Kitchen Plumbing Basics

Kitchens are one of the most used rooms in a home, often serving as a common area and place to connect with your family, as well as a food preparation space.

When a plumbing issue such as flooding, a decrease or increase in water pressure, or something else, occurs in this integral room, it can be inconvenient as well as costly, and you may have no idea about the scope of the issue or how to identify the problem. 

As your neighborhood plumber in South Florida, we want you to feel comfortable inspecting your kitchen plumbing mechanisms in order to determine if you can tackle the job yourself or if it's in your best interest to hand the job over to a professional. 

Whether your home or commercial building is equipped with modern fixtures or you live in an older-model property that still retains its original hardware, the basic mechanisms should be similar. These may include the following:

Kitchen Sink Components

Most homeowners have seen the mechanisms of their sink countless times since cleaning products are often stored in the cabinets below the kitchen sink. However, you probably paid little attention to the kitchen plumbing components at work. Instead of waiting until a problem occurs, it's in your best interest to become familiar with the hardware and mechanisms that allow your kitchen sink to function efficiently. 

If you are a visual learner, an Internet search may be an ideal first step in the learning and identification process. A variety of basic schematic diagrams of kitchen sink components can be found online, many of which are easy for a novice to decipher. From top to bottom, kitchen sink components typically include:

• Spout Assembly And Escutcheon
• Hot And Cold Water Lines And Corresponding Shutoff Valves
• Strainer Body And Coupling
• Tail-piece And Housing
• PVC Piping And Washers, Drain Elbow, Swivel P-Trap And Coupling

Your kitchen sink will either have a single or double drain. In a double sink, the piping components may be identical, or a garbage disposal may be installed. 

The Swivel P-Trap, also called simply the “Trap,” is a common location of drain clogs. A clogged drain can increase pressure on the surrounding pipes and gaskets, causing the entire structure to weaken and leaks to occur. Determining if the leak or plumbing issue is due to a clogged drain may save you time.

Refrigerator Plumbing Hardware

If your refrigerator has an in-door ice or water machine, then plumbing components will also be present. These modern refrigerator features integrate electrical components and plumbing hardware. Problem can occur with electrical parts such as the dispenser switch and control board, or with plumbing as in the piping or water line. 

Plumbing mechanisms found in an in-door ice machine may include:

• Water Filter And Reservoir Tank
• Flexible Copper Tubing And Water Supply Valve
• Compression Joint
• Copper Tee And Solid Copper Pipe

Dishwasher Plumbing Components

While this appliance may seem complicated, its plumbing mechanisms are actually quite simple. The unit is connected to the water supply via an intake valve and water intake line. A drain hose is also present in the rear of the unit. These are typically constructed from corrugated PVC or vinyl, and ensuring that the drain hose is solid, with no cracks or clogs, may be key to preventing leaks from developing underneath your dishwasher.

Finding The Source Of A Leak 

Often, leaks in kitchen plumbing mechanisms occur at joints or connecting points. When you notice the presence of water or mildew under a sink, or at the base of your fridge or dishwasher, a leak is likely the cause. Locating the leak source is the first step in fixing the problem, and asking yourself the following questions may be helpful when beginning the process:

• Is Water Pooling on Floors or Under Cabinets?
• Are All Washers, Locknuts and Gaskets Secure and Fully Tightened?
• Is Mildew or Cabinetry Damage Present?

Even if you're a skilled do-it-yourselfer and understand the basics of kitchen plumbing mechanisms, you may find a kitchen plumbing project to be complicated, time-consuming and costly. In that case, give yourself peace of mind and rely on the professional technicians at Reliance Plumbing in Pompano Beach, Florida, for dependable and cost-effective solutions to your kitchen plumbing issues. Call us at 407-831-4459.