It might seem harmless to rinse a few scraps of food down the kitchen sink or pour leftover cooking oil into the drain. After all, it disappears down the plughole, so what could possibly go wrong?

Unfortunately, quite a lot.

At Smooth Systems Plumbing, we regularly attend to blocked kitchen waste lines, and a surprising number of these blockages are caused by things that simply should never have gone down the drain in the first place.

Rice is a bigger problem than you might think

One of the most common misconceptions is that small food particles, such as rice, are harmless because they are soft and can easily wash away.

This month alone, we have already had two separate call-outs to unblock kitchen waste lines where rice was found to be the cause of the blockage.

In both cases, the blockages ended up costing the homeowners a fair amount of money to resolve.

Rice can absorb water and swell, while other food particles can collect around it. Once enough material builds up inside the waste pipe, water can no longer flow freely. What started as “just a little rice down the sink” can eventually result in a completely blocked kitchen waste line.

And unfortunately, the blockage doesn’t always happen immediately. You may continue using the sink for days or even weeks before the problem becomes noticeable.

Cooking oil and fat can create an even bigger problem

Cooking oil, grease and fats are another major cause of kitchen drain blockages.

When hot oil is poured down the sink, it may initially flow easily through the pipe. As it cools, however, it can stick to the inside of the waste pipe.

Over time, more grease, food particles and other debris can stick to this layer. The opening inside the pipe gradually becomes smaller until water struggles to get through.

Eventually, you could be left with:

• A slow-draining kitchen sink
• Water backing up into the sink
• Unpleasant smells coming from the drain
• Gurgling sounds from the waste line
• A completely blocked kitchen waste pipe

And once a blockage has become established inside the pipe, simply pouring boiling water or a drain cleaner down the sink isn’t necessarily going to solve the problem.

So, what should you do with food waste?

The easiest solution is also the most effective: keep food out of your drains.

Before washing dishes, scrape leftover food into your rubbish bin or keep in a container in the freezer until bin day or compost where appropriate. Even small amounts can accumulate over time.

A sink strainer or basket is also a simple and inexpensive way of catching food particles before they enter the waste pipe.

Things such as:

• Rice
• Pasta
• Coffee grounds
• Vegetable peelings
• Food scraps
• Flour
• Eggshells
• Grease and fat

should not be intentionally washed down your kitchen sink.

What should you do with leftover cooking oil?

Never pour cooking oil, fat or grease down the sink.

Instead, allow the oil to cool and place it in a suitable container before disposing of it with your household waste, according to your local waste-disposal options.

For small amounts of grease left in a pan, wipe the pan out with paper towel before washing it.

It may take an extra 30 seconds, but that is considerably cheaper than paying a plumber to deal with a blocked waste line.

A little prevention can save you a lot of money

Drain blockages are often preventable.

The two kitchen blockages we attended to this month are a good reminder that something as ordinary as rice can end up causing an expensive plumbing problem when it is repeatedly washed down the kitchen sink.

Your kitchen sink waste pipe is designed to carry wastewater — not food waste, cooking oil and leftovers.

Taking a few simple precautions can help keep your waste pipes flowing properly and save you the inconvenience and expense of an emergency plumbing call-out.

If your kitchen sink is draining slowly, backing up or giving off unpleasant smells, don’t wait for it to become a complete blockage. Contact Smooth Systems Plumbing and let us help you get the problem sorted before it gets worse.