Top 5 Kitchen Plumbing Nightmares

Regular maintenance and inspection of your kitchen can help prevent kitchen plumbing nightmares, but there are certain problems that may seem small that should be looked at by a professional. Do it yourself is great for general maintenance, but if it is done wrong, there are often major consequences. With a professional, you know that your plumbing problem will be fixed and will not become one of the following most common kitchen nightmares.

1. 1. Water Damage

      When faucets leak, this often means that the washers inside of the pipes are worn down, warped, or torn and water is moving through them. This can be complicated to fix by yourself without the proper tools and if left unchecked, the leaks may corrode your pipes as well as drive up your water bill.

   2. Mold

      The leak also has the potential to cause water damage in the kitchen and cause mold. If leaking faucets are left unchecked, they will cause you to need to replace rotten wood and your pipes. Also, if you try to replace any rotten wood yourself, there is a chance you may also damage your pipes, making the problem worse.

   3. Clogged Sink Drains

      Though commercial drain cleaners can help clear out any food debris that has been left to accumulate in the drains, the cleaners have chemicals that will be damaging to the pipes over time. If you have needed to routinely use commercial drain cleaners, it may be time to call a plumber to clear out the clog as well as check for any damage the cleaners may have caused.

   4. Clogged Garbage Disposal

      Objects other than food in your garbage disposal can damage the blades and the motors. You also need to be careful with certain foods. For example, more fibrous food waste like corn husks and potato peels can clog the disposal or create a paste that will prevent the blades from moving. You know your disposal is clogged if there is a humming sound. If you keep pulling out foreign objects from the disposal with tweezers and that is not helping the problem, it would be useful to have a professional examine the clog before it gets worse.

   5. Pipe Corrosion

      Pipe corrosion can be prevented by regular inspection of the pipes and calling in a professional to fix the problem before it spreads and worsens. For example, the oxygen in the water causes damage to the pipes over time by gradually rusting the metal. As a result, impure substances are deposited into the pipes and the buildup leads to clogging and damage. Minerals in the water also contribute to corrosion. In areas where there is more calcium in the water, pipes are more likely to corrode quicker because of the calcium deposits that build up in the pipes. The directions of the pipes can also lead to corrosion. Pipes that are structured with many bends and elbows have greater potential for damage because water gets trapped.

Though DIY projects may be appealing in that they will seem to save money, in the long run, the problems listed above may cause such severe damage to your kitchen and piping system that it will be necessary to call a plumber. If you wait too long, the cost will be much greater than if you catch the problem early.