the inside of your sewer pipes. It blasts that hardened grease clean off the pipe walls and flushes it all out. Clean pipes, happy house.
We’ll also check for long-term damage. Grease can lead to cracks and corrosion if it sits long enough. Ain’t no one got time for a sewer line replacement because of a few bad habits.
What Can You Do to Stop It?
I’ll keep it simple. Just don’t pour grease down the drain. Ever.
Here’s a few tips to keep your pipes clean and your plumber out of your kitchen on a Sunday:
Let grease cool in the pan, then pour it into a can or jar. Toss it in the trash once it solidifies.
Wipe down greasy pans with a paper towel before you wash ‘em.
Use a drain screen to catch food scraps and gunk.
Don’t rely on hot water or dish soap to “melt” grease. That’s a myth, sha.
Clean your drain monthly with baking soda and vinegar, or better yet, let us check it once a year.
A Message from a Local Who’s Seen It All
Y’all, this ain’t just a city plumbing problem. From the bayous to the burbs, grease doesn’t care if your house is ten years old or a hundred. It’s quiet, it’s slow, and it builds up ‘til you’ve got a big, stinkin’ mess.
Trust me—I’ve been crawlin’ under homes, cuttin’ open cleanouts, and wranglin’ fatbergs since before some of y’all learned to walk. And while I do love helpin’ folks, I’d much rather give advice than come wadin’ through a sewer backup on game day.
So next time you’re tempted to pour that fryer oil down the drain? Think of me standin’ there in hip waders, shakin’ my head and sayin’, “Told ya so.”
Until next time, stay clean, stay smart, and keep that grease where it belongs—out of the sewer and in the trash, sha.
– Stephen Jordan
CEO & President, SMJ Plumbing – Slidell, L