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You turn on the kitchen sink to wash your plates, but notice that the water level is quickly rising. Oh no! It appears that your kitchen sink is clogged once again. You have one of several options: wait for the water level to slowly drop, grab yourself some drain cleaning chemicals or call a plumber to come over for a drain cleaning service.

While it’s not unusual for drains to get clogged once or twice in a blue moon, it shouldn’t happen regularly. You shouldn’t be calling for a drain cleaning service in Mansfield, TX once a week or even once a month. In fact, the drain cleaning service should be reserved for regular maintenance. Cleaning your drains every once in a while will ensure that your plumbing lasts longer and that you run into fewer plumbing issues in the future.

If your kitchen sinks are constantly getting clogged, you’re doing something wrong. Here are the 5 most common reasons for clogged kitchen sinks.

#1. You’re Tossing Food Waste Down the Drain

One of the most common reasons that kitchen sinks are getting clogged is that you’re throwing food waste down them. If you’re constantly throwing food waste down the drain, you’re going to need to call in a drain cleaning service much more frequently than you’d like. Try to recycle all your food waste, and whenever possible, avoid tossing anything down the drain. The only type of food waste that should ever go down the drain is the small bits and pieces that you scrub off of your plates.

5 of the Most Common Food Wastes that Cause a Lot of Damage

“It’s just a little bit of pasta and/or rice!” This is a common thing that many plumbers hear when they perform a drain cleaning service at a client’s home. The truth of the matter is that even a little bit of food waste can cause a whole buttload of trouble. Here are 5 of the most common food wastes that people throw down the drain that cause a lot of damage to their garbage disposal:

• Vegetable peels and fruit skins. So many people will peel their fruits and vegetables right over the kitchen sink and expect the garbage disposal to take care of the rest. Unfortunately, peels and skins can easily get caught around the blades of your garbage disposal and prevent them from working properly. If you have to get rid of vegetable peels and fruit skins this way, make sure that you only toss a small quantity at a time and that you run cold water down the sink while you’re doing it.

• Pasta and rice. The starches in pasta and rice can easily stick to the garbage disposal and prevent it from working. These items can also stick to the surface of the plumbing. Overtime, the starches will harden and become almost impossible to remove without drain cleaners or a drain cleaning service. 

• Bones. Sure, your garbage disposal may be able to handle the odd bone or two; however, if you’re going to throw multiple bones down the garbage disposal, you run the risk of dulling the blades and jamming your garbage disposal. Eventually, this will exhaust the motor.

• Fatty or greasy foods. Many homeowners are guilty of throwing bacon grease or other fats down the garbage disposal. While your garbage disposal may be able to get rid of large chunks of foods, it’s not going to do a lot of damage on fatty items. These will stick to the surface of the plumbing and cause a lot of damage.

• Eggshells. Grind the eggshells down to a sand-like consistency and your garbage disposal will be done. The ground up eggshells will stick to the blades, the surface of the plumbing and on any crevice it comes in contact with.

To prevent needing drain cleaning services in Mansfield, TX on a regular basis, be mindful of what you throw down the sink.

#2. Soap Scum Accumulates Inside the Drain

Take a good look at the type of soap that you use. There’s a good chance that the soap that you use is the problem. Many people don’t realize this because many professionals tell you to simply let soapy water run down the drain to clean it; however, the truth of the matter is that the fats inside soap can sometimes react with the mineral inside water and become soap scum. Soap scum is difficult to remove, and can wreak havoc on your plumbing system.

So, what you can do to diagnose this problem and how do you fix it? You’ll need an expert to take a look at the inside of your drains to see whether soap scum is the problem. During your regular drain cleaning service, most plumbers will tell you whether your plumbing looks like it’s in decent shape or whether something looks a bit off. If soap scum is causing your clogs, you’re going to need more than a standard drain cleaning service. In fact, you’re going to need to get the inside of your pipes pressure cleaned.

To prevent soap scum, you should highly consider switching to a different brand of soap or you should highly consider doing soap free washes. Keep in mind that soap scum is created by combining the fats in soap with minerals, like calcium carbonate. Due to this reason, you might also be able to make a dent on soap scum accumulation by installing a filtration system for your home. You’ll need fewer drain cleaning services throughout the year.

Is It True that Liquid Soap Will Not Result in Soap Scum?

There’s a huge misconception that only bar soap will cause soap scum. Some people think that if soap scum is caused by the fat inside soap, then liquid soap wouldn’t result in soap scum. This could not be further from the truth. Liquid soap can cause just as much soap scum as bar soap. It really doesn’t make that much of a difference, and you’ll still need to get a drain cleaning service in Mansfield, TX to come to your home.

Some people have noted that some of the more natural soaps have helped them, but there really isn’t any hard evidence for this. If you’re struggling with soap scum, you might want to play around with using different brands and types of soap to see whether one of them is simply better for your plumbing system. Results can vary from house to house.

#3. Maybe, It’s Your Water Supply

You don’t necessarily need soap to create a blockage. The minerals in your water supply can do that perfectly on their own without any help. If your water supply contains a lot of minerals, these minerals can buildup inside the plumbing and become a hardened plaque. This plaque is also incredibly difficult to remove, and you might want to consider pressure cleaning the inside of your drains with the drain cleaning service.

To prevent the minerals in your water from continuing to create a hassle for you and your household, you should consider installing a filtration system. Our plumbers can install a more complex and well-rounded filtration system that takes care of your entire plumbing system; however, if you’re looking for a quick fix, you can always install a water softener at the tap or something simpler. Give our experts some idea of what you’re looking for — as well as your budget — and they’ll be able to recommend a reasonable solution for you.

The Benefits of Installing a Water Softener

Installing a water softener may not be just a good idea for your plumbing, but it can also offer you many additional benefits that you may not have considered before. For example, a water softener may help you get cleaner and shinier dishes. Less minerals in the water will also mean that the water will be more gentle on your hands. This is especially important for those who have sensitive or dry skin. They’ll usually find that they’ll have softer skin after installing a water softener. If you drink water from the tap, you’ll also have cleaner and more purified water just by installing a water softener. Some people even claim that they can taste the difference.

Another main benefit of installing a water softener is that you can expect your plumbing to last longer. Many people claim that hard water will erode the surface of the plumbing and decrease its overall lifespan.

All in all, most people would agree that a water softener is a relatively cheap investment to make. It comes with many benefits, and will usually last you for quite some time. If you are interested in installing a water softener or some other type of filtration system, talk to one of our experts. They’ll be able to walk you through the pros and cons of different models and brands, and help you choose one that’s suitable for your needs and budget. You’ll save a significant amount of money that you’d otherwise spent on drain cleaning services.

#4. There’s Too Much Dirt

It’s funny because a lot of people believe that you can wash away as much dirt as you want in the kitchen sink. Where else would you clean your hands after gardening outside or playing with your kids? Unfortunately, too much dirt can also cause a lot of issues to your plumbing and may require you to need extra drain cleaning services.

Dirt can easily build up inside the crevices of your drains and cause clogs. This is especially true when you combine things like soap, food waste and hair into the mix. There isn’t an easy fix to this. Our plumbers will usually recommend using a cleaning auger to diagnose the problem and then using different cleaning solutions to remove the blockage.

You should always try to rinse your hands outside with the garden hose before coming inside. Don’t wash huge chunks of soil or dirt down the drain if it’s not necessary. It’ll cause a huge problem. It’s also easy for small dirt particles to get stuck in the crevices of some plumbing, and these small particles can be difficult to remove even with a professional drain cleaning service.

#5. There’s Something Stuck Inside

Last but not least, if you’re constantly running into a clogged drain, there’s a chance that you simply have something stuck inside the drain somewhere. Maybe, you accidentally washed down a kitchen tool or maybe your kids threw one of their toy trains down the drain. Either way, small objects can easily get stuck inside the nooks and turns of drains and clog the water flow.

The best way to solve this problem is to call in a professional. You probably don’t have a plumber’s snake readily available nor do you have the equipment needed to extract the item even if you were able to find it. This might require some extra effort and time, and you might need to schedule more time in your day to accommodate the drain cleaning service. It can take some time to locate the stuck item.

If small objects are constantly finding their way into your plumbing and it’s becoming a huge problem, then you should highly consider installing one of those nets that catch most large items and objects. This could be a huge time saver for your household and could substantially decrease the amount of drain cleaning services that is needed.

Contact Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Fort Worth for Drain Cleaning Services

Are you in need of some drain cleaning services? Contact Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Fort Worth for all of your plumbing needs. You can give us a call at 817-983-7876 if you’re looking for a plumber in the Fort Worth area or 817-478-4119 if you’re looking for a plumber in the Arlington area. Our plumbers will also service Mansfield, TX as well as many other cities. If you’re not available to give us a call at the moment, simply fill in this form online and we’ll get back to you!

We offer emergency plumbing services for both large and small jobs. Our plumbers have excellent track records and can offer you high quality work at affordable prices. We have many awesome reviews and many happy clients. Rest assured that you’re in good hands!