Beware Of This Common Kitchen Sink Blockage Affecting Households Every Winter

Water flowing through the kitchen sink

When winter rolls around, bring on the hot chips and gravy. In fact bring on all the carb-rich comfort foods like roasts, soups and casseroles. Anything to keep your belly full and hands warm while embracing all the comforts winter draws us to. Unfortunately, these foods can also cause a common kitchen sink blockage that has plumbers called every winter to fix. Here is the most common kitchen sink blockage you want to avoid this winter.

Common kitchen sink blockage

Oils and fats rinsed down the kitchen sink drain will do more harm than good to your pipes.

In winter, when fats and oils sit in cold pipes, they congeal and form solid clumps, or as Queensland Urban Utilities likes to call them ‘Fatbergs’. These solid masses of fat will block your drains if they are not disposed of accordingly.

If the evening meal has resulted in leftover fats and oils, or gravy that no one has licked off the plate, there are a few ways to dispose of these to prevent blockage.

  1. Allow the fats to cool and solidify then scrape them into the bin.
  2. When rinsing roasting trays or plates with oil slicks or excess sauces and gravy, immediately turn the hot water tap on to ‘flush’ away the oils from the trap.
  3. For extra measure, boil the kettle and pour boiling hot water down the kitchen sink to ensure the breakdown of the fats and oils.
  4. A small squirt of dishwashing liquid down the drain and a full bowl of water drained down the sink will disperse the oils in the pipes, which will prevent blockage.

DIY tricks on clearing your blocked sink

There are a few DIY tricks that can break up a blocked kitchen sink.

  1. Sprinkle bi-carb soda and pour hot vinegar (microwave for 1 minute) down the drain.
  2. Use a household plunger to loosen the blockage
  3. Undo the sink trap and pour the water into the sink with the plugin. Ensure the trap is free of food blockages.
  4. Pour a household drain cleaner down the sink. These are readily available from your local hardware or grocery store. Do try the natural remedies before going down the chemical aisle.

If none of these remedies removes the blockage, it’s time to call your plumber. A drain cleaning machine or an electric eel may need to be used to blast away the blockage. Salmon Plumbing is experienced in types of blockages. Contact the team to get your kitchen sink unblocked today.

Top Home Tips for Unblocking Drains

Woman Using Plunger In Sink - unblocking drains brisbane
Woman Using Plunger In Sink

One of the most common – and most unpleasant – home repairs everyone will endure at one time or another is a clogged drain. When left unattended, a clogged drain can cause nasty odours and even flood your home. The good news is that in many instances you can unblock the drain yourself and at little to no expense. One of the first and easiest solutions is to use hot water.

1. The Boiling Water Method

One of the simplest methods of unblocking drains, this method works best for light or small blocks, and it should only be used on metal pipes (if you have PVC pipes, the hot water may melt or soften the joints in your pipes, resulting in unwanted leaks).

The best way to do this is to take a kettle of boiling water and pour it down the sink. Give it a moment or two and then run water from the tap to see if the clog has been removed.

2. The Vinegar and Bicarb Soda Method

The next easiest method of unblocking drains is using something to dissolve the clog. Before buying a commercial drain cleaning product, try making your own with vinegar and bicarb soda.

Take half a cup of bicarb soda and dump it directly into the drain and as far down as you can. Then add half a cup of vinegar to the mix. This will result in a fizzing effect which will help eradicate any grease that may be blocking your drain.

3. The Plunging Method

For this solution, you’ll need a cup plunger and, depending on where the clog is, some duct tape.

If the clog is in the sink or bathtub, take a strip of duct tape and stick it over top of the overflow drain (this prevents the air or water from escaping and sends it instead towards the unwanted clog). Fill the sink with a bit of water and then use the cup plunger to apply steady pulses until you think the clog is removed or when you feel the pressure changing inside of the pipe.

When To Call a Plumber

There is a wide selection of chemical products on the market which are supposed to help unblock drains. But they may be unfriendly to the environment, and can be hazardous to use. They can even make your clogged drain issue even worse.

If none of the above methods helps you remove the clog, it’s a good idea to call the Salmon Plumbing team in Brisbane. Our team of fully qualified and insured plumbers have the equipment necessary to assess the issue and to take care of the clog for you as quickly as possible.

Contact us online or give us a call at (07) 3862 2600.