4 Reasons Why Your Kitchen Sink Might Be Blocked
A blocked kitchen sink definitely has a number of imaginable reasons. At times, the solution could just be found somewhere in your home. However, if your DIY attempt fails, what you can do is dial the most competent plumber in town just like a local licensed plumber Kogarah professional. Before finding the solution, let’s tackle some of the most common reasons why kitchen sinks might be blocked to give you an idea of how to avoid blockage in the future.
Common Causes of Clogs
If you don’t care about throwing down the sink some bits of food, grease, strands of hair and objects so small you can hardly notice them, then your sink will likely be jammed, because these are the probable offenders.
Food
Any leftover food that finds its way into your sink can cause a build-up. Although there’s a P- or J-trap underneath that catches the larger items, smaller food bits actually accumulate and form a blockage over time. It would be sensible to wash off food from plates and the chopping board before washing them. A sort of garbage disposal system comes in handy when disposing of food to minimise clogging. There are chemically-laden drain cleaners effective in unclogging drains but then experts don’t recommend them since these contain poisonous substances that pose a threat to both humans and animals. Besides, toxic chemicals could ruin your pipes from the inside and out, might as well use the plumbing snake if you know how. Nevertheless, if you don’t have one in your home, then try an environmentally-friendly drain cleaner containing enzymes and some strains of bacteria. They don’t just eat away at food but grease as well. If all of the above fails, it’s time to ring a professional plumber in Kogarah.
Grease
Coming in the form of oil, butter and meat fats, grease doesn’t easily drain away. In fact, such substances cause a very hard blockage in the sink once they become solid. Fats from chicken and meat solidify after some time forming a hard, white block. The bad truth about grease is that it traps all the food in the drain, turns it into a pasty residue then causes a clog that’s hard to dissolve. Sediments will form again and again, clinging to the pipes. The best thing to do is to put cooking fats and grease in a can and throw it into the garbage properly. Never pour fat and oils down the drain again.
Hair Strands
If you think that hair strands on bathroom sinks, tub drains and shower are harmless, you’re wrong. If hair gets trapped in the mud in the pipes, it can form a hard mass which can be bloody to get rid of. Again, a plumbing snake and an environmentally-friendly drain cleaner will do the trick. Also, remember to put a sink guard to catch the hair strands.
Other Likely Culprits
Small objects such as broken pieces of eggshell, prescription medicines, among others, and even feminine napkins, tissue paper, condoms that accidentally go into the sink essentially cause a problem. Never ever flush them down but instead, wrap them in plastic and dispose of them properly.
Proper maintenance is needed for your sink to perform well.
