Kitchen

3 Reasons Your Kitchen Sink Won’t Drain and How to Fix It | Expert GUide

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When it comes to the kitchen sink, one has to be very careful to deal with, because a blocked kitchen sink will collapse the whole way. It’s uncultured, inconvenient, and becomes a massive problem for plumbing. Frankly, it is the last step you notice when preparing for your meal and having fun with your family, friends, and company. When you face this hassle, you probably have the following three reasons your kitchen sink won’t drain and how to fix it. 

3 Reasons your Kitchen Sink Won’t Drain

Soap and chemical build-up

I know you will think that soap is a cleaning product and can cause the blocking of a kitchen sink. 

Soap scum is formed when soap mixes with heavy mineral water, and you have often noticed the white elements in the bathroom tubs, showers, and kitchen sink. One cause of mineral build-up is the use of hot water, and with time, the scale will build –up and cause a blockage in the sink.

Grease and Oils

Have you ever seen the butter or bacon fat remaining at room temp in the kitchen pan? Yes! You will undoubtedly feel quite bad. When it accumulates in a pan, you may throw it away, but most people wash coffee grounds and other food particles down the drain with water, never considering the issue that would arise later due to these blockages that obstruct the pipes in kitchen sinks.

Grease and oils accumulate in the kitchen sinks at room temperature, so when you add boiling water to the sink, you are dumping an additional layer of fat and oil in the sink indirectly. Eventually, this extra layer will cause blockage, and your kitchen sink drain will be problematic.

Food scraps

Now its dinner time, and you have prepared a delicious meal, and it’s time to clean up your kitchen. Some remains of noodles, food particles, and the strings of cheese left in the dishes, and other food wastes go through the kitchen sink drain and cause the blockage. Even if you have a garburator, this can happen for sure, form a blockage, and hurt your bank account.

How to Fix Clogged Drain Problems

If you face the clogged drain problem very frequently, you should try the following tips to get through the situation.

Use a plunger

If a small blockage in the sink was causing minor drainage than the complete drainage, your plunger could be an excellent tool to deal with the problem. 

You can either buy a sink-plunger at a low price from any hardware store or sanitize your regular plunger with soap and water. Firstly pour some water in the drain sink to soften the clogs, especially when you think that grease is the leading cause of the blockage. Ensure that your plunger should fit in the drain very precisely and pump a few minutes vigorously before moving the plunger. 

Use Vinegar, baking soda, and boiling water

It is an old grade school experiment method, but it can do a lot in this problem.

Knight’s Clog-Busting Cocktail method:

Step: 1

It would help if you waited for the water to clear from the sink drain.

Step: 2

Now pour ½ cup of baking soda down the drain with the help of a funnel directly in the gutter rather than run around.

Step: 3

Pour ½ cup of vinegar after pouring baking soda into the drain, and cover the mouth of the drain with the drain plug. Let it sit in the drain for approximately 10 minutes.

Step: 4

In the end, remove the drain plug and add a few cups of hot water in the sink drain to check how much it works.

Does this method work?

Yes! I know it is an old method to clean the drainage pipe of the sink, but for minor clogs, baking soda, vinegar, and hot water will be very effective and a great alternative to chemical drain cleaners. As baking soda has a basic PH level and can react with the acidic Ph of Vinegar when you hear the fizzing and popping sound of acidic and basic reaction of the chemicals can cause grease and dirty water to loosen and dislodge your kitchen sink.

While this seems to be very odd and unsatisfying, clean your kitchen sink and do not work on serious clogging problems of your kitchen. This natural alternative method does not have a 100% result as compared to any other unclogging form.

Use of environmentally safe drain cleaner

If you want to use a more effective way to drain the sink pipes, you should go for original drain cleaners. 

Chemical-filled cleaners are hazardous to your health, as if you have kids and pets in your homes, you should be very careful to deal with them because they cause burns to your body. So it is essential to wear rubber gloves while pouring the chemicals into the water drain supply. 

According to the 2010 research in the journal and social behavior, you can increase your immune systems by using strong ties and can live long.

Check the garbage removal

If you have garbage removal pipe in your sink, it can cause blockage in a sink. If the backup is in your disposal pipe, turning it on can solve the problem. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my kitchen sink not draining?

Food, grease, and other debris can cause blockage in the pipe, and this will drain the sink too slowly or not because the water hits the snag on its way down.

How do you clear a clogged sink with standing water?

Putting a vinegar and baking soda mix down the drain can clear a clogged kitchen sink. Bail out any water that has accumulated in your sink first. After that, pour one cup of vinegar and one cup of baking soda down each drain. After five minutes, flush each drain with hot water to remove the solution.

Why is my kitchen sink backing up?

Putting a vinegar and baking soda mix down the drain can clear a clogged kitchen sink. Bail out any water that has accumulated in your sink first. After that, pour one cup of vinegar and one cup of baking soda down each drain. After five minutes, flush each drain with hot water to remove the solution.

How do you fix a stopped drain?

Check the drainage pipe of the sink and pour the boiling water into it. Now pour baking soda and vinegar solution, and plunge the drainage pipe with the plunger.

  • Try the Plumber’s snake.
  • Clean the P-trap.

Why do plumbers hate Drano?

Commercially available drain cleaner like Drano is an ugly monster and contains harsh chemicals unsafe for people, pets, and plumbers themselves. 

How do you fix a kitchen sink that won’t drain?

Hair, grease, soap residue, and other debris can cause blockage into your kitchen sink, and the boiling water may work well to loosen the jam in it. 

How do you unblock a sink naturally?

The natural way to unblock your sink is to use boiling water, baking soda, and vinegar.

Can Drano make a clog worse?

Drano is the cause of building up blocking elements in a clogged area and can corrode the pipe. With repeated use, these chemicals may eat their way through the pipe and cause a leak or a collapse of the system. A chemical cleaner can make a clog worse by turning the clog into a more solid, congealed mass.

How do you unclog a deep clogged?

• Take the drain cap off.

• Lower the drill into the drain and start rotating the auger handle in a clockwise direction.

• When you come across a blockage in the drainpipe, forcefully push the auger into it.

• Push the drill ahead once more after pulling it back to remove the obstruction.

• Completely remove the drill from the pipe.

Can you use Drano in the kitchen sink?

Yes, you can use Drano in the kitchen sinks, bathroom sinks, showers, and clogged bathroom tubs but do not use it in toilets. 

Why is the water not draining from my sink?

If the water is still not draining perfectly from the sink, there may be a blockage in the P- trap, which is the elbow-shaped pipe under your sink. Food, grease, and other debris may be held in the line, cause your sink to drain very slowly or entirely stopped, all because the water hits the snag on its way down. Now place the bucket under the pipe.

What causes slow draining kitchen sink?

The build-up of everyday materials causes most slow-draining sinks. In a bathroom, most sink drains are clogged by a combination of hair, soap toothpaste, and other debris. While in the kitchen sinks, the clogs are due to food particles.

Conclusion

Most of the plumbing issues in the kitchen drain, and toilet pipes involve blockage and clogged drains. If your DIY methods don’t work effectively, you can contact the American Home Shield service by sharing your problem very quickly. 

But I recommend that if you deal with your kitchen pipes and drains with little care and attention, you will be safe from this problem for sure.  

Elizabeth Meehan Round

Elizabeth Round, née Meehan, is an accomplished content writer renowned for her culinary creativity and love of all things kitchen-related. Her articles encompass practical kitchen hacks, innovative decor, and appliance advice. Elizabeth's work inspires readers to revamp their cooking spaces and provides practical tips for better kitchen functionality. With a knack for transforming ordinary kitchens into aesthetically pleasing and efficient spaces, her writing encourages readers to view their kitchens as more than just a place to cook. In Elizabeth's world, the kitchen truly is the heart of the home.

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