Kitchen Sink Clogged? Causes and Fixes That Last

Guides / Drain Cleaning

What actually clogs a kitchen line

Grease is the main culprit. It goes down warm and liquid, then cools and coats the inside of the pipe a few feet past the trap. Food particles and soap stick to that coating. Colorado Springs' hard water adds mineral scale, which gives the grease a rough surface to grip. After a few years, a 1½-inch kitchen line can be narrowed to a pencil-sized opening.

• Cooking grease and oil — bacon fat, pan drippings, salad dressing.
• Starchy food — rice, pasta, and potato peels swell with water.
• Coffee grounds and eggshells — they don't dissolve; they pack.
• Low flow — a long horizontal run to the stack gives solids time to settle.

What you can safely try first

1. Run the disposal briefly to rule out a jammed unit.
2. Plunge with a flat-cup plunger, sealing the other side of a double sink with a wet rag.
3. Remove and clean the P-trap over a bucket — many clogs end right there.

Skip the chemical drain openers. They rarely reach a grease clog in the wall, they damage older metal pipes, and they make the job hazardous for whoever cleans the line next.

When the clog is past the trap

If the trap is clean and the sink still backs up, the blockage is in the branch line inside the wall or under the floor. A cable will reopen it, but on a grease-coated line it often returns within months. For repeat kitchen clogs, hydro jetting scours the pipe back to its full diameter. Compare the two in drain cleaning vs hydro jetting.

Keeping it from coming back

• Wipe greasy pans with a paper towel before washing.
• Run cold water with the disposal and for 15 seconds after.
• Put starch, grounds, and peels in the trash or compost.
• Once a month, fill the sink with hot tap water and release it all at once to flush the line.

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