Your kitchen sink is having problems. Water is not draining properly. Now your kitchen sink clog is causing it to fill up with water. Single bowl, double bowl, with a garbage disposal, a dish washer or without. With all kitchen sink setups, you will have varying degrees of how kitchen sink clogs are caused. Also, how they can be cleared. Standing water in your kitchen sink is the first indications that there is stoppage.
It could be as simple as build up in the strainer body. A blocked disposal, a blockage in the in the trap or something more serious down the drain pipe. If you have a dishwasher without an air gap, you may be sending waste water into your dishwasher. So always check inside the dishwasher if you suspect a clogged kitchen drain and the water begins to drain unexpectedly.
SYMPTOMS OF A KITCHEN SINK CLOG
A single bowl kitchen sink will have standing water. In two bowl sinks, the water will go down one sink and come up in the other and the standing water will level out in both sinks. You have plunged and used chemical drain cleaners yet nothing has worked. Depending on the type of setup you have there will be varying situations in which water will not drain properly.
If you have plunged and used a chemical drain cleaner (we do not recommend using chemicals) without success, it is obvious that it is not a simple strainer body clog. The next step is to check the trap. If the trap has a clean-out plug, place a bowl or bucket under the trap and remove the clean-out plug. If water does not come out you may have a clog in your trap. With the bucket or bowl under the trap, uncouple the trap and inspect and clean the clog and replace. Verify that the kitchen sink is now draining without leaks.
If water flows freely from the clean-out plug and the sink(s) begin to drain, the issue is probably further down the drain pipe. If the kitchen sink clog has progressed past the trap, you have a couple options. You can attempt to clear the clog yourself by purchasing or renting an auger. But if you are not comfortable with that, we recommend calling a professional. See below.
PROPER KITCHEN SINK USAGE TO AVOID A KITCHEN SINK CLOG
Never pour cooking oil, hamburger grease or other fats down your kitchen drain. As they cool, the grease solidifies and sticks to your pipes. Over time, this can cause a serious kitchen sink clog that can be difficult to eliminate without calling a qualified plumber. Instead, place grease and cooking oils into a separate receptacle and dispose of them with your solid waste in the garbage. It’s also a good practice to use a strainer in your sink to keep food waste, jewelry and other items from washing down the drain or disposal and becoming stuck.
PROPER GARBAGE DISPOSAL OPERATION TO AVOID A KITCHEN SINK CLOG
Avoid putting fatty meats or stringy materials down the disposal. Poultry skins, celery, eggshells, and grease are all items to avoid. Before you put food in the garbage disposal, make sure to turn it on and run hot water while using it. To keep your disposal from jamming, consider grinding a cupful of ice cubes every so often. Doing so will help to loosen any food stuck inside the disposal and keep it running clean.
WHAT IF MY KITCHEN SINK CLOG IS NOT REPAIRED?
Timely repair of a clogged kitchen sink or slow kitchen drain is critical. Postponing a proper drain repair may lead to larger problems with main sewer lines or septic systems. A clogged sewer line or septic system can lead to waste water backing up into showers, sinks and appliances affecting the health of your home.
WHEN TO HIRE A PROFESSIONAL
Note: Plumbing tools, such as a drain snakes or drain augers require expertise and can be dangerous to a user with little or no experience. The improper use of manual and powered drain cleaning tools to dislodge kitchen sink clogs may cause injury to your person or undue damage to your plumbing systems.
If you have reached this stage in the process and have not cleared the clog, we recommend you contact a professional. Our technicians will respond to your plumbing needs in a timely fashion and you will be met by one of the most friendly and understanding technician around. Have your inspection and drain cleaning repair done by Sewer Solutions Pros today. If you have any concerns about the overall function of the drain and sewer lines in your home or business, we are more than happy to answer any and all questions. Getting you back to normal is one thing we do great, helping you prevent it from happening again is our passion.
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