Why kitchen sinks clog
A kitchen drain carries more than water. Cooking oil and fat go down warm and liquid, then cool and coat the inside of the pipe. Coffee grounds, rice, pasta and eggshells stick to that coating. Soap adds to it. Over months and years the opening closes up until one day the sink stops draining. The clog you see is the last inch of a pipe that has been narrowing for a long time.
What your sink is telling you
- One bowl is slow. The blockage is near that bowl, often in the trap.
- Both bowls back up, or water comes up the other side. The clog is past where the two drains join, in the wall or beyond.
- The sink backs up when the dishwasher runs. Same place: the shared drain line.
- The disposal hums and the sink will not drain. It may be the disposal and not the pipe. See garbage disposal repair.
- The kitchen sink and the laundry back up together. In many homes they share a line, and that line is blocked.
- It gurgles and smells. A partial blockage that is on its way to a full one.
How we clear it
We find where the blockage is and clear it with a cable. For a line that is coated with grease along its length, opening a hole is not enough. It will close again in weeks. Hydro jetting scours the grease off the pipe wall and leaves the line close to its full size. We tell you which your kitchen line needs.
While we are under the sink we check the trap, the disposal connection and the dishwasher hose, since each is a common place for trouble.
Older kitchens
In Hayward homes from the 1940s to the 60s, the kitchen drain is often galvanized steel or cast iron. Those pipes rust and roughen inside, which grabs grease faster. If a kitchen line keeps clogging however well it is cleaned, the pipe itself may need replacing. We will show you why before suggesting it.
Where we work
We are based in Hayward and clear kitchen drains across the city (94541, 94542, 94544, 94545) and the East Bay. Restaurants and commercial kitchens: see commercial plumbing.
About Friendly Services
Family-owned, with over 20 years in Hayward. License CSLB #1156315 (C-36 plumbing). $1M general liability cover and workers' comp. Five-year workmanship warranty on our own work. 100+ five-star reviews online. Se habla español.