Tips to Prevent Clogged Sinks
Everyone will experience a clogged sink at some point in their life, and it's never pleasant. Whether it occurs in the kitchen while preparing dinner, or in the morning while shaving before work, it can derail and upset any day. Thankfully, with some intentional choices and occasional maintenance, homeowners can avoid most of the most common causes of clogged sinks.
Read on to discover three main causes of clogged sinks and the simple steps to avoid them.
Don't Pour Cooking Grease Down the Drain!
Everyone knows fats and oil can clog arteries, but they can also clog pipes. When hot liquid grease or oil goes down a drain, it tends to cool off and solidify. This results in thick sticky messes in the bottom and sides of drains, which causes slower drainage and also catches other more solid materials, compounding the problem.
When enough muck collects, the sink becomes clogged and smelly. The simple solution to avoiding this problem is to collect fats, grease, and oil in a separate container. Then either re-use the oils for cooking or throw the container they are in away.
Use the Garbage Disposal Correctly
Homeowners should never place gooey foods like oatmeal, potato skins, or pieces of bread down the disposal, and avoid fibrous, stringy foods like sauerkraut or onion skins. Things like nuts, seeds, coffee grounds, eggshells, bones, and meat waste will also cause major problems when placed down the garbage disposal.
To run the disposal properly, run cold water for 10 seconds first, then make sure all food items are chopped into small pieces before adding. Add waste in small quantities, make sure it all grinds through before adding more, and always run the disposal longer than it news to break up the food. When done properly, this will help reduce the chances of a clogged sink.
Drain Stoppers Can Help, but Don't Forget to Clean Them
Drain stoppers allow the sink to flood with water for washing purposes. While useful, they need to be cleaned with some frequency. Most kitchen sinks have removable ones that are simply wiped clean whenever they gather food waste. Bathroom sinks however, require a bit more work. Hair and soap scum can often get trapped below the sink in these stoppers, requiring cleaning at least a couple of times a year.
To clean bathroom drain stoppers, homeowners must disconnect the stopper from the lever that engages it. This is usually done by unscrewing it underneath the sink on the backside of the drain pipe. Once unscrewed, the stopper can be lifted out, and any hair or build-up can be removed before replacing it.
Using the above tips will help homeowners avoid the most common drain problems. But when they occur, calling a good plumber is usually the best way to solve the problem and make sure it's not a larger plumbing issue.
About Sheely Plumbing Inc.
Sheely Plumbing Inc. has been providing bathroom and kitchen plumbing services in the Alto, MI area since our founding. With excellent customer service and a commitment to fair prices, they will take care of all plumbing needs. They offer excellent customer service for a full spectrum of plumbing needs.
