Tips for Preventing Kitchen Sink Clogs from Ruining Summer Cookouts

Don’t Let Clogged Kitchen Drains Ruin Summer Fun.

After a cold Cobourg winter, it’s nice to have an excuse to get out of the house and spend some time outside. During the beautiful summers, cookouts and dinner parties are a great reason to invite friends and family to have some fun.

During a gettogether, the hosts of a party shouldn’t have anything extra to worry about. Hosting a party already carries a lot of responsibility. Worrying about plumbing problems in food prep areas is unnecessary.

Kitchen drain clogs are a common contributor to problems during summer parties. This year, take the following advice from local plumbers and ensure that summer parties stay free from plumbing troubles.

Problems with Food Waste in the Kitchen Drain

Contrary to what most people think, food scraps and waste shouldn’t always be discarded down the drain. Not only does food waste cause problems at water treatment plants, but it can also wreak havoc on the plumbing of a home. Here are a few examples of kitchen drain no-nos:

Coffee ground settle in P traps and can easily lead to clogs
Onion skins and egg membranes can wrap around garbage disposal blades
Potato skins cause clogs or form a starchy paste when run through a garbage disposal
Bones, nuts, and hulls are all too hard for a garbage disposal to process

In general, food waste should be discarded in the trash. Drains that are protected by garbage disposals are mostly there to handle small scraps that are washed from plates, not to dispose of all food waste generated in the kitchen. Sticking to this simple rule can help prevent kitchen drain clogs from ruining dinner parties.

Put the Grease Where It Belongs

Grease is another food waste that should always go in the trash. While grease is warm, it is still a liquid. However, as soon as grease is discarded down the sink it quickly cools. As it cools it will re-harden into a thick blob that can stick to the inner walls of the drain pipe. Over time, this build-up will get worse and worse.

The sticky mess can also allow other food scraps to embed themselves into the walls of the pipes, leading to massive clogs. Throwing grease in the trash prevents these problems. Also, when washing greasy dishes, hot water and dish detergent help break down grease that would otherwise end up in the drain.

Install Garbage Disposals in Food Preparation Sinks

Garbage disposals have become commonplace in new construction simply because of their value in preventing clogged kitchen drains. For older homes that don’t have one or newer homes with non-functioning garbage disposals, installing a garbage disposal or repairing one can prevent messy problems.

Installing a garbage disposal is the cheapest of the options when it comes to cleaning out clogged drains. One or two trips from a plumber to clean out a drain clog will likely cover the cost of installing a new garbage disposal. When considering the cost of not having garbage disposal along with their convenience, installing garbage disposal is the obvious choice.

About Guardian Plumbing and Drain

For homeowners looking for an honest plumbing contractor, look no further than Guardian Plumbing and Drain. With same-day service and on-site free estimates, their commitment to urgency is unparalleled. Their emergency plumbing services are available 24/7.