Worried about clogging the kitchen sink?
Sometimes a clogged drain is unavoidable, but most times, there are things you can do to reduce risk. By avoiding well-known drain cloggers, you can treat your plumbing with kindness and steer clear of substances likely to cause trouble.
Oil and Other Kitchen Drain Cloggers to Avoid
When it comes to keeping your kitchen in working order, you need to think ahead. Here are 5 substances that should never go down the drain!
1. Oils and Fats
Can you pour oil down your sink? The short answer is no, at least not without risking a nasty clogging incident. Oils, fats, and grease can be detrimental to the environment when poured down the drain, and that’s not to mention the damage they could cause to your pipes.
Pouring oil down the kitchen sink can trigger blockages that prevent effective drainage. At home, this could mean an overflowing sink. Everywhere else? Overflowing sewers!
2. Coffee Grounds and Tea Leaves
Can coffee grounds go down the sink? That’s a big no! Coffee grounds and tea leaves are a major culprit for drain clogging, causing blockages and triggering overflowing events that are unlikely to resolve without help from a professional.
When you pour coffee grounds down the drain, you’re risking an accumulation of sludge that will make it impossible for water to escape. Soon you could be facing a kitchen flood. Steer clear!
Photo by Tim Douglas on Pexels
3. Fibres and Hairs
Putting fibres down the drain is almost always a bad idea. This includes hair and fibrous vegetables, like celery, that could create a net or blockage in your pipes.
Fibres and hairs rarely break down enough to work their way through your plumbing system with ease. Instead, these items linger and impede the drainage of liquid, causing blockages and overflow.
4. Absorbent substances
It’s also important to avoid putting absorbent substances down the drain. This includes pasta, rice, and even kitchen towels – or anything else that is starchy enough to absorb liquids.
Absorbent items gather water and swell. When they go down the drain, they won’t fade away and escape your pipes. Instead, they’ll continuing absorbing fluid and creating larger blockages every time you turn on the taps.
5. Things That Stick
Finally, avoid putting items that stick down the kitchen sink. From flour to eggshells and everything in between, it’s never a good idea to pour substances that could combine with liquid to make a paste.
Sticky items can create a film in your pipes that prevents the smooth movement of water. Over time, sticky items may accumulate, helping other substances contribute to large and often unruly blockages that predispose your sink to flooding.
Dealing with a blocked sink and looking for a professional plumber? Contact Gladesville Plumbing Services to find out how we can help.
