Considering how often we use our kitchen sink in Beverly Hills– i.e., many times per day, every day – and all the grimy business that it usually has to put up with, it’s kind of amazing that we don’t all experience headaches with our kitchen plumbing once a week. Chalk that up to the marvels of modern engineering and design.
That does not mean that kitchen plumbing is perfect, though, and all homeowners face problems with their plumbing maintenance from time to time. Fortunately, many such problems are fairly common and routine and therefore are easily remedied.
Below are 3 common kitchen plumbing problems and some possible solutions for each:
Clogged drain
Probably the most commonly aggravating of all kitchen sink problems is the clogged drain. If you have never had to deal with one, first thank your lucky stars and then brace for impact, because you’ll probably have to soon. This is usually caused by some piece of food or other deposit obstructing the sink. Try plunging it out, or breaking it up by pouring boiling water or white vinegar down the drain. This may take several attempts. If none of that works, you can resort to a commercial drain opening product.
Leaky faucet
Got a dripping sound keeping you up at night? Often, leaky faucets are caused by an obstructed aerator, which is that little screen thing on the end of your faucet. Unscrew that, clean it with water and put it back on. If the faucet still leaks, there may be a loose fitting somewhere further down the line, in which case you may need to call in a plumber. (Bonus tip: To quiet the dripping noise until the leak is fixed, tie a length of string to the end of the faucet. The water will run down the string silently instead of clanging into the basin all night.)
Garbage disposal won’t run
The quickest and most common solution to this problem is the reset the garbage disposal by pressing the button on the unit under the sink.
If these tips don’t work to solve your kitchen plumbing conundrum, then it is probably best to call in a professional. Plumbing is a tricky thing – and garbage disposals can be dangerous – so sometimes it is best to leave it to the pros.
