Learn Some Great Tips on How You Can Prevent Stoppages in your Kitchen Sink 

1. Properly run your disposal
2. Don’t put things down your disposal that expand  
3. Don’t put eggshells or coffee grounds down your sink  
4. Don’t put grease down your sink 
5. Clear basket strainers in the trash if you don’t have a disposal

Properly use your disposal  

It might seem like it is common knowledge on how to use your disposal. Trust me, it’ll surprise you to learn that there is a method to properly using your disposal. A method that will help you prevent stoppages in your kitchen sink and help your disposal last longer. Before putting food waste down your disposal make sure the cold water is on.  You also want to make sure that your disposal is running smoothly before you put food waste down the disposal collar.  This gives your disposal motor a chance to get running before the food waste goes down the drain.

By doing this it allows it to properly process the food waste which prevents jamming up your disposal. This also allows your disposal to process the food into smaller particles. If you’ve ever tried to pull start a lawnmower while it is in tall grass, this is a similar analogy.  The blades have a hard time getting going while there is an obstruction in them.  You also want to make sure to allow water to continuously run for about 10-15 seconds after the disposal sounds like it is done processing.  This allows time and water to get everything moving out of the disposal.  This helps to move the food waste out of your kitchen drain line toward the main line of your plumbing system.  

Don’t put things down your disposal that expand 

I can’t even remember how many times we’ve had to clear a kitchen line, or even replace a disposal because food waste that can expand was put down the disposal or the kitchen drain line.  This type of food waste includes rice, pasta, dehydrated foods, freeze dried foods.  Even if these items make it through your disposal or kitchen drain line they are often only carried far enough down the line to create major issues. As the food debris settles, soaks up the water, expands and then hardens it causes major stoppages. It’s a nightmare that should be avoided by simply avoiding putting these types of foods down your drain lines or in your disposal.  

Don’t put eggshells or coffee grounds down your sink 

Even if you have a garbage disposal we recommend not putting eggshells or coffee grounds down your sink.  The problem with these types of products is their density and weight.  They can be very difficult to flush out of your kitchen drain line and can settle on the bottom of your pipe, like a sand pit.  Over time this settling creates a smaller diameter pipe for your kitchen sink and can lead to stoppages.   

Don’t put grease down your kitchen sink 

Grease is simply a no go for your entire plumbing system.  It can be challenging not to put any grease down your line, small amounts from doing your dishes can even add up over time if not properly maintained.  Grease, even when run with hot water and soap can build up in your lines.  As grease builds up and hardens down the length of your line it becomes a place for food debris to stick and can create stoppages that need to be cleared with a high-pressure jetter rather than a cable.   

Clear basket strainers in the trash if you don’t have a disposal 

Your kitchen sink should have strainers that prevent food debris from going down your kitchen sink drain line.  The problem is often that when the basket strainers are full, many clients make the mistake of cleaning them off by putting the debris it caught right down the sink negating the goal of the basket strainer, which is to keep food particles from going down your sink.  

Pro Tip to keep you kitchen sink from smelling
Keep your kitchen sink smelling great by cleaning your basket strainers weekly in the dishwasher.  Basket strainers can buildup gunk that is hard to see from the top of the screen.  Smelly bacteria can build up in the holes of the basket strainer as well as in the plunger section.  Keeping your basket strainers sanitized in the dishwasher can help to eliminate that smelly bacteria and gunk.  

Services In Phoenix & Beyond

When you’ve found yourself in need of plumbing services in the Phoenix, Glendale, Scottsdale, or Chandler area, you can trust Robins Plumbing to provide you with prompt and expert care, contact our team today! In addition to our toilet services, we also offer a variety of residential and commercial plumbing services, including: drain cleaning, water heater repair and replacement, sewer camera inspection and locating, backflow prevention, commercial and residential jetting, water treatments, and more. Visit our reviews online to see what others have to say about our local plumbing company!