How do you clear a blocked kitchen drain?
A blocked kitchen drain is usually grease and food scraps. Hot water, then bicarbonate and vinegar, is enough for a light blockage. Stop if water backs up or a smell appears.
Written by: Ajeer team
2 minute read
Why do kitchen drains block?
Oil, rice, and coffee grounds stick to the pipe wall, layer after layer. Cold water sets the grease instead of moving it, so the drain slows down before it stops. That is different from a leak under the sink: a leak wets the cabinet, and a blockage keeps water in the basin.
What should you try before calling a plumber?
- • Lift out visible food scraps, and do not pour oil down the sink.
- • Run hot water, not boiling water on an exposed plastic pipe, for a minute.
- • Add half a cup of bicarbonate, then a cup of vinegar. Cover the drain and wait fifteen minutes.
- • Run hot water again. If it drains, repeat only once on the same day.
- • Do not use a strong acid or a metal wire inside the pipe.
When should you stop and book a technician?
Stop if water stays in the sink, a smell comes from another basin, or the blockage returns within days. The blockage is usually past the trap. Book Ajeer plumbing. If the smell is in the water itself rather than the drain, read how to clean and disinfect a water tank. How the visit price and warranty work is in how to estimate a maintenance cost.
Do vinegar and bicarbonate clear a kitchen drain?
They clear a light grease blockage. They do not clear a solid blockage, or one that comes back in more than one sink.
Should I use a drain acid?
No. A strong acid damages pipes and skin, and it can react with a product already in the pipe. If hot water and vinegar do not work, book a plumber.
When does a kitchen drain need a plumber?
When water backs up into the sink, a smell comes from more than one drain, or the blockage returns within days. Book Ajeer plumbing. The price is shown before you confirm.
Related articles
Keep reading our experts' tips for cheaper, simpler home care
General cleaningHow do you clean and disinfect a water tank?
Do not drink from the tank if the water is cloudy, smells, or has an insect in it. Empty the tank, wash it, and rinse it. A closed ground tank is a job for a cleaning crew.
TipsHow do you estimate a maintenance cost before the technician arrives?
The maintenance cost is the price shown in the Ajeer app before you confirm. That is the price at the door unless you agree to extra work. The golden warranty covers the same fault for 30 days.
