Drain under Kitchen Sink Clogging every 6 months

[slackmax]

Maybe this is normal. I do a lot of cooking, so I put a lot of cooking byproduct into the drain. But I have a wire mesh device over the drain to catch solids. Even so, I get a buildup of slimy brownish green junk in the trap after about 6 months, that slows down the drainage so much that I take out the trap pipe piece and clean out the junk.

Oh, by the way, I am careful to throw grease out in the garbage, not down the drain.     

Cleaning out the trap  solves the problem for another 6 months. Not a big deal to do.   

My question is 'Is that about normal? Does everyone have to do this, or just me?'

Thanks

[Metalcat]

No, that is not at all normal.

I'm not a plumber, but I would be quite concerned about your pipes. 

[Caoineag]

Nope not normal. We had a kitchen sink one time that would clog once per year and it turned out to be too low of water flow (it also had smaller than normal pipes). Once we switched the faucet, we never had a problem again. I have always cooked a lot and that was my only sink clogging problem in 30+ years of cooking.

What's the cooking byproduct, water drained from veggies, beans and pasta or something else?

[Metalcat]

Nope not normal. We had a kitchen sink one time that would clog once per year and it turned out to be too low of water flow (it also had smaller than normal pipes). Once we switched the faucet, we never had a problem again. I have always cooked a lot and that was my only sink clogging problem in 30+ years of cooking.

What's the cooking byproduct, water drained from veggies, beans and pasta or something else?

This is why at least once a week I fill each sink to the brim with hot, hot tap water and dish soap and then drain them.

A plumber once told me that helps compensate for low water flow. I have no idea if it's true, but it sounds reasonable and I've kept up the habit.

[Papa bear]

No garbage disposal?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MudPuppy]

Once a week, we pour some bleach into every drain in the house, let it sit an hour, then flush with hot hot water

[BlueHouse]

every few months, I empty my ice cube bin into the garbage disposal and flush it all down until the drain starts regurgitating brown stuff.  Once it does, I take the boiling water from my electric kettle and pour it down the drain.  It seems to clean out any gunk and keep things clean.

[Sibley]

I've been in this house for 3 years, never snaked or otherwise cleaned out the kitchen drain. I also occasionally have put grease down the drain (I know, I know, but sometimes I'm dumb). Also don't do anything fancy to keep the drain clear. To date, all my drain problems have been tree roots - and none of thm impacted the kitchen drain. Not sure what is going on with yours, but really not normal.

[Metalcat]

every few months, I empty my ice cube bin into the garbage disposal and flush it all down until the drain starts regurgitating brown stuff.  Once it does, I take the boiling water from my electric kettle and pour it down the drain.  It seems to clean out any gunk and keep things clean.

Yeah...I did the boiling water thing because my ex taught em to do that, until one day it cracked my pipes, and the plumber told me to never do boiling water. That's why I do the sink full of soapy hot water. It also has the added benefit of the gravity of the full sink of water to flush out pipes.

[slackmax]

Nope not normal. We had a kitchen sink one time that would clog once per year and it turned out to be too low of water flow (it also had smaller than normal pipes). Once we switched the faucet, we never had a problem again. I have always cooked a lot and that was my only sink clogging problem in 30+ years of cooking.

What's the cooking byproduct, water drained from veggies, beans and pasta or something else?

The byproduct is all sorts of stuff. You name it, if it's too watery to toss in the garbage, it goes down the drain, through the wire mesh.  Pasta water is one  good example. Whatever I catch in the wire mesh I smack into the garbage bin. 

Dishwater from washing  greasy pans with cold water and detergent goes down the drain.

Maybe I need to run some hot water down the drain once in a while.

I just don't want to get a clog somewhere way downstream, where I'll  need to snake it out.   

[slackmax]

No garbage disposal?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It does have a garbage disposal, but it is broken, and I have decided not to replace it, since it won't budge.   

So the water runs down onto the top of the garbage disposal blades, and then out the exit hole at the same level, and on down into the trap and beyond. 

I clean gunk off the top of the garbage disposal blades when I clean everything out.

Do you think having a working garbage disposal would result in fewer trap clogs?

[NotJen]

It does have a garbage disposal, but it is broken, and I have decided not to replace it, since it won't budge.   

Not sure what the problem is, but have you tried the trick where you dislodge the stuck disposal blades with a broom handle?  My disposal was out of commission for several months before I finally investigated how to fix it, and it was really simple.

[Papa bear]

No garbage disposal?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It does have a garbage disposal, but it is broken, and I have decided not to replace it, since it won't budge.   

So the water runs down onto the top of the garbage disposal blades, and then out the exit hole at the same level, and on down into the trap and beyond. 

I clean gunk off the top of the garbage disposal blades when I clean everything out.

Do you think having a working garbage disposal would result in fewer trap clogs?

Yeah I think that would make a world of a difference.   What actually happened to the disposal? What do you mean it won’t budge?   

If you turn on does it make a buzzing sound or no sound at all?  If no sound, underneath there is a button.  It’s basically a circuit breaker on the unit itself.  After pressing it, does it turn on? Does it make a buzzing sound? 

If it makes a buzzing sound, the motor is bound.  Get the Allen wrench tool that fits disposals.  If you don’t have it, buy it from Lowe’s or depot for like $6. It fits in a spot in the bottom middle of your disposal.  Put it in there and start turning. You will probably have to turn it back and forth a few times to get it unstuck. Once that’s good, run some water and start it up!!

If you get clogs, use a plunger.  You really shouldn’t have to clean out your trap unless you’re letting tons of grease sit in there or something.

If it’s not bound and the disposal really is broken, they are like $90 and can be swapped out in like an hour if you’ve done one before.  If you buy the same brand, it’s a pretty simple job.  You will most likely need to know some very basic plumbing (which if you take your trap apart on the regular, you can figure this out) and you need to do some basic electrical.  Or a plumber can crank it out for like $150.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Papa bear]

It does have a garbage disposal, but it is broken, and I have decided not to replace it, since it won't budge.   

Not sure what the problem is, but have you tried the trick where you dislodge the stuck disposal blades with a broom handle?  My disposal was out of commission for several months before I finally investigated how to fix it, and it was really simple.

They make tools for this.  I would not suggest a broom handle.  See my other post to the OP on its use. They also come in the box with your disposal so everyone should have one.  Keep it taped under the sink.  I do that at all my rentals. But I also have a couple more because tenants love to lose stuff.


Jam-Buster Wrench Accessory for Garbage Disposals
https://www.homedepot.com/p/100135761


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[slackmax]

About the garbage disposal. Did the broom handle thing, did the allen wrench thing. But it is actually broken, not stuck. Some part actually broke off, some tack welded nut or something,  and the motor comes on but won't spin the blades. I found the broken part. Fixing it would be  more expensive than buying a brand new disposal.

I was about to do just that  (buy a new one),  but found out the old disposal won't budge out of its spot. Youtube shows a guy easily flicking a screwdriver into some slot and popping the old one right out, Whee!   Does not work for me at all. I tried the screwdriver trick, won't budge, put a pipe wrench on the thing, etc. Even Liquid Wrench to loosen it up. Vinegar, whatever. No dice.

 I'm not willing to keep manhandling it because I'm going to end up bending the ******* sink itself and then I'll be totally up the creek.

No way I'm paying a plumber to do it, ha ha. 

By the way, in its current clean state, even with the dead garbage disposal there, I can run water at full blast down the sink without a backup. Plenty of flow. Maybe I should just leave well enough alone, and run hot water straight down the hole, without the wire mesh in place, for a few minutes each week. Maybe that would keep it clear.


   

[Papa bear]

Put a big screwdriver in where it’s supposed to turn out.  Then hit the screwdriver with a hammer.  Percussion to get the thing moving.  Don’t crank on it too hard.  Have had to do that a few times.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[slackmax]

Put a big screwdriver in where it’s supposed to turn out.  Then hit the screwdriver with a hammer.  Percussion to get the thing moving.  Don’t crank on it too hard.  Have had to do that a few times.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks. I will try that if and when I try to replace it.

[Frankies Girl]

I have been on a plumbing odyssey and will tell you of our journey. Gather round, o best beloved (been reading some Kipling, sorry).


But seriously. Our house is about 40 years old. Stupid people lived here before us. They put ALL the grease down the pipes and used the garbage disposal to grind up ALL the things (I'm not ruling out that they didn't dump paint or stuff a few car parts in there for good measure).

We had to have the pipes snaked every 6 months and I was unable to use my washing machine without standing RIGHT there, stop/starting the cycles throughout to stop the water discharge outlet in the wall from shooting out a gyser of water EVERY time. I still to this day listen like a damned pointer dog to the sounds of the drain whenever running a load.

And I thought this unrelated, but every once in a while our back bathroom (the end of the line before the sewer pipes to the outside) would smell, as Freakazoid once said, like icky poo gas.

We were told this was likely the trap getting dried out/water allowing sewer gas to get back inside the pipes.

I thought all of this was just bad pipes or something terrible that happened to our neighborhood.

I was wrong. It was sludge. Lots of sludge from decades of careless jerks. 

We first switched to all liquid soaps/everything and stopped using fabric softener completely. Also tried the monthly bleach down the pipes. We dumped hot water with soap down the pipes every week. We stopped using the garbage disposal completely (not that I ever really used it that much), and I wiped out ALL our pans that had even a touch of any grease in them and washed with LOTS of soap (I also never used to pour grease down anyway). All that works well if you have mostly clean pipes but does fuckall if your pipes are already nasty clogged.

Snaking only knocks loose the harder deposits in your pipes and removes physical clogs. If you have decades of sludge lining your pipes, snaking only pops a narrow opening that may stay open for a few months or so but eventually collects enough sludge to close it back up, or worse, the existing sludge skin that comes in contact with the flowing water just warms/liquefies enough to collapse back in on itself. Think of it like clogged arteries - you keep using it, the clot just reforms.

I in passing heard someone refer to a new ish thing called hydrojetting. It was never suggested my current plumber, so I asked around and got a guy out that did it for residential. It is basically pressure washing the pipes, high pressure hose attachment that sprays in a 360˚ jet that they feed into your pipes and slowly move to the end of them and they blast the gunge out, peeling off the layers of sludge so the pipes are supposedly open and clean like when they were first installed. Grease and fats and oils and yes, poop (which can be oily and greasy) all blasted the hell out of there. We had the exterior cleanout opening in the sewer line open to see the water flow and you would not believe the enormous chunks of whatthehell that flew by. And the color of the water was near black for the majority of the operation. It was kind of amazing actually if not super disgusting. Mostly slow trickle of water for some time, clods and clumps passing through, then suddenly HUGE clods and blackish water and then LOTS of water flow (as he'd hit huge old clogged areas) and then brownish and then finally clear and minor bits of gunk but with great water flow. He ended up doing all the way to the cleanout (and was so nice as to only charge the initial cost he'd quoted for the short run in our kitchen - like $200 total).

He said it was one of the worst he'd ever seen and nothing we could have done likely would have made much of a difference because it was probably 40+ years before we'd gotten there and it's just how some houses were.

And of special note: the phantom occasional poo gas smell in the bathroom disappeared after this as well. So the line was clogged but good from the front to the back with all manner of nasty stuff.

And he left us with a nice bonus: a half bottle of a plumber's trick stuff called Thrift and told me to use it as instructed once a month to keep things clean and flowing. I looked it up, and discovered all it is is 100% lye. Which is cheap, easy and now do THAT once a month. Two tablespoons down the drain, add some water and cover the openings with a pan lid. Rinse the line well after 30 minutes. Don't get it on your skin, but if you do, flush with LOTS of water (do not fight club it and do vinegar unless you like the idea of slightly burning your skin - water and lots of it neutralizes and then wash with soap and water after). DO not breathe in the fumes, do not do boiling water; hot or even lukewarm is fine. Soap makers use lye all the time, it's completely safe for your pipes and will turn any hair, greases, oils or organic matter in there into soap basically. Not pure, not stuff you'd want to wash with, but soap that will NOT clog your pipes as water flow will just wash it away. Chemically, I think lye is safer overall just because once the chemical reaction is done, that stuff is all natural.

I get this lye from either HD or Walmart - $5 or so. Lasts at least a year unless I get crazy with it. Drains run like a dream now. Could try that and see if it helps any. For $5, you could dump a few tablespoons in every night for the next week and see if there's any difference and not be out any real money anyway.

The crap drain cleaners are just concentrated bleach, and it is way cheaper/easier to go buy a bottle of bleach from the dollar store if you like that stuff instead of lye.

And we did replace our garbage disposal when it started leaking because minimum standards for any house is garbage disposal even thought they are stupid as hell and people end up clogging their pipes. I ordered an exact replacement from HD with cord already installed, watched the install video and realized the drain/sink connection was FINE so just removed the leaking one and put on the new one (they literally just lock/turn to install) and saved $100 on installation. If yours is broken, you can leave it but be aware that the SEALS can dry out or crack and eventually will start leaking out of the housing/motor area. Put a dishpan or bucket under and check it if yours is older and watch the install videos to see if you can figure out the trick because it was laughable easy once I got it figured but it did look like it was stuck/impossible to do before I got it.

Of note: do not put bleach/lye/chemicals in with anything on the disposal side. This can possibly corrode your disposal's seals/washers/rubber bits and cause it to leak. I may have done bleach down that side, but sure as hell never did the lye, but in any case corrosives + rubber/motors = bad.

In any case, that's my experience/opinion and do your own research and don't take my word on it but offered up as an idea/direction that may be helpful.

TL/DR: if it's just an isolated section, you could try using actual lye to clear (see link a few paragraphs above). But if it is more than a minor annoyance, hydrojetting might be something to look into.

[Metalcat]

Just a pointless aside.

I have never had a garbage disposal, and don't really understand what they are for. I have lived in over 40 houses in 3 different major cities. I've also never seen one at any other person's house except for one, which was owned by an American, which led me to believe that they're an American thing.

Up until that point, I had only seen them on TV, which I assumed drastically exaggerated how many people had them just because they're great for creating dramatic tension or gory scenes.

I still have no idea if they're an American thing, or if they're common in Canada too.and I've just somehow improbably managed to avoid them.

That is all.

Oh except, can someone please explain to me why they would have one instead of a basket to catch the food debris?

[Papa bear]

Just a pointless aside.

I have never had a garbage disposal, and don't really understand what they are for. I have lived in over 40 houses in 3 different major cities. I've also never seen one at any other person's house except for one, which was owned by an American, which led me to believe that they're an American thing.

Up until that point, I had only seen them on TV, which I assumed drastically exaggerated how many people had them just because they're great for creating dramatic tension or gory scenes.

I still have no idea if they're an American thing, or if they're common in Canada too.and I've just somehow improbably managed to avoid them.

That is all.

Oh except, can someone please explain to me why they would have one instead of a basket to catch the food debris?

Well, I think we have like 24 of them.  They are basically expected at rentals.  And they are awesome. 

Neighbors who don’t use them constantly have maggots in their trash. Or animals rooting through it on trash day. Big messes. 

Easy to clean dishes and run everything in the sink.  Easy for food prep, run the trimmings down the sink. They don’t cause problems if you use them properly.  I have some college rentals.  They don’t use them properly.  But it beats having rats, which is a problem in the areas, and I get more rent for having them. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Frankies Girl]

Just a pointless aside.

I have never had a garbage disposal, and don't really understand what they are for. I have lived in over 40 houses in 3 different major cities. I've also never seen one at any other person's house except for one, which was owned by an American, which led me to believe that they're an American thing.

Up until that point, I had only seen them on TV, which I assumed drastically exaggerated how many people had them just because they're great for creating dramatic tension or gory scenes.

I still have no idea if they're an American thing, or if they're common in Canada too.and I've just somehow improbably managed to avoid them.

That is all.

Oh except, can someone please explain to me why they would have one instead of a basket to catch the food debris?

My opinion/thoughts: Garbage disposals are supposed to be so you can dump kitchen scraps from cutting up veggies (the ends of carrots or onions for instance) or peels, shells, or bits off of a dinner plate that the family didn't finish, so like actual food like the few extra bites of fried rice or the steamed broccoli the kid wouldn't finish. You turn on the water, turn on the disposal and the motor spins these chonky large teeth to mash/pulverize the food/peels/shells so they can be washed down the drain and they'll eventually break down further as they rot in the pipes and be washed into the sewers. You are cautioned to make sure and run it for several minutes and to make sure and turn the water on and keep it flowing for several minutes after to wash it down the pipes far enough to not immediately clog the whole thing.

Gross, right? But hey, way better than composting (which only the poor or crunchy people do? and that's a bad thing? I don't get it) or having rotting things in the trash apparently (which is probably a big selling point - less rotting in the garbage means less smelly/gross garbage and attract vermin maybe?)

Seems to be standard in any lower middle class and up house/apartment I've ever lived in or visited in a number of different states in the U.S., small towns and major metropolitan/cities (noted exception of my dad's house I grew up in, built in the 60s, he used a can under the sink for gunge/scraps that he would throw out once full).

Garbage disposals would have made sort of sense if used sparingly and properly, but human beings being bad about this sort of thing means they really are a minor convenience that can end up causing major issues later on, and make lots of $ for plumbers.

I stopped using it for disposaling at least 10 years ago, and now only run it for a minute or so with clean water running to make sure to keep it working. So dumb. I compose anything I can, and throw away things that can't be.

[MoseyingAlong]

I read an article several years ago that said garbage disposals were not allowed in New York apartments because of the increased burden on water treatment plants. Don't know if that's true but it did make sense.

[Metalcat]

Ahh...thank you.

So, looks like they're actually banned in every city I've lived in, which explains why I've never seen one except in the house of a very wealthy American, who either didn't know or didn't care.

That said, all of these cities have composting, which is picked up more frequently than garbage.

Thanks for the information folks.

[Roadrunner53]

As far as using chemicals, be careful if you have a septic system. Bacteria and enzymes can be destroyed if too many chemicals are flushed down the drains.

[AerynLee]

My last house the kitchen drain would clog about every 6-12 months. It was far back enough in the pipes that taking apart the sink drain wouldn't get it and we'd have to have a plumber come out and snake the drains (though luckily not far enough to affect any other drains in the house). It's very likely that it needed the hydrojetting like FrankiesGirl suggested, but I hadn't heard of that then. The last time we had a plumber out I asked, what the hell are we doing wrong? His answer, use more water. A lot more. An actual quote was "People who try to conserve water at the kitchen sink make a lot of business for plumbers". After that we would just let the water run longer than my hippy self was comfortable with every time we used the sink and it never even got slow after that. About once a month we'd fill the sink full of hot water (it was one large sink the size of a normal double so that was a lot of water) and then pull the drain to flush it out even more.

Since your trap directly under the sink is getting clogged, it sounds to me like you're not running much water through. Clean it out and just try running the water for 30+ seconds after each time you put anything other than clean water down it and see if that helps.

An add to the garbage disposal discussion: In our first house the disposal rusted through on the side and leaked into the cabinet. We caught it quickly so no damage done and it was really easy to replace. In the second house (the one above) a small measuring cup fell in the disposal and broke it. We were just about to completely rip out the kitchen and re-do it so when we did we didn't put in a new disposal. The prior owners of our new house that we bought last month must have had a similar situation because the house is wired for a disposal, but the completely remodeled kitchen doesn't have one and we are completely fine with that. It takes a while getting used to not having one after 30+ years of always having one, but every plumber I've talked to said they're a disaster waiting to happen.
I wouldn't want a broken one attached to the sink though. I would suck it up and pay a plumber or handyman to take it out and either replace or replumb without one if you can't get it out yourself.

[slackmax]

Quoting AerynLee :

<< The last time we had a plumber out I asked, what the hell are we doing wrong? His answer, use more water. A lot more. An actual quote was "People who try to conserve water at the kitchen sink make a lot of business for plumbers". After that we would just let the water run longer than my hippy self was comfortable with every time we used the sink and it never even got slow after that. About once a month we'd fill the sink full of hot water (it was one large sink the size of a normal double so that was a lot of water) and then pull the drain to flush it out even more.

Since your trap directly under the sink is getting clogged, it sounds to me like you're not running much water through. Clean it out and just try running the water for 30+ seconds after each time you put anything other than clean water down it and see if that helps. >>

Thanks for your info. Hmmm. ANother vote for low water flow being the cause. Yes, I try to conserve water. Especially hot water, since it costs more. Well, I have no problem with running cold water through the pipes now and then.   One thought : if the junk gets washed out of the trap, and therefore does not clog the trap, could it possibly cause a clog farther down the line, where is it even harder to remove, as in snaking needed, or hydrojetting?  Solve one problem, cause another? To answer my own question, it sounds like your plumber would say no, the extra junk that now gets past the trap will be washed away and out of the lines, into the main sewer,  *  IF  *  enough water is run down the pipes.   

[TrMama]

Ahh...thank you.

So, looks like they're actually banned in every city I've lived in, which explains why I've never seen one except in the house of a very wealthy American, who either didn't know or didn't care.

That said, all of these cities have composting, which is picked up more frequently than garbage.

Thanks for the information folks.

Garbage disposals are reasonably common in BC. Our house is plumbed for a disposal (but we never bothered installing one), and I know lots of people who have them. Even my grandma had one in the house she and Grandpa built in the 40's.

OP - I agree that it's not normal for your drain to clog so regularly. We've lived here for 10 years and have never had to unclog the kitchen sink. In fact, the only kitchen sink I've ever had to unclog was in a previous house and that was because the day we moved in I discovered the previous owner had flushed broken glass down the drain. Luckily I managed not to cut my fingers when I reached into the trap.

[Model96]

Quoting AerynLee :

....

Since your trap directly under the sink is getting clogged, it sounds to me like you're not running much water through. Clean it out and just try running the water for 30+ seconds after each time you put anything other than clean water down it and see if that helps. >>

Thanks for your info. Hmmm. ANother vote for low water flow being the cause. Yes, I try to conserve water. Especially hot water, since it costs more. Well, I have no problem with running cold water through the pipes now and then.   One thought : if the junk gets washed out of the trap, and therefore does not clog the trap, could it possibly cause a clog farther down the line, where is it even harder to remove, as in snaking needed, or hydrojetting?  Solve one problem, cause another? To answer my own question, it sounds like your plumber would say no, the extra junk that now gets past the trap will be washed away and out of the lines, into the main sewer,  *  IF  *  enough water is run down the pipes.

Yep, low flow. Plug the sink once every month or two, fill it with warm water and pull the plug to flush the trap through, and repeat once or twice.
Conserving water is great, but modern low flow taps, faucets, showers, and smaller flushing toilet cisterns all have led to more pipes becoming 'soft blocked' much like the sludge nightmare Frankies Girl experienced all because of low flow. When you do your monthly kitchen sink 'flush' it would be wise to give the toilets an extra flush (or two) too with a 15 litre bucket of warm water

[J Boogie]

Probably not the issue, but since no one has brought it up, it's worth considering the drain pipe material and whether or not galvanic corrosion/buildup might be occurring.

[slackmax]

Probably not the issue, but since no one has brought it up, it's worth considering the drain pipe material and whether or not galvanic corrosion/buildup might be occurring.

Looks like it's all white plastic until the last foot above the ground floor cement, where it looks like iron.   

[nereo]

It does have a garbage disposal, but it is broken, and I have decided not to replace it, since it won't budge.   

Not sure what the problem is, but have you tried the trick where you dislodge the stuck disposal blades with a broom handle?  My disposal was out of commission for several months before I finally investigated how to fix it, and it was really simple.

They make tools for this.  I would not suggest a broom handle.  See my other post to the OP on its use. They also come in the box with your disposal so everyone should have one.  Keep it taped under the sink. I do that at all my rentals. But I also have a couple more because tenants love to lose stuff.

It’s ideas like the one above tha makes me love this forum.
I’ve got the disposal tool you mentioned, but it would probably take me 20 minutes to find it, buried amongst all of the other various stuff I know i might need one day but also haven’t used for months on end.

[NaN]

Thanks for your info. Hmmm. ANother vote for low water flow being the cause. Yes, I try to conserve water. Especially hot water, since it costs more. Well, I have no problem with running cold water through the pipes now and then.   One thought : if the junk gets washed out of the trap, and therefore does not clog the trap, could it possibly cause a clog farther down the line, where is it even harder to remove, as in snaking needed, or hydrojetting?  Solve one problem, cause another? To answer my own question, it sounds like your plumber would say no, the extra junk that now gets past the trap will be washed away and out of the lines, into the main sewer,  *  IF  *  enough water is run down the pipes.

I would say low water flow AND cold water, even with occasional grease that can't be thrown out. Some hot water will really help. Is it worth saving a little bit of water or water heating for the task of cleaning out the trap every six months? If so, just carry on.

I don't think garbage disposal is needed unless you are putting large chunks down. Because of this I do not think it is too much of an issue for downstream pipes if they are already in good shape (@J Boogie mentions some pipes can be of a material that cause problems). Even if you had a long run from your kitchen drain to the main sewer line where water flows from the toilets, showers, etc as long as you are not putting down large chunks or grease piles you are likely okay. (Think how the trap works, water flows up over a little bit and then it is free. Your problem is in the area where it can't flow! You are working against gravity - which means the trap is working :) ).

[worms]

Just a few random comments on what has been an interesting thread...

1) From my experience on world travels, garbage disposals are a North American thing.  The rest of the world manages quite fine without.

2) Any drain cleaners I've used have been based on caustic soda rather than bleach.

3) I can't see any benefit in using bleach as a cleaner - as a disinfectant, to prevent a build up of algal or bacterial slime, yes, but not as something to dissolve and remove fatty materials.  (It  does of course, bleach any dirt which provides a fantastic visual trick of making the dirt disappear!)

4) All drain companies the world over will tell you  "worst case I've ever seen", "good job you called us" " caught it just in time" "moments from disaster" and sell you on the latest trick to make you part with your money.

5)  Hot water and reasonable flow are probably the most useful routine maintenance.

6) Jury is out on coffee grounds - do they clog sinks or act as a very useful abrasive to clean the bore of the pipes?  (I'm in the latter camp but plenty of people fervently believe the opposite and provide evidence).  In all probability this actually varies with 5) above.

Who knew that waste water could be so much fun!   :)



EDIT:  And just to add, I've been in this house 30 years and never yet had to remove and clean the trap on the kitchen sink! 

[Linea_Norway]

We have a normal sink without garbage disposal. I put food garbage in a bin. If I have something too wet to put into the bin, I often drain in it a sieve first, before throwing it in the bin. If it is too small for the sieve, but not suitable for the drain, I throw it away outside in the garden.
Greasy sauce I often treat the way my parents did. I put it in a cup and leave it on the counter. Next day I take off the layer with fat and put it in the bin and flush the fluid in the sink. Every time I flush something in the sink that is not perfectly fluid, I use extra water afterwards.

[Morning Glory]

Do you work on cars? That hand cleaner with the pumice (Orange Clean, etc.) is really bad for your drains. My husband started using it outside after we found that out.

Don't put coffee grounds or anything greasy in your sink either. Grounds go in the compost and greasy stuff goes in a yogurt container that gets put in the garbage when it's full.

[nereo]

I wince whenever people put coffee grounds down the sink, not because I’m worried about the grounds clogging, but because it’s the closest thing to a miracle soil augmenter, and it’s being wasted.  Unlike most kitchen scraps you don’t even have to ‘bake’ them in a composted first... just toss them in your garden

[Linea_Norway]

I wince whenever people put coffee grounds down the sink, not because I’m worried about the grounds clogging, but because it’s the closest thing to a miracle soil augmenter, and it’s being wasted.  Unlike most kitchen scraps you don’t even have to ‘bake’ them in a composted first... just toss them in your garden

Here in Norway a company picks up coffee grounds from restaurants and uses it to grow edible mushrooms on it. You can purchase a box where you can put your own coffee stuff and add mushroom spores from the pack.

[SimpleCycle]

I grew up without a garbage disposal, but my wife grew up mostly in rentals and claims she can't live without one.  Does not compute, because we compost!  She just hates cleaning out the drain strainer.

Anyway, I wouldn't worry that draining a sink full of hot water would push the problem further down, as pipes get larger as you move toward the sewer.  We have a white sink, so I add some bleach to the water and let it soak a while, then drain the whole deal.  Sink gets clean and the drain gets cleaned too.

[Linea_Norway]

I grew up without a garbage disposal, but my wife grew up mostly in rentals and claims she can't live without one.  Does not compute, because we compost!  She just hates cleaning out the drain strainer.

I also hate cleaning out the kitchen drain. But I hate even more seeing food there, so I still empty it every day.
Also in the shower, I have something that should catch my hairs before disappearing into the sink. But still once a year or so, the shower empties very slowly and I need to go down on my knees, take out the drain and remove the slimy hairs that have gotten through. With rubber gloves on still a disgusting job, but needs to be done sometimes.

[Metalcat]

I grew up without a garbage disposal, but my wife grew up mostly in rentals and claims she can't live without one.  Does not compute, because we compost!  She just hates cleaning out the drain strainer.

I also hate cleaning out the kitchen drain. But I hate even more seeing food there, so I still empty it every day.
Also in the shower, I have something that should catch my hairs before disappearing into the sink. But still once a year or so, the shower empties very slowly and I need to go down on my knees, take out the drain and remove the slimy hairs that have gotten through. With rubber gloves on still a disgusting job, but needs to be done sometimes.

Tub Shroom and Sink Shroom, problem solved

[Linea_Norway]

I grew up without a garbage disposal, but my wife grew up mostly in rentals and claims she can't live without one.  Does not compute, because we compost!  She just hates cleaning out the drain strainer.

I also hate cleaning out the kitchen drain. But I hate even more seeing food there, so I still empty it every day.
Also in the shower, I have something that should catch my hairs before disappearing into the sink. But still once a year or so, the shower empties very slowly and I need to go down on my knees, take out the drain and remove the slimy hairs that have gotten through. With rubber gloves on still a disgusting job, but needs to be done sometimes.

Tub Shroom and Sink Shroom, problem solved

Two houses ago I had something like that and it worked well. Our current house and previous rental however have a square drain that works very differently.