A clogged kitchen sink is one of the most common kitchen plumbing issues.
The kitchen sink is one of the most important fixtures in your home. In fact, the three most important things in your kitchen form a triangle of efficiency: the fridge, the stove, and the sink. But the kitchen sink is only as good as the kitchen drain – that is, if your kitchen sink is backed up, it isn’t letting you do the work you need to do with it. And a clogged kitchen sink is one of the most common kitchen plumbing issues. Read on for tips for keeping an unclogged kitchen sink, so you don’t have to have a plumber come out to save your pipes.
Watch What Goes Down The Sink
Best practice says to make sure that no food or food byproducts go down the kitchen sink to prevent clogging – in most homes, this simply isn’t feasible, especially if you have a garbage disposal. The disposal won’t prevent all clogs, but it can help – but you still need to make sure no FOG (Fats, Oil, Grease) goes down the drain ever.
Use A Drain Strainer
This is a good tip for every single sink in your home, not just the kitchen sink (and it is a best practice for tubs specifically since hair is a major clogging issue for tub and shower drains). A strainer will help catch the debris that could cause a clog in your drain pipes. Just remember to clean them out regularly.
Check Stoppers Regularly
Speaking of regular maintenance, check your drain stoppers periodically and clean off the accumulated soap scum and debris. If this nastiness gets washed down your pipes, it is a good bet that it could become a clog.
Use The Disposal With Cold Water
The garbage disposal is the kitchen sink’s best friend (but don’t make the mistake of thinking it allows you to put anything down the drain). When you put food scraps down the disposal, make sure that you’re running cold water the whole time you’re using it. If you run the disposal without running water, it won’t chop the food scraps up as effectively and could damage the unit. Using warm water isn’t a good move either, as it sometimes makes foods congeal, increasing the likelihood of a clog.
A RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL PLUMBING COMPANY YOU CAN TRUST
Alpha Plumbing is a full-service plumbing and contracting company serving the Baltimore and Annapolis metro area with expertise in all aspects of plumbing. We’ve been family-owned and operated since 1991 from our office in Pasadena. We offer quality plumbing services at reasonable rates in a timely fashion. Our trucks are equipped with GPS systems to ensure we’re prompt and on time. No job is too large or too small! We maintain a fleet of well-stocked trucks and also own and operate our own backhoes for jobs requiring excavation.
For more information and to get a free no-obligation estimate, you can contact us on our website, send us an e-mail, or give us a call at (410) 255-5998.