4 Common Problems With Kitchen Sinks

Your kitchen sink is likely the center of a large portion of the preparation and cleanup for your meals. A kitchen sink malfunction can be highly inconvenient and in some cases even hazardous.

Whether you're a homeowner who prefers to DIY or whether you prefer to have professional maintenance as often as possible to prevent issues, the more you know about your kitchen sink and what can go wrong, the more you benefit. Here are four common problems with kitchen sinks and what you can do about them.

1. Leaky Sink

A leak under the kitchen sink likely comes from the drain or the water supply line. The water supply line may leak at the place where it attaches to the wall. The drains tend to leak most easily at the connections such as where the p-trap connects to the rest of the drain or where the drain connects to the sink.

These connections can more easily leak if the seal fails. If your drains are plastic, this could occur due to expansion and contraction, which is why you're not supposed to pour boiling water down plastic drains. Old or damaged gaskets can also cause the seals to fail.

2. Clogged Drain

In addition to leaks, drain lines can also suffer from clogs. Where the kitchen sink is concerned, these clogs often result from excess grease, oil, or other fats poured down the drain. Sometimes, a garbage disposal in the sink can also cause a problem if it gets jammed and blocks water from flowing through to the drain line.

If your kitchen sink does suffer from slowed or blocked drains, be sure to call a plumber rather than trying to fix the problem with caustic commercial cleaning products that could end up harming the pipes. And to prevent a recurrence of the problem, try to follow best practice rules for drain and garbage disposal use.

3. Smelly Drains

Smells can arise from your drains for a number of reasons. For one example, if your plumbing vents are blocked, your drain system won't be able to flow as freely as usual, which can result in unsavory odors in your kitchen. Other possible causes include:

• Partial clogs in your drain line
• Smelly garbage disposal that needs to be cleaned
• Sewer gases coming up the pipes because of p-trap malfunction

As you can see, several reasons for smelly drains mean that you'll need a plumber to diagnose whether the problem is something serious or easily fixable.

4. Malfunctioning Faucet

When the internal mechanisms of your faucet start to wear out, the faucet itself can start to drip or squeak. In some cases, the flow of water may even become compromised. Your plumber can help you determine which faucet components are at fault.

Your plumber may then simply lubricate something or may need to replace either the components at fault or the entire faucet depending on the scope of the problem. An internal washer is a likely suspect, or perhaps you need to clean or replace the aerator.

These four problems can all cause issues for your kitchen sink and can all arise from a variety of sources or causes. Fortunately, an experienced plumber can help you get to the bottom of any sink trouble you experience.

Express Plumbing & Drain Service is always ready to help with any plumbing issues, whether it's your plumbing fixture that's at fault or one of the supply lines or drains leading to and away from the fixture. For more information on the installation, repair, and replacement services we can provide , get in touch with us today.