Keep Your Kitchen Flowing

The sink, garbage disposal and dishwasher are interconnected. Use these tips and simple fixes to stop slowdowns.

- BY FAMILY HANDYMAN EDITORS

How do I know when my drains need cleaning?

Use your senses—sight, smell and hearing—to detect when drains need cleaning. Here are some common signs:

You hear the drain gurgling.

A partial clog in a sink, tub or shower drain can restrict water flow just enough to trap air, which bubbles up out of the drain and creates the gurgling sound. This is a good opportunity to use an enzyme-based drain cleaner. Follow the instructions on the container and stop using the drain for several hours to give it time to work its magic.

You smell unsavory odors.

If you can't pinpoint the source of a musty or unpleasant odor, it could be coming from a drain. Stinky clogs tend to be close to the drain opening because if they’re deeper in the pipes, the water in the P-trap blocks the odor.

You see standing water.

Whether it’s in a sink, bathtub or shower, or on the basement floor, standing water is a sure sign of a complete drain clog. When you see it in a plumbing fixture drain, the clog is most often in the P-trap, but it could also be deeper in the pipes. Usually this type of clog can be cleared with a plunger or a snake. If the P-trap is accessible, it’s often best to disassemble it and actually clean it out.

Q: Does the dishwasher really need to use all that hot water?