What Belongs in the Bin? 7 Things Destined to Block Your Kitchen Sink
Kitchen sinks are designed to collect water and organic liquid waste, but are often used as a receptacle for all trash. Knowing which materials will harden, swell, or freeze within pipelines is a key factor in maintaining the integrity of your system’s flow. Here’s a list of 7 common items that are sure to clog your sink and what to do with them.
1. How do fats, oils, and grease (FOG) form stubborn fatbergs?
FOGs are fats, oils, and greases that are liquid at hot temperatures but turn hard and solid in the pipes when they cool down. When FOG mixes with calcium in wastewater, it undergoes saponification, which forms hardened “fatbergs” that coat the inside walls of pipes. This gluey film, over time, collects food particles, gradually clogging the pipe until it is entirely blocked.
2. Why do starchy foods like pasta, rice, and potatoes expand?
Once starchy foods (such as pasta, rice, potato peels) go down the drain, they still hold water. These starches expand in the standing water of the traps, forming a thick gel-like mixture. This sticky mass will not move, or if it does, it will not move with normal water pressure, and must be mechanically removed to clear the line and get it into the P-trap. It can also cause blocked drains at Wetherby or at other places.
3. What structural hazards do coffee grounds pose to plumbing?
The grounds will not dissolve in water. Rather, their small, sharp particles clump in pipe bends and cleanout locations. Coffee grounds, when combined with trace grease deposits, create a sludge that resembles wet cement and is one of the most common causes of obstructions in kitchen drains.
4. How do eggshells and fibrous vegetable waste damage garbage disposals?
The outer shell of the egg disintegrates into little pieces, but the thin inner membrane remains. This membrane can attach to disposal blades or collect in pipe joints. In a like fashion, celery, corn husks, and artichokes are stringy and fibrous vegetables that entangle impellers and generate dense webs along the inside of waste lines that trap other passing debris.
5. Why are produce stickers and egg carton labels severe blockage threats?
The small plastic (or paper) PLU stickers attached to produce are not biodegradable and waterproof. They have pressure-sensitive adhesives that adhere directly to the inside of pipe walls, P-traps, or sewer line connections. They attach themselves to the anchor and form mini traps for hair, grease, and food fibers.
6. Can paint, chemical solvents, or motor oil be washed down the sink?
No. Latex paint, petroleum solvents, and household adhesives bind and cling to the inside of pipes as they dry or cure in wastewater. In addition to causing quite serious chemical blockages, these chemicals destroy rubber gaskets and emit toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the municipal water system, which is against environmental safety standards. They can also block the toilet and the main drain of the house.
7. How do paper towels and flushable wipes affect kitchen waste lines?
Paper towels and napkins, as well as wet wipes, are made using wet-strength resins that will not pull apart in water like toilet paper. These fibres absorb water, swell, and get stuck in the smallest cracks in the pipes, and the plugs form quickly, on a physical level.
Conclusion
The best way to prevent a clog in the kitchen drain is to sort the waste and not wait until it’s a problem to clean the drain. Do not put FOG, expandable starches, coffee grounds, fibrous organic waste, non-biodegradable plastics, and harsh chemicals into your sink; it will save your plumbing and reduce emergency service calls.