Prevent Sink Plumbing Issues By Avoiding Clogs
The kitchen sink is going to get clogged at some point. There’s probably no way around it. Clogs are inconvenient, and severe clogs can cause major problems that can turn into costly repairs. Sink plumbing issues can often be prevented if you know what you can and can’t put down the drain. Here are some of the most common causes of kitchen clogs and what you can do to stop them from clogging your sink plumbing system.
Cause 1: Food
Kitchen sings are often clogged up by food, whether you have a garbage disposal or not. After you eat a meal, you wash the plates off and then put them in the dishwasher, right? There might be pieces of food still on the plate and it goes down the drain. Sinks usually have traps that catch larger items to keep them out of the pipe system, but even bits of food, over time, can collect and cause clogs to form. Instead of allowing that to build up and happen, scrape your plates into the garbage before you rinse them in the sink. You might also get a drain cover so even smaller pieces of food don’t go down the drain.
Cause 2: Grease
Grease is a common clog substance because many people don’t know how harmful it is. They cook with is and then they dump it down the drain. It’s as simple with that. It’s a liquid, after all, right? Grease, however, can harden and cause clogs quite quickly and should never be placed down the drain, especially when it is hot. Poor cooled off grease into the garbage and when you wash the pan that had grease in it, run the garbage disposal with cold water to allow the rest of the grease to move through the pipes and not stay where they are, clogging thing up.
Cause 3: Hair
No kitchen is hair-free, and people don’t generally wear hairnets at home. Hair clogs are more common in the bathroom, but they happen in kitchens as well. When hair gets trapped in the sludge within the pipes, it can accumulate over time and cause a clog. Putting sink guards on your kitchen sink plumbing can help or keeping hair back and out of the way whenever you use the sink.
Cause 4: Other Foreign Objects
There are a variety of other things you simply shouldn’t put into your sink plumbing. Some items include coffee grinds, egg shells, produce stickers, garbage chunks, and paper towels. If you want a full list, talk to your plumber when they come to free clogs so you can be sure you are doing the right things with your sink.
Get Sink Plumbing Help
When your kitchen sink starts to run slow, it’s best to call for plumbing help right away before the clog worsens or renders your sink unusable because of a backup. Once the clog is cleared, learn more about what caused it so you can prevent it from happening again in the future.