Finding out that water gets under your kitchen sink is one of the most frustrating and potentially damaging problems you will encounter in your kitchen
Preventing it in the first place is an essential part of home maintenance, and one of the easiest ways to guarantee that your plumbing fixtures stay in good shape for a long time.
Thankfully, there are several things you can do to prevent your water damage from getting under your leaking kitchen sink.
Table of Contents
Here Is How To Prevent Water Leaks Under The Kitchen Sink
- Address any current blockages or active leaks
- Make sure the P-trap is working properly
- Check the sink’s perimeter seals
- Install a kitchen sink liner and a drain splash guard
- Clean your sink regularly
Do these things, and you will prevent water from getting under the kitchen sink and accumulating there until it becomes a problem. It’s as easy as that, but if the kitchen sink is leaking you should first determine where the leak is coming from. Let’s dive a little deeper into each of these tips to ensure that you can tackle them without issue.
Address Blockages And Leaks
Both blockages and leaks are two of the most common causes of water accumulation in the kitchen. This is why it should be the first thing you do the minute you notice that water is getting underneath your kitchen sink.
To remove blockages use a plunger or chemical drain cleaner. If there is an active leak, tighten loose connections and replace defective seals. In more extreme cases, you may have to replace a valve, or even the faucet itself.
Verify Your P-Trap Is Working Properly
A P-trap is a plumbing device that prevents sewer gasses from traveling up your plumbing and into your home. All P-traps are installed under the kitchen sink and connect directly to the sink’s drain and hold a small amount of water that creates a seal against gasses.
Since most P-traps are made out of PVC, they tend to wear out over time and this can often lead to leakage. As such, if you start to notice water accumulating under your sink, it’s always a good idea to check your P-trap.
Check Your Sink’s Seals
Much like a faulty P-trap, faulty sink seals are often the reason that water is getting under the kitchen sink. Thankfully, leaky seals and gaskets are easy to repair, and you can do so quickly and cheaply. I recommend a high-quality silicone sealant such as Gorilla Waterproof Caulk & Seal.
Repairing bad seals around your kitchen sink will improve your day-to-day experience, minimize upkeep, and increase the sink’s useful life expectancy.
Install A Drain Splash Guard Or Sink Liner
These small, inexpensive devices are specifically designed to prevent excess water from splashing out to the sink and working its way behind and beneath and the area around your sink. The best part is that installing one of these devices is a matter of a couple of seconds. Both splash guards and sink liners are made of rubber, and they will redirect excess water back toward the sink where it should go.
I use this Bligli Pebble Sink Mat and this Silicone Kitchen Sink Splash Guard (both from Amazon) at home, and I haven’t had any water work its way under the kitchen sink ever since I bought and installed them.
Clean Your Sink Regularly
Finally, you should make a habit of cleaning underneath the sink regularly. This includes cleaning the sink itself, as well as your pipes, tubing, seals, etc. This is important because when food debris accumulates inside your pipes and around your seals, it can create clogs of biological matter that block the proper flow of water, inadvertently redirecting it under your sink.
If you clean your sink regularly and follow the other recommendations above, you will actively work towards your goal of preventing water from getting under your kitchen sink.
However, if you find that you are unable to stop wayward water from working its way under your kitchen sink, you would do well to call a plumber.
Final Thoughts On Water Under The Sink
In conclusion, a kitchen sink leaking can be both highly frustrating to deal with, and potentially damaging if left unchecked. However, if you follow my advice above, you can prevent the problem from happening in the first place and do much to keep your sink and kitchen plumbing operating in top form.
Last update on 2024-04-23 at 21:03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
