Kitchen Plumbing Maintenance Tips

Whether you cook a lot or a little, keeping your kitchen plumbing well maintained is important for the whole family. From the kitchen faucet to the drain and garbage disposal, there are several areas of the kitchen that should be kept in good working order. Check out our helpful kitchen plumbing tips to keep the plumbing in your kitchen running efficiently.

Kitchen Faucet Tips

Don't allow your kitchen faucet to fall into disrepair. One way to ensure kitchen plumbing maintenance is to keep your faucet's aerator clean. Low water pressure from the faucet/sprayer or water leaks from the handle are usually caused by lime buildup and sediment blocking the small openings inside the aerator. Clean the aerator using the following steps:

• By hand, carefully unscrew the aerator from the faucet turning counterclockwise. If it will not unscrew, wrap the jaws of your pliers with masking tape and loosen the aerator with the pliers. Continue by hand.

• Take aerator or spray head apart.

• Use a small brush dipped in vinegar to remove sediment.

• Reassemble the aerator and screw back on to the faucet.

Kitchen Clog Tips

Not only do clogs in the kitchen sink smell and look awful, they prevent you from using your sink for food-related tasks, such as cleaning and prepping food for consumption, as well as disposing of food after meals. Here are a few tips for preventing clogs in your kitchen sink:

• Apply Roto-Rooter® Pipe Shield® to kitchen sink drain lines once each month to keep food scum from building up and causing clogs.

• Never put hard-to-grind, stringy or fibrous waste (poultry skins, carrots, celery or banana peels) into the garbage disposer.

• Run cold water down the drain for 15 seconds before and after using the garbage disposer to flush waste through the line.

• Don't pour liquid grease down the drain. Wipe congealed grease from pots and pans with a paper towel and dispose of in the trash.

Cleaning Your Garbage Disposer

Foul odors can occur from a buildup of food debris within the disposer. Try these steps to eliminate odors:

• Grind ice cubes and orange or lemon rinds in the disposer for about 30 seconds.

• While the disposer is still running, pour a small amount of liquid dish detergent into it.

• Rinse any remaining debris away by running cold water for about 30 seconds.

Garbage Disposal Repair

Your disposer has an overload protector that senses if the motor is overheating and shuts it off. If your disposer cuts off during operation, it may be this broken electrical connection.

• Turn the disposer switch off.

• Do not put hands or objects down the drain.

• Make sure the appliance is plugged in securely at the outlet.

• With power switch turned off, press reset switch on front or bottom of the garbage disposer.

• Restart disposer by turning on power switch.

If this does not fix the issue, call your local Roto-Rooter plumber for immediate garbage disposal repair. We'll be at your home and get your kitchen back in working order in no time.

We also are available for help with all kitchen plumbing services and can offer more drain problem tips to avoid issues in the future. Call us at 1-800-768-6911 or book an appointment online.