If you want to keep your kitchen plumbing repair expenditures low and your kitchen running smoothly, it is necessary to have basic kitchen sink plumbing maintenance, as any experienced homeowner will tell you. If you want to keep your kitchen plumbing running smoothly. The fundamentals of plumbing a kitchen sink include being familiar with the operation of the faucet, the removal of common obstructions, and the maintenance and repair of the garbage disposal.
If you are aware of what to look out for, you will not only be able to resolve the most fundamental problems that occur with the plumbing of your kitchen sink, but you will also know when to contact a professional kitchen sink plumber like Atlas Plumbing & Heating.
Kitchen Faucet Tips
There is a wide variety of shapes, sizes, styles, and finishes available for kitchen faucets. If you are in the market for new kitchen plumbing fittings, the plumbing that is located under the kitchen sink is the first item you should become familiar with. Every kitchen sink is distinctive. Some of them have one, while others have all four mounting holes. You should also take note of the water shut-off valve that is located under the kitchen sink. If you have an older home, the valve connection may be a different size from new kitchen plumbing fixtures. Because of this, you may need to repair your water shut-off valve in addition to your kitchen sink if you want to avoid flooding your home.
When you are looking at the apparently endless selections of kitchen plumbing fixtures that are available on the market today, make sure to take both the aesthetics and the practicality into mind. In general, you want your new fixture to match the hardware that is already installed in your kitchen. Be sure to select a kitchen faucet that has a finish that is compatible with the one already installed in your kitchen, unless you want to replace all of the drawer pulls and other hardware in your kitchen. When shopping for a new kitchen faucet, functionality should take precedence over all other considerations. Because it is used so frequently, the sink in the kitchen needs to be one that is simple to operate. It is essential that you pick one that meets these requirements. If you don’t want to have to lean over the sink basin every time you need to operate the sprayer, you might want to look into getting a faucet that already has the sprayer built into it. This way, you can simply pull down on the faucet to spray your dishes instead of having to lean over the sink basin.
Chrome is the most user-friendly and low-maintenance option for the fixtures in your kitchen’s plumbing, both in terms of cleaning and maintenance. Not only does it appear shiny with very little effort, but it also appears cleaner and lasts longer since unlike some other finishes, it does not disclose as many fingerprints or wet spots. Ceramic valves are now the best option available on the market for minimizing the amount of water that drips from a faucet’s spout, and their cost is often comparable to other similar options.
Kitchen Clog Tips
The likelihood of your kitchen sink becoming clogged at some point in the future is extremely high. However, not all plumbing issues with the kitchen sink drain necessitate an immediate visit from a professional plumber. Before calling for assistance from a professional, there are a few things that you can do to unclog a clogged kitchen sink. The quickest and easiest solution is to flush boiling water down the drain of your kitchen sink. If there is water pooling in your sink basin, remove as much of it as you can before proceeding, and then pour at least four cups of boiling water down the drain. If the problem persists, replace your sink strainer. If the blockage is really obstinate, you can try pouring roughly a half cup of salt down the drain first, followed by the boiling water, and finally flushing the entire thing with hot water to clear the pipes.
If pouring boiling water down the drain does not do the trick, you can try using a plumber’s snake to loosen the clog. A plumber’s snake, which consists of a long strip of plastic with small arms covering the sides, is an essential tool for the plumbing of a kitchen sink drain. It does need a bit more effort since in order to begin, the plumbing that is located beneath the kitchen sink will need to be disassembled. After that is finished, you can just slide it up the drain, and as you carefully bring it back up, the arms should either dislodge or capture whatever is causing the clog in your drain.
Keeping Your Waste Disposal Unit Clean
Maintaining the efficiency of your garbage disposal requires frequent cleaning, which should be done in order to keep it working properly. This doesn’t have to be a difficult undertaking; all you need is a basic understanding of science from elementary school. You may use the knowledge you gained in elementary school when you created a volcano to good use now. After pouring baking soda and white vinegar down your disposal in equal quantities, cover the drain and wait for the fizzing to cease before removing the cap. The chemical reaction helps to break up any oil or food particles that have become lodged on the inside of your disposal, allowing it to function more efficiently. After the bubbling has stopped, switch on the garbage disposal and pour hot water through it to flush out the contents of the disposal.
In addition, it is advisable to pay attention to the rubber drain cover that is located on top of the disposal. After turning off the disposal, use a sponge dipped in soapy water to scrub the underside of the rubber flaps in order to remove any leftover odors of food. A fantastic method to revitalize the plumbing in your kitchen sink is to run a handful of citrus peels that have been sliced into little pieces through the garbage disposal.
Garbage Disposal Repair
Repairing a garbage disposal takes a little bit more work, but you don’t need to know how to plumb a kitchen sink to perform some of the most fundamental troubleshooting.
Humming
If your garbage disposal is making a humming sound, this is a sign that something is lodged in the disposal, which prevents the blades from turning. After you have made certain that the power supply to the disposal has been cut off, proceed to the plumbing for the disposal that is located under the kitchen sink and attempt to dislodge the object that is jammed inside.
Drains Sluggishly
A sign of a blockage in the disposal is typically a slow draining disposal. Check for a clog in the drain trap after first ensuring that the power has been turned off. If you are unable to locate one there, you can try using the snake that comes with your plumber’s toolkit to clean the drain line that leads into the wall. It is imperative that you NEVER put chemical drain cleaner down your disposal because doing so might corrode the pipes and render your warranty null and useless.
Leaking
There are multiple points in your garbage disposal that have the potential to develop a leak. The most typical locations for leaks to occur are the hose that links the garbage disposal to the sink, the hose that connects the garbage disposal to the dishwasher, and the hose that connects the garbage disposal to the drain system. In most cases, the only thing that needs to be done to fix a leak that is caused by a hose is to tighten the clamp or bolts that are holding the hose in place. Applying some new plumber’s putty to the connection between the sink and the faucet is usually all that is required to rectify this classic problem with the kitchen sink’s plumbing.
It is not necessary to continue to be mystified about the plumbing that is located under the kitchen sink. One of the best ways to feel accomplished and to take ownership of your home is to become familiar with the fundamentals of the plumbing in the kitchen sink. It is not necessary to have plumbing experience in order to solve the more straightforward issues that may arise. You will know when it is time to call Atlas Plumbing & Heating because when the plumbing in your kitchen sink has more than just a simple problem, it is time to call them.