Did you know that all kitchens in Dallas will eventually have plumbing problems? All kitchen fixtures are susceptible to wear and damage that builds with daily use. Routine maintenance is a great way to limit the effects of that deterioration, but nothing lasts forever.
There's a timer running on all your kitchen fixtures. When it runs out, you'll be one more person in Dallas dealing with common kitchen problems. If you're really unlucky, all those timers will end at the same time, leaving you with a practically useless kitchen.
It always pays to know a local plumber when plumbing issues run rampant through your life, but you don't need to be a qualified plumber to handle simple problems with sinks, drains, and pipes.
A reliable plumbing company like Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Dallas can help you with faucet repairs and all other types of plumbing problems, but you can avoid asking for help with kitchen problems like leaky faucets and clogged drains altogether if you know what causes them—and how to avoid them.
Clogged Kitchen Sinks
Your waste system is designed to handle only a small variety of materials. When it comes to kitchens, standard wastewater is the only thing that you should ever be flushing away. If you're surprised to hear that, you’re not alone. Many homeowners in Dallas flush materials into their kitchen drains that cause problems down the line, such as:
Fats, oils, & grease
Coffee grounds
Egg shells
Food scraps
Bones
Flour
Rice, pasta, & other foods that absorb water
Dirt
Paints
Produce stickers
Did You Know?
All drains eventually succumb to clogs—unless you get regular drain cleaning service. Soft blockage (soap scum, minerals, and other debris) grows naturally inside drainage lines. That gross grime grabs new materials over time. After enough time goes by, it severely restricts flow and increases the chances of clogs appearing.
You can fight the effects of soft blockages with thorough drain cleaning service, but you can also do your best to prevent it from becoming a problem by never flushing any foreign material down your kitchen pipes.
Larger, hard blockages—like bones and shells—will get caught in your P-trap and stop anything else from getting by. Smaller soft blockages such as fats and food scraps will inevitably come back to haunt you with backups and slow drainage. Your garbage disposal won't save you either. It might even cause more problems if it gets clogged too.
Fats, Oils & Grease
These mischievous materials are such common culprits of kitchen sink problems that they get their own category. All three of these FOG substances become liquids when they're hot, but they don't stay that way. If you've ever left a pan to cool after cooking bacon, then you know what happens to grease when it cools down. Imagine if that was in your pipes.
It's never safe to pour fats, oils, or grease down drains. They cause widespread problems and wreck sewer lines once they cool and congeal. You can't dilute them either. Even gallons of water won't stop them from wreaking havoc, since they're not water-soluble and naturally rise to the surface, where they easily attach to pipe walls.
How Do You Prevent Clogged Kitchen Drains?
Never flush anything other than wastewater—throw all food waste and other materials away in a separate container.
Install a strainer that catches debris such as food scraps.
Make an annual appointment for cleaning service with professional plumbers.
Leaking Kitchen Sink Faucets
Leaky faucet repairs are one of the most common reasons that people in Dallas call plumbers. Tap water dripping out of faucets that are supposed to be closed is difficult to ignore—and not just because of the constant “plip, plip, plip” of leaky taps. Any leaks that aren't immediately fixed will make themselves known on your monthly water bills. In extreme scenarios, they also cause severe water damage that requires costly repairs.
Common causes of leaky faucets include:
Loose & worn O-rings
Corroded valve seats
Worn out washers
Improper installation
Did You Know?
Dallas' water quality is considered to be moderately hard. That means it contains higher amounts of calcium and magnesium. Hard water doesn't pose any threat to your health (other than its effects on your hair), but it will damage your plumbing fixtures.
Those harsh minerals and excess sediments increase wear and damage to valve seats and other internal plumbing components. Your washer and O-ring also naturally degrade each time you use them. It's a fact of life in Dallas that everyone experiences a dripping faucet eventually.
How Do You Prevent Kitchen Faucet Leaks?
You could install water softeners if you're concerned about the effects of hard water on plumbing systems. You can even add them to bathroom faucets, showers, and tubs.
Always follow instructions or ask licensed plumbers for help with faucet replacements and installations.
Schedule service for an annual inspection to evaluate the wear on your current systems. Regular maintenance like replacing washers will save you from losing money because of problems that leave your water running constantly.
Jammed Garbage Disposal
Garbage disposals are susceptible to a wide range of issues, which is why it's a good idea to include them in your regular maintenance schedule. These are useful appliances for kitchens that even play a role in reducing your risk of clogs, but they can't handle everything. Not all types of food are safe to grind.
Some people say you can even use your garbage disposal unit to get rid of fats and oils by using cold water to solidify them, but most licensed plumbers will tell you that pouring any FOG materials in your garbage disposal unit is a bad idea. The same thing goes for coffee grounds. Even if your disposal can handle it, your pipes will suffer.
Substances that cause garbage disposal jams include:
Fats, oils, & grease
Fruit pits
Bones
Banana peels & potato peels
Corn husks
Onion skins
Pasta & rice
Asparagus
Shells
Glass
Any other fibrous food waste
Did You Know?
You can clean a garbage disposal by running it with ice cubes and rock salt. It only takes a few seconds. If a foul odor is coming out of your unit, using warm water and a slice of lemon should eliminate the smell. Doing this on a regular basis will improve its performance.
How Do You Prevent Garbage Disposal Clogs?
Never run your disposal without water when grinding food particles
Never overfill your unit
Avoid pouring in bleach, drain cleaners, and other chemicals
Cover your unit with a strainer while it's not in use
Do You Need Kitchen Plumbing Services in Dallas?
Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Dallas helps with both minor plumbing issues and advanced needs like garbage disposal repair. Whether you’re in Dallas or nearby areas such as Hebron, Carrollton, or Mesquite, our team of plumbers is available 24/7 for convenient appointments and emergency plumbing services. Call us today at 214-838-8232 or request an appointment online.