One of the most important features of your kitchen is your sink, and ensuring it stays in working order is essential for creating a functioning kitchen. Although they may seem resilient, knowing what to avoid pouring down the drain can help keep your sink in top shape for longer.
Food Debris
Food debris, especially water-retaining foods like pasta, can cause massive clogs in your sink plumbing system. Not only does food build-up increase your likelihood of larger sink clogs, but it can also cause your drains to stink and attract flies. Using a sink skimmer, or any sort of strainer in your drain when doing dishes, can minimize the amount of food that travels down your drain, reducing your risk of larger clogs.
Coffee Grounds
Coffee is not water-soluble and contains a natural amount of oil that gets released during the roasting process. This oil, mixed with the sediment-like texture of coffee grounds, can cause major blockages and buildup in your pipes. It can bind with any existing grime and create a mortar-like paste in your plumbing system.
Cooking Oils and Grease
One of the worst materials to pour down your kitchen sink is cooking oil, especially saturated fats that solidify at colder temperatures. These oils act like glue in your pipes, adhering to the walls of your pipes and catching any debris that floats past. Eventually, this can lead to massive obstructions that can seriously damage your pipes.
Keeping Your Kitchen Sink in Working Order
Blockages and waste buildup in your sink can cause a whole host of problems for your plumbing system, ranging from simple clogs to full-scale burst pipes and broken wastewater lines. Preventing these issues begins with recognizing what materials are not safe to go down the drain, either by proper disposal methods or using tools like a food skimmer to prevent food waste from getting into your pipes. For bigger clogs and issues in your kitchen sink, have your sink evaluated by professionals and contact the technicians at Flowrite Plumbing today.