What Not To Put Down Your Kitchen Sink
In America it seems like every household is fitted with a sink waste disposal unit, if you pay any attention to American TV programs that is. They are becoming more standard here in the UK today and are something that we here at CW Plumbing Services London are frequently asked to install. But there are millions of households still without them, so you need to be careful about what you wash down your sink.
Fat, oil and grease
One of biggest problem, (and this affects drainage pipes whether a sink waste disposal unit has been fitted or not), is fat, oil and grease. Fat, oil and grease, have a nasty habit of accumulating and congealing. This can happen both to the pipes inside your home, and outside too. Remember that a householder is responsible for their pipes outside their property up to the point where they are connected to the mains drainage.
Over 75% of all blockages are caused by congealed fat or oil of some description. If you do have a blocked pipe, then CW Plumbing can help, our expert local plumbers in South London are on call to unblock and clean all drains and pipes. To help avoid the inconvenience and expense of having to call a plumber out to clear a blockage due to congealed fat, follow these tips.
Top tips on how to avoid fat, oil and grease blockages
Wipe dirty pans, plates and cutlery clean before washing. Put any waste into the waste bin.
Collect any used fat, oil and grease into a suitable container, seal, and throw into the garbage. Alternatively add a few nuts and seeds and turn into bird feed.
Fit loose fitting plughole strainers into all your plug-holes (kitchen, bathroom and toilet) and empty their content into the garbage. They’ll catch any food residue, and hair too – another culprit that frequently causes blocked drains and pipes in the home.
Never pour oil and fat into the sink.
Never put food scraps into the sink. Put them straight into the garbage.
Don’t rely on pouring boiling water down the sink to clear congested fat. It might give some relief, but won’t cure the problem permanently.
Other foods to avoid putting down the kitchen sink
Of course it’s not only fat oil and grease that causes blockages. You’ll be surprised at what people put down the kitchen sink. These next few tips apply whether you have a sink garbage unit fitted or not.
Raw meat. Putting raw meat down the sink is a no-no; especially if it’s fatty meat, or meat containing gristle.
Rice and Pasta. It doesn’t matter whether were talking cooked or uncooked. Either way, putting rice or pasta down your kitchen sink is bad news. It expands when soaked in water, so running loads of water to wash it through is a fallacy.
Potatoes and potato peel. Both are full of starch which ultimately transforms into a stick goo.
Flour. Flour and water make glue. Avoid putting to down the sink. It will cause problems if it’s allowed to build up.
Tea-leaves. We British are a nation of tea lovers and many stick ardently to the loose leaf, rather than using tea bags. Loose leaf tea is another thing that will build-up; eventually causing a blockage.
Bag it and bin it – so say CW Plumbing Services London
The only thing that should go down your kitchen sink is water. Anything else and you need to think – bag it and bin it! But if you do ever need help with any sort of plumbing emergency in London, call CW Plumbing Services London on 020 7501 9549, or 07949 095 184. We’re here if and when you need us.
