Kitchen plumbing problems often keep coming back because the underlying cause has not been dealt with, rather than because each repair failed. Common reasons include shared wastes that are under strain, a build-up of grease in the pipework, pipes that are knocked or poorly supported, and connections that were not set up well in the first place.
Looking at the kitchen plumbing as a whole can help find the real cause. A repair that only treats the symptom may not last if something else is driving the problem.
Shared Wastes Under Strain
In many kitchens, the sink, dishwasher and washing machine all drain through the same waste pipe. If that pipe is partly restricted, or was not designed for the amount of water passing through it, problems can return. You may notice slow drainage, gurgling, smells or water appearing in the sink when an appliance empties.
Clearing the sink may help for a while, but the problem may return if the shared waste is the real issue. The way appliance hoses are connected to the waste can also play a part, for example if a hose sits too low or is pushed too far into a standpipe.
Grease and Food Build-Up
Fat, oil and grease can cool and stick inside kitchen waste pipes, catching food and other waste. Even after a blockage is cleared, a layer may remain and build up again. Keeping fats out of the sink and using a strainer can help, but older build-up may need dealing with further along the pipe.
Pipework Under Strain or Poorly Fitted
Recurring leaks under the sink can also come from different places each time, such as a waste joint one month and a tap connection the next. This can make it seem like the same problem when it is not.
Kitchen cupboards are often used for storage, so pipes and valves can be knocked. Pipes that are not well supported can move each time water runs, which may loosen joints over time.
Connections that were rushed or made with mismatched parts during a previous kitchen fit may keep leaking until they are put right. Older pipework may also be reaching the point where repeated repairs are less practical. This depends on what is found.
Getting to the Root Cause
If you keep having the same problem, keep a note of when it happens, what was done last time and which fixtures or appliances are involved. This can help a plumber see the pattern.
If the problem is limited to one sink, our blocked sink page may be more relevant. For problems that seem to involve several parts of the kitchen, our page on professional kitchen plumbing explains how kitchen pipework and connections are assessed.
If plumbing problems keep returning in your Poole kitchen, a plumber can look at the whole set-up and explain what may be causing them.