The Beginner's Guide to Kitchen Plumbing

The kitchen is probably the one room that is often seen as the heart of the home. Oddly enough, as important as the kitchen is to the modern family, it is the kitchen plumbing that is often overlooked. If you take the heart metaphor all the way, that would be like loving the heart but ignoring the veins and arms.

Truth be told, plumbing as a whole tends to be the kryptonite to of most homeowners as their just are not familiar with how it works and how to address it when something goes wrong. What's more, there is more to kitchen plumbing than just what you would find under the sink.

So, if you're a new homeowner and in need of a little guidance, you probably have a lot of questions. Though these questions could easily ramp up in terms of the seriousness, it is important to start small. As such, here is a basic beginner's guide to help you:

Create A Budget – This one's a little odd. It's not so much that you're budgeting in the same way as a remodeling project, but you always want to have a budget to work with in case something coming up with your kitchen plumbing. Between a dishwasher, garbage disposal, and a water line to the fridge, there is bound to be an issue at some point.

Proactive Maintenance – You may not know how to fix things, but take a look at connection points on pipes & inspect the length of pipes and tubing just to make sure you do not feel moisture. If you notice cracks or drips, it's time to get on the repair.

Turning Off the Water – When you run into an issue, and hopefully it's something small, you want to be sure you know how to turn the water off to your kitchen fixtures, namely the sink & dishwasher, but if you do have a water line to the fridge & it starts giving you problems, you want to know how the water turns off there, too. Even a little water where it should not be can be problematic. As a general rule, you also want to be sure to know how to shut off the water to your house in case of a major problem.

Actions and Reactions – Newton's Third Law of Motion tells us that "for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction". This certainly applies to your kitchen plumbing. If you jam stuff into your disposal & sink that would be better off in the garbage, you're likely to get push-back in the way of a nasty clog. If you use a plunger to help dislodge a clog, you're exerting force in a vacuum seal. Be careful not to go crazy as that pressure is felt through the plumbing system, especially at various fittings & joints.

Kitchen plumbing is not rocket science (even with the reference to Newton's laws of motion). While you may not fully grasp every nuance of it, taking the time to understand the basics will help you in the long-run. Ultimately, a proactive approach to your kitchen's plumbing will allow you to stay on top of things, but always remember that having the name of a trusted local plumber is a top weapon in your arsenal.