We had a deck put down, over our patio.
To cut costs/save time, we didn't bother to put in a hatch to access the now covered drains.
Surprise, surprise, the water stops draining from the kitchen sink. "No problem," thinks I, and pours drain cleaner down the plug hole. No effect. Stronger cleaner goes down the hole. Still, no effect.
Somewhat disappointed, I decided to remove the trap under the sink, assuming it's just a blockage in the u-bend. So, with bowl under the trap (I've made that mistake before), I unscrew the u-bend. Bad move. What feels like gallons of freezing, rancid water comes gushing out of the now exposed pipe, soaking me, and spreading over the kitchen floor. Awful, awful smell.
The kitchen is cleaned as best we can, and I dry myself off, and decide that the blockage is further down the pipe.
The following morning, a large pipe-cleaner is borrowed from the plumber next door, which succeeds in removing a lot of black, greasy, stinking, build up from the pipe, but finds no blockage. I reluctantly accept that the blockage is outside, and so head out into the snow to pull up the deck. Plunging my (gloved) hand into the pool of grey water that represents the drain, I pull up handfull after handfull of congealed fat. Thanks to our Sunday dinner, it smelled predominantly of lamb, but not in a good way. I tried not to think about the hard, gritty bits that were mixed in with it.

And that (not very exciting story) is how I learned not to pour fat down the drains. If this happens to anyone else, once you've got the worst of it out, switch to pouring boiling water down the drain, as that should liquefy the blockage and flush it out.

I should have known better, really. Used to work in an office with a KFC out the back, so suffered a regular nasal assault when they cleaned out their grease traps.
( monster munch person, man, woman... camera... TV?, Fri 3 Feb 2012, 10:04, 11 replies)

*Boaks*
Nasty...
(Bicycle Repairman "you're also a bit of a wanker", Fri 3 Feb 2012, 10:09, closed)

A trick I learned from my mother
is always to have an empty coffee jar or two near the cooking area. Let animal fat cool a little, but, while it's still liquid, pour it into the jars, which can then be disposed of in the normal way.
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Fri 3 Feb 2012, 10:41, closed)

My mother
recommends pouring it into empty ice cream tubs, and freezing it. The idea being that you can slip out the frozen block, into the bin, and reuse the tub.

Once upon a time, we could have just kept it, to cook with.
( monster munch person, man, woman... camera... TV?, Fri 3 Feb 2012, 10:50, closed)

The recycling gnomes must love you...
( Happy Phantom has been to Hastings, Brighton, and Eastbourne too, Fri 3 Feb 2012, 11:37, closed)

I usually just drain fat off into the plastic tray that most meat comes in.
After it solidifies just stick it in the bin.
(Reverend Fister "a disciplined fuckwit", Fri 3 Feb 2012, 11:29, closed)

I just feed it to the dog

(TheManWithThePlan cussed your mum on, Fri 3 Feb 2012, 11:34, closed)

Save it for the birds
Although it does attract my cat as well...


Fat cat waiting for birds to drop or a chance for nice fatty goodness
(Kliper Filllets Getting noticed by twats on the internet since, Fri 3 Feb 2012, 11:42, closed)

Melt it
and use it mixed with the cheapest nastiest porridge oats to make bird cake. The little Feathered ones love it. Can't speak for the cat, however.
(Sir Tainley Barking Ezekiel 23:20, Sun 5 Feb 2012, 16:39, closed)

I'll give that a go.
My cat will eat anything though, so will have to keep it away from him.
(Kliper Filllets Getting noticed by twats on the internet since, Mon 6 Feb 2012, 7:11, closed)

Since we're already polluting our environment with detergents
it's easy to dispose of fat by diluting it with washing up liquid and hot water. The fat remains in solution until it's wayyyy past your drains.
( Infidel , shit and wrong, Fri 3 Feb 2012, 14:45, closed)

I must confess
that I disposed of the rancid fat chunks by shoving them down the drains in the road.

Somebody else's problem.
( monster munch person, man, woman... camera... TV?, Fri 3 Feb 2012, 19:51, closed)