Brooks Plumbing Co. Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Kitchen Plumbing’

The Holidays Are Coming! Protect Your Plumbing!

Monday, November 11th, 2019

It’s hard to believe that the Holidays are just around the corner! Before you know it, you’ll be gathering around the table with friends and family, fighting strangers for the ultimate shopping deals, and eating lots and lots of food!

Of course, all this excitement can take quite a toll on your home, specifically your plumbing system! But don’t worry just yet — we are here to help! Below, we have given you some tips on how to protect your plumbing system throughout the Holiday Season. All you’ve got to do is keep reading to find out more and of course, remember to call us when you need a plumber in Tumwater, WA!

Tags: Bathroom Plumbing, Kitchen Plumbing, Plumbing Maintenance, Plumbing Repair, Tumwater
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Never Ignore a Leaky Kitchen Sink

Monday, March 4th, 2019

Of course, the sound of constant dripping can be quite annoying, but isn’t easier to just tune it out? It may be easy to brush off as “no big deal”, however, a leaky kitchen sink is never something to ignore. Your kitchen sink is pushed to its limits every day, and we often take for granted just how much it can endure. You utilize it for everyday washing, cooking, cleaning, and drinking, making it the most used faucet in your home. But, this repeated use can quickly create problems in the faucet mechanism, leading to a problematic drip.

If your kitchen faucet is leaking, do not hesitate to contact a professional plumber in Yelm. A leaky kitchen sink can lead to serious problems, including water damage to your home and property. Plus, any leak is extremely wasteful, which can cause monthly water bills to sky-rocket. In case you aren’t yet convinced, we have outlined some of the reasons why you need to call a plumber ASAP. Keep reading below to learn more.

Tags: Kitchen Plumbing, Plumbing Repair, Yelm
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How Do You Treat Your Kitchen Plumbing?

Monday, April 2nd, 2018

More specifically, how do you treat your garbage disposal? This is arguably one of the greatest plumbing innovations to make its way into homes, making cooking and cleanup must more convenient and allowing for less waste in the trash can. The garbage disposal takes care of everything, right?

Well, not quite. There are a few common misconceptions about garbage disposals that unfortunately lead many homeowners to treat their garbage disposal the wrong way. And while you might not have a problem right away, if you continue to abuse your garbage disposal—albeit unintentionally—it’s going to eventually fail on you. To avoid trouble, take a look at the following misconceptions and explanations of how you should treat your disposal system.

Tags: Kitchen Plumbing, Olympia, Plumber
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Ways You May Be Mistreating Your Garbage Disposal

Monday, February 9th, 2015

These days, it’s nearly unthinkable to build or remodel a kitchen without a garbage disposal unit. The garbage disposal helps to keep your pipes clear of clogs and it makes your work in the kitchen a lot easier.

The problem is that many people don’t actually treat their garbage disposals correctly. You may unintentionally inflict damage upon your garbage disposal and even put your plumbing system at risk if you don’t take the proper steps to keep it in check.

For garbage disposal replacement, plumbing repair, or drain maintenance with a team of trusted professionals, call Brooks Plumbing today!

How NOT to use your disposal

The following common garbage disposal mistakes should be avoided at all costs.

Putting non-food items down the drain. The garbage disposal is not as powerful as some people give it credit for, and for good reason. Paper, plastic, rubber, and other materials simply don’t belong in the plumbing system, and your garbage disposal won’t be able to break them down effectively. Be sure to inform family members that items like cigarette butts and plastic wrappers belong in the trash instead.

Leaving large chunks of food as-is. Your garbage disposal motor may wear down from large pieces of food as well. The motor can become overworked, and you may find yourself hitting the reset button underneath the unit frequently, and, eventually, replacing it too soon.

Pouring F.O.G. into the drain. Fats, oils, and greases all seem fairly innocuous, but these can be detrimental to the pipes. F.O.G. actually hardens as it cools down. And when this happens, they’ll collect in your pipes, leading to clogs. Additional debris gathers and sticks to the F.O.G., and you may deal with a major drain clog that needs professional repairs.

Throwing in these common food substances. Some things to avoid putting in the drains include hard food items (seeds, pits, bones, and popcorn kernels, for example), fibrous foods like celery and potato skins, and expandable foods. Celery could wrap around the impellers of the disposer, so be sure to cut it up if you do feed it into the unit. Foods like rice and pasta may expand in the pipes and should be avoided at all costs.

Be sure to take care of your plumbing system and call the friendly folks at Brooks Plumbing today to service or replace your garbage disposal in Olympia.

Tags: Garbage Disposal Units, Kitchen Plumbing, Olympia, plumbing repairs
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Should You Include a Garbage Disposal with Your Kitchen Remodeling?

Monday, January 26th, 2015

If you’re remodeling a kitchen on a limited budget, you may look for ways that you can cut corners here and there. There are lots of ways to save money during a kitchen remodel, such as choosing an inexpensive tile, installing an energy efficient dishwasher and refrigerator, or focusing on only one area of the kitchen at a time. But one item that you cannot afford to skip over is the garbage disposal unit.

At Brooks Plumbing, we recommend you work with a contractor throughout your kitchen remodeling project so that you don’t end up missing out on any necessary plumbing equipment. Call us for your next Olympia remodeling project.

Misconceptions about the Need for Garbage Disposals

There are a couple of different misconceptions about garbage disposals that lead some homeowners—and even a few contractors—to believe that garbage disposal installation isn’t always needed. Some people think that a garbage disposal is simply unnecessary since drains seem to clog anyway or because the motor often gets stuck, but this generally happens only when you misuse the disposal.

The second misconception is that you can always install a garbage disposal later on. Attempting to save money now by leaving garbage disposal installation for another time still puts your plumbing system at risk. Even if you put in a temporary drain trap, this won’t necessarily prevent all foods from moving down the drain. Garbage disposals break up food and even some fats and oils so that you won’t end up with a serious drainage issue on your hands.

How to Properly Care for Your Garbage Disposal

If you want to make sure your garbage disposal doesn’t run into problems later on, be sure to use a professional for installation. You should also avoid dumping certain items down the drain, including fibrous foods like celery, F.O.G. (fats, oils, and grease), expandable foods like pasta and rice, and hard foods like meat bones. Run the cold water while using the disposal so that any fat and oil that does manage to move into the sink can break up more easily. Of course, you should throw non-food items in the trash, and you should always try to break large chunks of food up first.

Professional garbage installation helps to protect your plumbing and makes food preparation and cleanup much easier. Call Brooks Plumbing today to work with a plumbing specialist on your Olympia kitchen remodeling.

Tags: garbage disposal installation, Kitchen Plumbing, Kitchen Remodeling
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How to Prevent Kitchen Plumbing Repair

Friday, October 31st, 2014

Waiting for a repair technician to fix your kitchen plumbing can be an unpleasant situation. Your plumber may try to show up as quickly as possible, but your dinner plans are already ruined, as you cannot properly drain wastewater, or because your kitchen sink does not provide adequate water pressure.

There are a few things you can do to keep things running smoothly in your kitchen. If you do find yourself in need of kitchen plumbing repairs in Olympia, call on the expertise of the skilled plumbers at Brooks Plumbing right away.

Dispose of F.O.G. in a separate trash receptacle. Fats, oils, and grease (F.O.G.) can cause a lot of problems for your plumbing even though they may appear to be harmless. When grease cools down it solidifies, and it may become stuck to the insides of your pipes. As you add additional F.O.G. and food of the garbage disposal, they can become caught along with the sludge, until a major drain clog forms.
Don’t use chemical drain cleaners in case of a clog. Any plumber will tell you that chemical drain cleaners are dangerous and can have disastrous effects for the skin and eyes. Also, these liquid cleaners are simply incapable of dissolving every type of blockage that may affect your drain pipes. If a plunger does not dislodge a kitchen plumbing clog, you need professionals with drain augers and other tools to clear away blockage for good.
Do not throw non-food items, hard food items, or fibrous foods in the garbage disposal. Plastic, paper, glass, metal, and hard-food items such as meat bones do not belong in your garbage disposal. Your unit simply cannot process these types of items and may break down in the process, so that you’ll need to replace your entire unit to avoid clogs. Additionally, fibrous foods like corn husks and celery can wrap around the blades, impairing your unit.
Schedule plumbing maintenance every year. Finally, be sure to schedule plumbing maintenance every year for a thorough inspection of your pipes and fixtures. Plumbers will look for any leaks that could reduce the water pressure of your kitchen sink and will clean and adjust components of your plumbing as needed.

If you need a plumber in Olympia, call the friendly technicians at Brooks Plumbing today!

Tags: Kitchen Plumbing, Olympia
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Plumber Tip: Common Kitchen Plumbing Problems

Thursday, May 16th, 2013

Indoor plumbing is one of the truly outstanding modern luxuries that homeowners enjoy. It is difficult for most of us to imagine living without running water and a piping system to dispose of wastewater. Every time you wash your hands, take a shower, do the laundry or use the toilet, you depending upon the success operation of you plumbing system. Like any other system in your home, your plumbing system is going to experience problems from time to time. Your kitchen plumbing in particular is heavily used and, frequently, abused. Here are some of the common kitchen plumbing problems that your Olympia, WA Plumbers at Brooks Plumbing deal with frequently.

Clogged kitchen drains are an extremely common problem that many homeowners have to deal with. In many cases, the causes of clogged drains can be traced directly back to improper use of those drains by the homeowner. It is very important to be mindful of the types of materials you allow to go down your kitchen drain. One important rule to remember is that not everything that is liquid can be safely poured into your kitchen sink. Grease and fat, for instance, are liquids when they are hot. When they get into your drain system, though, they will cool down. When they do, they coagulate and can trap other debris and food particles within your drain. This is a very common cause of clogged drains, and a frequent cause of unpleasant drain odor.

Another problem that many homeowners encounter with their kitchen plumbing is a broken down garbage disposal. Again, simply being a bit more mindful of what you attempt to put through your garbage disposal can help avoid this problem. In addition to grease and liquid fats, avoid putting very fibrous foods, such as celery and cornhusks, through your garbage disposal. They can tangle up in the blades and damage the motor. Very hard items, such as animal bones, should also be avoided.

If you have any issues with your kitchen plumbing, or if you have any questions about your plumbing in general, contact Brooks Plumbing today. A professional Olympia,WA Plumber on our team will be glad to help. Call us today for more details.

Tags: Kitchen Plumbing, Olympia, Plumbing
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