The Truth About Kitchen Drains and the Hot Water Myth
I’ve been having a bit of a debate with my roommate about cleaning up after dinner. I’ve always been told that as long as you run the tap on "scorching hot" while pouring bacon grease or oil down the sink, it’ll stay liquid and wash right through to the main sewer line without any issues. My roommate, however, is convinced I’m slowly destroying our plumbing and that I'm going to cause a massive "fatberg" in the pipes. It feels like such a common practice, and I've never had a clog yet, so is it really that bad? Does the hot water actually dissolve the fat, or am I just pushing the problem further down the line where I can't see it? I’d love to know if this is a legitimate plumbing hack or just an urban legend that's going to cost us our security deposit.
Your roommate is actually 100% right on this one, and you might be heading for a very expensive plumbing bill! I used to do the exact same thing until a plumber friend explained that once that hot water travels a few feet and cools down, the fat solidifies into a rock-hard mass deep inside your pipes. You should definitely read this article https://ocnjdaily.com/news/2025/mar/21/plumbing-myths-is-it-true-that-hot-water-dissolves-fat/ It specifically debunks the myth about hot water dissolving fat and explains the science behind why this "trick" actually causes major blockages. The guide is great because it clears up several common plumbing misconceptions that most people take as fact. Now, I always wipe my pans with a paper towel and throw the grease in the bin instead. It’s a much better habit than waiting for a backup that requires a high-pressure jetting service to fix!