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Are you tired of dealing with pesky clogs in your kitchen sink? Do you find yourself constantly battling backed-up water and frustrating inconveniences?
If so, you’re not alone – the kitchen sink is one of the most clog-prone areas in any home, thanks to the constant influx of debris from dishes and food prep.
But don’t let those clogs get you down! With the right knowledge and tools, you can easily resolve any kitchen sink clog like a pro. So the next time you’re faced with the frustration of water coming back up kitchen sink, read on to discover our expert tips for banishing those clogs for good.
Possible Reasons Why Water Backs Up Your Kitchen Sink
1. Pipes connected to your kitchen sink are blocked
This is quite a shared experience, so there is nothing to worry about. As long as the kitchen sink is used often, cooking oil, grease, hair, food, or other forms of debris will get washed down the drain.
If we use the sink every day, it is bound to happen every day. The only difference is that while some debris passes through the pipes you hindered, others may get stuck. Now, that in itself is not the actual problem. The real problem is when there is a build-up of debris which makes the flow passage narrower, making it hard for water to pass through seamlessly.
The more the build-up, the more complex the situation becomes, and it gets to a stage where the water has nowhere to pass through. At this point, instead of flowing down, it gets pushed back up the sink drain.
Our advice will be to pay close attention to your sink trap. They are an integral part of the plumbing system as it stops sewer gas. However, that is also where the build-up occurs.
What do you do to prevent this from happening?
The best way to prevent a severe build-up in the sink trap that causes water to back up in the kitchen sink is to reduce the rate of clogs. The more debris that gets stuck, the more it accumulates until it reaches its breaking point and ultimately blocks.
It does not have to get to this point.
You can place a debris stopper in the sink. A debris stopper would allow liquid passage but restrict hair and other food debris from getting washed down the drain.
This would help, in no small measure, to reduce the occurrence of a clog in the pipes.
2. Your Dishwasher Is Too Strong
If the water coming back up your kitchen sink seems to happen a lot recently, unlike before, there is a need to exhaust all possible reasons when seeking out the cause.
One valid question that you should ask is if you have bought any new equipment lately, like a dishwasher, for instance. We use the dishwasher as an example because it and the kitchen sink drain out using the same pipe.
Why do we mean by your dishwasher is too strong?
Take a look at how the dishwasher functions. You will observe that it pushes a lot of water at once to wash dishes. A strong dishwasher might push out this water with such force that the pipes cannot handle which leads to it backing up the sink.
The bottom line is when going for a new dishwasher, check out the details to be sure its pump strength is something the drain pipes would be able to handle.
3. Washing Machine Is Clogged
When water backs up your kitchen sink, finding out if the cause resides with your pumping machine is very easy. You must be very observant to know if it happens every time you use the washing machine.
If it does, then the washing machine pipe is the culprit.
Now, finding a remedy to the situation is something that you may not be skilled enough to do because of the complexity of this particular clog, so we will advise that you seek the services of a professional.
A lot of force is needed to push down the clog, and if you are not careful, you may damage a part of the plumbing component; hence, our advice.
4. Main Drain Line Is Clogged
There is no way that the main drain line will not be found on this list, seeing that all sink drain straight into it. When there is an issue with your whole plumbing system, the last place where it would reflect would be the kitchen sink.
The central drain line is connected to the septic system. Every debris washed down to the sink pipes eventually finds its way to the main drain line.
When this happens, and the build-up results in a coating of the pipe’s interior, water flow can be hindered, sending back water up the kitchen sink.
5. Clogged Vent Pipe
It may be challenging for water to flow seamlessly if the vent pipes are clogged.
What exactly is a vent pipe?
The vent pipe takes in the much-needed air expected to maintain the easy water flow. The entire plumbing system depends on this vent pipe, so they must stay in top working shape.
What are examples of things likely to clog a vent pipe?
It has been proven that insects like squirrels and bugs surprisingly block vent pipes. Even birds have been known to build nests in there which block it.
What you can do when vent pipes get blocked is to check the roof for any form of blockage in the vent pipes. If there is, call on a professional to help clear out the debris.
Water will once again flow freely once the vent pipes are unblocked.
Water Coming Back Up Kitchen Sink: Possible Solutions
The first thing to do when you have a case of water backing up the kitchen sink is to detect where the blockage is. It is only when you know the area of blockage that you can work on having it removed. Detecting the area of the blockage should entail thoroughly observing other parts and components. The clue lies in parts where the water is backing up.
Early detection is necessary as it would be easier to deal with then.
All the same, if, after carefully scrutinizing the parts, you cannot tell the clogged area, it would be fitting to allow a skilled plumber to step in. If water is backing up the kitchen sink, you can sort it all out with a plunger. Before using a plunger, ensure the overflow plug and pipe are closed.
If, after observation, you notice that the blockage is in a pipe to a piece of equipment connected to the kitchen sink, go about it by using water to fill up the sink, then with the help of the plunger, push out the blockage.
If, after trying, you are still unable to push out the clog, there are still other possible solutions that you can try out with calling on a professional to help handle it as a last resort.
- Warm Water And Vinegar: A mixture of warm water and vinegar will help clear out the clog.
- Use An Auger: Popularly called a drain snake, use it to push down whatever may be causing the clog. If you are lucky, it may yank up the substance. That said, we will outline, next for you, possible reasons why you would experience water backing up the kitchen sink.
We believe that if you know what causes it, you will be able to limit its occurrence.
Final Note
The importance of a kitchen sink is seen clearly when there is a plumbing issue. It affects us in ways we would never have imagined and negatively impacts productivity.
Clogs in the kitchen sinks are inevitable as long as they are being used. Still, hopefully, with our in-depth breakdown of causes, fixes and prevention techniques discussed above, you will be able to have it reduced drastically.
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