Kitchen Sink Problems

Kitchen sink problems: everyone with a kitchen will experience it someday. Have you ever thought how many problems can occur in a kitchen sink? Well, there are many. Most common are for example faucet problems, like water dripping, water drain problems, stinky odours and garbage disposal problems. No matter how well the kitchen sink is installed, at some point, something is going to break down or cause you some issues that you need to deal with it.  Even the smallest issue can’t be ignored for a long time, otherwise, it may cause some other problems in the future. On the other hand, just a simple task like doing the pots, will just make you upset. So instead of straight away hiring a professional, you might sometimes try to fix some small problems by yourself. It will take your time and money with result that may not go the way you want it. You might end up making it worse than it was. So, we are here to help you, with those problems, giving you simple solutions.

Kitchen sink problems

Kitchen sink durability:

Durability in every kitchen sink is different. In cases when you are not buying the right kitchen sink for the need you have, it may break, making permanent damage. In our days, materials from which a kitchen sink is made of, may differ, like: granite, porcelain, copper and stainless steel. When in the past, the most commonly used were stainless steel. Well still in our days, in professional kitchens stainless steel is still being used, cause it’s is easier to clean, and it can’t crack or break when putting very hot water into it. A kitchen sink you can’t really maintain, apart of course from having it clean and tidy, but you might get serious damage on the surface from chemicals you are using on it. And we are not talking about washing up liquid. In some cases, you might need to pour stronger chemicals down the drains or use stronger degreasers to clean pans. Make sure you read the manufacturer’s instructions very carefully before using the chemical and have good knowledge of your kitchen’s sink durability on them. If you are not sure do not hesitate to contact us.

kitchen sink problems

Kitchen sink faucet problems and diverter problems:

Faucet or sprayer, no matter what you use, at some point they might break down. Even when they have a warranty for 5 years, well it is unlikely that the manufacturer will replace it unless it was dysfunctional from the beginning. Most common problems on a faucet or a sprayer are: leaking water from the side, dripping water from the sprout of the faucet or the sprayer, hard operating handle. For water leaks, it may be a problem with the diverter.

In any case, before you get to work to start repairing make sure you cut off the water supply. In the best case, you will end up getting soaked. After doing that, unscrew the faucet. You might be able to do it with bare hands by turning the faucet reverse-clockwise, or by using an Allen wrench on the back of the faucet. It is time to have a deeper look at it. It is nothing complicated. The first thing to do is check for rusty parts. Remove the rust from them without damaging them. Good thing to use on it to help you with rust is applying baking soda on it and scrubbing with a metal sponge. Rinse it with water, dry it off and reassemble it. Is the water leaking case from the bottom of the faucet? It may be the cause of the diverter. The diverter is at the bottom of the faucet. With the diverter issue there is nothing to fix, apart from changing it into a new one. Good thing to do since you dissembled it, is to replace the old pipe rings into new ones.

Kitchen sink sprayer problems:

Kitchen sink sprayer is very useful and economical for rinsing the plates. However, can cause problems. Most common issues are leaking water and low pressure. The first thing to do is to identify what is causing it. In the low-pressure case, the problem might be with the diverter. Check if the water pressure in the faucet is as usual. If yes, then you need to change the diverter (Kitchen sink faucet and diverter problems). If not, well all you have to is to replace it. Replacing it is pretty easy. With your hands unscrew the sprayer’s head reverse-clockwise and pull off the rubber ring. Remove the metal clip by using a pointy tool, then remove the bottom part of the sprayer. Put the new bottom part, put the clip back on, the new rubber ring and screw clockwise the new sprayer’s head back on. The replacement also goes for the sprayer’s water leaking problem.

Kitchen sink pressure/ water flow problems:

Problems with water pressure in the kitchen sink? First of all, you must identify that is really a problem with the kitchen faucet. So check the rest of the taps in the house if they work properly. Well if not, they may be doing some works on the water supply in the area, so is nothing you can do about it. If yes, then the issue is with the kitchen faucet. Do not worry, because it is not an actual problem if you have it as soon as possible sorted. It can be just really annoying. Trying to do the pots with water coming like out from a straw. Is better to have higher water flow and control it as you please, isn’t it? The thing that is causing it is that something is inside the faucet, blocking the flow. Well, in this case, the task is very simple. By using a tool (preferable flier) unscrew the ending part of the water faucet sprout (faucet aerator). Make sure you clean it properly. Check the tiny holes if they are blocked. If yes, use a needle to unblock them. Rinse it and screw it back on its place. Most of the times it works. However, if the problem continues, you have to replace it. For any further help about kitchen faucets and sprayers regarding not being able to fix it yourselves, please contact us, and we will gladly be of further assistance to you.

Kitchen sink odour problems:

Were there times when you were going into the kitchen and you experienced a horrible stinky smell? The first thing that comes to your mind is probably some vegetables or fruits, which had been left over outside, has gone off. Well, most of the times that is not the problem. The real problem is in the kitchen sink, even when it is perfectly clean. Pieces of food are down in the drains, have been build up in the drain under the sink and is starting to decompose with that horrible smell coming right into your house. In this case, the best thing to do, is to not use the sink for a while. Pour down in the holes carefully bicarbonate soda and then pour down vinegar. After the vinegar, the best thing to do is leaving it overnight, and have a fresh air supply in the kitchen. This should help to get rid of the bad odours in the kitchen sink.

Kitchen sink drainage problems:

At some point, you might experience problems with the water drainage. The water is being drained slowly or is clogged. Usually, the main problem is the drain under the sink. One thing to do is to use a blower by applying to the kitchen sink hole and moving it up and down should do the trick. But this one has made the problem for a short time, sorted. Most of the times the place which has been blocked is the U-shaped pipe or the water strainer under the sink. Make sure you don’t use the sink at this time. Place a bowl under the drains (you don’t want to make a mess everywhere). By twisting reverse-clockwise, you should be able to unscrew it. It should be very dirty, so get ready for stinky smells. Clean it well and put it back at the right place. Good thing to do is apply Teflon tape between the connection. After that everything might be fine. This should have fixed the drainage problem. But in case if you use the tape not right it can lead to water dripping from the connection.  However, if you are not satisfied, it means that the pipes are blocked deeper, which will make your life even harder and we do not recommend to do it by yourselves. On the other side, you can try to sort it out on your own by pouring bicarbonate soda down the drains. Then pour down vinegar and leave it overnight. If nothing works, contact us, and we will give you further assistance.

Kitchen sink venting problems:

Does it make it harder to drain the water and at the same time are coming bubbles from the hole in the sink? In this case, you have a problem with the air venting in the kitchen sink. Problems with the air venting system in the kitchen sink are less usual, but at the same time serious cause you end up making a mess everywhere with all the food that has been poured down the drains. The first thing to do is to identify the type of air venting system in your sink. Most common is to be connected with a pipe on the side of the sink and down the drain. This type is less likely to make problems, but if it does it mean that something is blocking it. Remove the pipe by unscrewing reverse-clockwise, clean it from inside and put it back in its place. The other type, however, is a small part connected on the side of the drains under the kitchen, pointing up. With this one is not much you can do apart from changing it. Unscrew it, place the new one back on and screw it back. This should have fixed the problem.

Double kitchen sink drain problems:

Do you use a double kitchen sink? Are you using just one part for washing pots and the second part for drying the dishes? Or you wash pots in one compartment and rinse in the other? In any case, a drain problem may show up. Before you do anything, check first where is blocked. Is it blocked in just one part or both of them? If just one, for example the left one, it means the place which is blocked is before the pipes from both sinkholes connect together to get the water down the drain. If both, which is most common, it is after the pipes connection. If the pipes are blocked, they are usually blocked at corner pipes or U-shaped pipes. After identifying the problem, unscrew the pipes reverse-clockwise, clean them from inside. Before connecting them back on, make sure you apply teflon tape on the connections. If the water is still not being drained, contact us for further assistance.

Plumbing problems under the kitchen sink:

The most common problems under the sink are leaking problems. It can happen after wrong maintenance, or accidentally by hitting the pipes, so they became lose or broken. After all, the material is usually just a plastic. By sorting out this problem, you will have to identify where the leak is coming from. Best thing to do that is by having the tap running and with a dry cloth check the pipes for possible leaks. As soon as you have found the issue, turn off the tap, place a big bowl under the sink and unscrew reverse-clockwise the pipes. Clean the place where the pipes are connected, apply Teflon tape and screw the pipes back in. Have the water running to double-check if the pipes are still leaking. If the pipes are still leaking, probably means that the Teflon tape was not applied properly (you just need a small amount around the pipe which is being inserted), or the connecting ring is loose. If you are not able to fix it by yourself, contact us and we will gladly be of further assistance to you. You can still use the sink to wash the pots though. Just make sure you have the bowl still under the sink and you keep an eye on it, in case it will fill up.

Ikea kitchen sink plumbing problems:

Like most of the kitchen sinks plumbing problems, same goes with the ones from Ikea. The difference, however, is that the Ikea ones, they have a pipe connected horizontally to the water strainer. The water strainer is placed right under the kitchen sink. It is more likely to cause you issues with water drainage since it makes it easier for small pieces of food to be left in there and clog the water. The trick with soda and vinegar shouldn’t be able to help you with the blocked water strainer. Although, a blower might do the job just fine. If it doesn’t work, you need to remove the water strainer by unscrewing it reverse-clockwise, clean it properly, then screw it back on.  Well, if this is not the problem you are facing, but having leaking under the sink, you should try to sort it out as soon as possible. First thing – identify where the problem is located. Open the tap and check where the water is leaking. As soon as you have found it unscrew the place where it is leaking by twisting it reverse-clockwise and check for any damage around there. Wipe it dry, apply slightly Teflon tape on it and screw it back together tightly. Nowadays, the pipes under the sink should be screwed and unscrewed by bare hands, so try to avoid tools, in order to prevent other damage. If you are not able to fix it, we are here to help you.

Kitchen sink soap dispenser problems:

Having problems with the soap dispenser in the kitchen sink?  You press it but no liquid is coming out when at the same time is for sure filled? Or is it when you press it, it stays down and comes up very slowly? There are cases when you buy a new soap with higher concentration than usual, which is hard to get pumped, so if you changed the soap you’ve been using this might be the problem. Just add some water in the soap, mix it well and it should be fine. Similar but not the same can be caused after some time with old soap that has been solidified and is blocking the dispenser. Remove the head, and put it in a bowl with hot water for around an hour. Rinse it and check. Another possibility, if the above are not the issues here, then the problem is in the pumping device. Remove the head of the soap dispenser and rinse it well, so it will be not slippery. Try to open the head, so you can have a deeper look inside, where the spring lays. If the spring looks just fine or you cannot get any access to it then the soap dispenser needs to be replaced.

Undermount kitchen sink problems:

Recently it has become fashion to install undermount kitchen sinks. Do you have one at home? You need to read this before you take any further action with fixing it by yourself. Undermount kitchen sinks are very practical because they have been installed under the surface. However, not every surface material is able to hold it in position for a long time. Vibration from garbage disposal and the weight of too many plates in it can cause the silicon to come off and sometimes the clips, which are holding the sink in position. If you notice that something from the above is not right you must take immediate action to prevent further damage. If it has been installed lately, report the issue to the company which has installed the kitchen for you. If they will not be of any help, contact us and we would be happy to assist you. We do not recommend to try to sort this problem out by yourself, because you may cause permanent damage to the sink.

Kitchen sink garbage disposal problems:

The garbage disposal is one of the most useful appliances in your kitchen sink. It destroys the pieces of leftovers and with this method possible drain problems are being eliminated. But it can break down. What is the problem you are facing with the garbage disposal?

One of the problems with the garbage disposal is that doesn’t work. If it won’t turn on, check on the switchboard if the switch is turned on. If the switch is on and doesn’t work, unplug the disposal and check underneath of it. You will see a red button. Press the red button and check if it stays inside. Plug it back in and check if it works.

Another and very common problem, is that the garbage disposal has been jammed. At some point, something might have been dropped inside the garbage disposal, like a small spoon or pieces of a broken plate. Before you take any action, make sure you cut off the power supply. Have a look at the bottom of the garbage disposal under the sink. You will see in the middle an Allen wrench fitting hole. By using the right Allen wrench, move the wrench back and forward, till you can feel that it is moving easier. Press the red button and make sure you remove the parts that are jamming the disposal. Plug it back in and check it.

The last problem you can face is leaking from the side or the top of the garbage disposal. If the leaking comes from the top, that means that the connecting parts have gone loose. So before you start identify the place which is leaking make sure the flanges are mounted properly on the pipes. Take a screwdriver and tighten the bolts on the flanges. It should have the leaking fixed.

Was this article of any help? If you can’t fix the problem with the help we have provided, contact us and we would be happy to help you.

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