When your sink is not draining well, your sink smells stinky, and it is driving you crazy, no doubt you have to fix your clogged kitchen sink. Homeowners frequently make the mistake of pouring grease, oil, and fats down the drain. This may appear to be harmless, but it actually causes damage to your plumbing. Grease, oil, and fats solidify into a sludge that adheres to the walls of the pipe. The sludge thickens as it interacts with water, especially if the water contains minerals. The water will eventually be unable to travel through the drain.
WHY MY SINK WON'T DRAIN
A clogged kitchen sink that won't drain, don't become too stressed and make a mistake. If you do it wrong, you can end up with a clogged kitchen sink and standing water. Let's find the reasons why your sink drains slow, your kitchen sink smells stinky.
- Sludge Buildup
Homeowners frequently make the mistake of pouring grease, oil, and fats down the drain. This may appear to be harmless, but it actually causes damage to your plumbing. Grease, oil, and fats solidify into a sludge that adheres to the walls of the pipe. The sludge thickens as it interacts with water, especially if the water contains minerals. The water will eventually be unable to travel through the drain.
- Pipes with a Wrong Angle
The way your pipes are installed has an impact on how well your kitchen sink drains. If the pipes are turned at an excessively sharp angle, this can be an issue. Water can be difficult to move through the pipe as a result of this, especially if there is food waste in the water. Food can obstruct the acute angle until enough water pushes against it to dislodge it. Meanwhile, your kitchen sink isn't draining. Another problem with poor pipe installation is when one pipe is taller than the other.
- Malfunctioning Garbage Disposal
If you have a garbage disposal in your kitchen sink, it could be the source of your drainage issues. Garbage disposal is used to prevent obstructions in the plumbing system. Food and other waste are chewed up and broken down into small pieces that run smoothly through the pipes. It's unavoidable that the disposal will break down at some point because it employs a motor and various parts.
When that happens, you’ll notice that the kitchen sink doesn’t drain.
This problem can be caused by a number of factors that can go wrong with the disposal. The first possibility is that the garbage disposal's flywheel is stuck. The flywheel is in charge of chopping up the meal. It can't cut down the debris if it's broken, jammed, or clogged. A obstruction occurs, preventing water from passing through. Another reason is a clogged garbage disposal.
If you haven't used the disposal in a while, it may be clogged with food and debris. Running cool water through the disposal might clean it out and allow water to travel through. The size of the disposal can sometimes have an affect on how high or low the drain is. It could be the reason why the pipe is lower than the drain in the wall. Because you can only elevate the disposal so high, resolving this issue can be difficult. Instead, you might need a plumber to lower the drain in the wall. Keeping your garbage disposal in good working order can help you avoid sink blockages.
- Tree Root Damage
The existence of a tree root is another reason your kitchen sink won't drain even if it isn't clogged. Your plumbing is constantly at risk if you have trees in your yard. Roots of trees develop underground and form vast networks. Unfortunately, they are unaware of the importance of avoiding pipes. As a result, tree roots have the ability to puncture through underground pipes. Anything that tries to pass past them will be blocked. They also have the potential to cause the pipe to leak into the ground. A tree root obstructs the flow of water in your kitchen sink, causing it to overflow.
Even if your kitchen sink isn't clogged, a tree root could be the cause of its inability to drain. If you have trees in your yard, your plumbing is always at risk. Tree roots grow underground, forming extensive networks. Regrettably, they aren't aware of the significance of avoiding pipes. As a result, tree roots can pierce pipelines beneath the ground. Anything attempting to cross through them will be stopped. They may also result in the pipe leaking into the earth. Your kitchen sink overflows due to a tree root obstructing the flow of water.
WHAT TO DO WHEN THE KITCHEN SINK WON’T DRAIN
- Investigate The Sink Stopper
- Attempt To Plunge The Drain
- Snake The Pipe
- Use Natural Drain Cleaners
HOW TO CLEAN A CLOGGED KITCHEN SINK NATURALLY
After you've made an educated assumption about the reason of why kitchen sink smells and drains slow, these tools and tactics can help you naturally unclog your drain and remove debris without having to call a plumber near me.
- A Plunger
Food particles or foreign items have been lodged in the p-trap (the curved pipe beneath your sink). This method should be used on drains that are entirely clogged or drain slowly.
In case of water splashes, clear the surrounding space. Fill the sink halfway with warm water and use a rubber plunger to give it a thorough cleaning. Hot water should be used to rinse the drain.
The plunger dislodges lodged food particles, allowing them to flow freely down the drain pipe. They're washed down the drain with the water rinse.
- Long Wire Hook
Hair or tiny things become stuck in the bathroom or kitchen sink drains. On completely clogged or slow-draining bathroom drains, try this method.
Get a drain cleaning tool or bend the end of a long piece of wire into a small hook using pliers (a coat hanger works nicely). Remove the drain cover with care, then clean any visible debris before inserting the hook. (If you don't want to get your hands dirty, wear gloves.) Remove any debris by pulling the hook back up (this will be a bunch of decomposing hair and gunk). Use the hook a couple times in the drain to ensure that all debris is removed.
- Liquid Dish Detergent And Hot Water
Clogs caused by grease or pipelines that have become too narrow. Try it on kitchen drains that are slow to drain.
Bring 2 liters (a large pot of water) to a boil, then add a couple tablespoons of Sal's Suds or natural hand washing dish detergent. Pour the nearly boiling water slowly down the slow drain, then flush with hot tap water. Several pans of detergent and hot water may be required.
The hot water melts part of the oil that has clogged the pipes, and the dish detergent aids in the fat dissolving. The gunky buildup is removed using this combo of cleaners, allowing drain pipes to flow more freely.
- Salt And Hot water
Fat or soap clogs pipes, while fat or soap narrows them. Try this on kitchen and bathroom drains that are slow to drain.
Half a cup of salt should be poured down the slow-moving drain. 2 liters water, heated almost to boiling, poured carefully down the drain and flushed with hot tap water Several rounds of salt and hot water may be required. Any form of salt will suffice (table salt, sea salt, or kosher salt).
Some of the grease that is clogging the pipes gets melted by the hot water. The abrasive texture of the salt acts as a natural scouring agent, removing even more oily buildup. The gunky buildup is removed using this combo of cleaners, allowing drain pipes to flow more freely.
- Biological Enzyme Cleaner
Grease, hair, and soap are organic-based clogs. Try this on septic systems and slow-draining kitchen and bathroom drains. Enzyme cleaners can also be used on a regular basis to maintain drains clean and odor-free.
Follow the instructions on the packaging. When drains aren't being utilized, it's best to use it overnight.
Enzymes and/or bacteria in biological cleaners like Earth Enzymes Drain Opener or Biokleen Drain Gel eat down the organic material in the clog to unclog the drain. Because these cleaners do not kill beneficial bacteria, they can be used in homes with septic systems. (Another popular treatment is Green Gobbler Drain Clog Remover, which removes drain sludge with monosodium sulfate, a non-toxic acid.)