As the holiday cooking season ramps up, Spartan Plumbing is urging Arvada homeowners to think twice before pouring grease down the kitchen sink. The family-owned company reports that many of the sewer backups it handles in late fall and winter begin with everyday kitchen habits, and the consequences can be expensive and disruptive. With more roasting, frying, and dishwashing than at any other time of year, the risk of clogged pipes rises sharply.
According to the City of Arvada, household items such as cooking grease, oils, fats, wipes, and chemicals can clog pipes and cause sewer backups in homes and neighborhoods. The city recommends letting grease cool, scraping it into a container, and throwing it in the trash, as well as wiping greasy pans with a paper towel before rinsing them. It also notes that homeowners are responsible for maintaining the sanitary sewer service line from the home up to and including the connection to the city's main line. That means the financial burden of a grease-related backup often falls directly on the resident.
"Hot grease goes down the drain as a liquid, but it doesn't stay that way," said Sammy Carr, co-owner of Spartan Plumbing. "It cools and coats the inside of the pipe, and every time it happens the opening gets a little smaller. By the time the sink backs up, it's usually been building for a while."
The company advises homeowners to watch for early warning signs such as slow drains, gurgling fixtures, or water backing up into a tub or floor drain. A clogged drain arvada co homeowners notice in a kitchen line can sometimes require hydro jetting to clear built-up grease from pipe walls. For single fixtures, such as a kitchen sink or bathtub that will not drain, Spartan Plumbing provides clogged drain cleaning arvada households can schedule before the problem spreads further down the line. When a backup happens during a holiday gathering or overnight, the company offers emergency drain cleaning arvada service around the clock.
"The easiest call is the one you never have to make," Carr said. "Wipe the pan, put the grease in a can, use a sink strainer, and only flush toilet paper. If the drains start slowing down anyway, have it looked at before the house is full of guests."
Spartan Plumbing is licensed in Colorado and offers arvada drain cleaning along with sewer, water heater, and general plumbing services. The company is based at 5440 Marshall St. in Arvada and serves homeowners and businesses in Arvada and nearby communities. With the holiday season approaching, the message is clear: small changes in the kitchen can prevent major plumbing headaches and protect both homes and neighborhoods from costly sewer backups.
