Why You Should Avoid Pouring Boiling Water Down The Kitchen Sink At All Costs

The last time you boiled eggs, potatoes, or pasta, what did you do with the water afterward? If you are like most of us, you probably strained whatever you were cooking and let the water go down the drain. It's something you do without even thinking twice about it. Unless you plan to use the leftover cooking liquid, you get rid of it. What you may not realize, however, is the potential damage that you're doing to your sink every time you dump boiling water down there. From damaged pipes to clogs, you're setting yourself up for a host of problems.

If your drains have any kind of clog in them, that's going to slow the flow of water, but you shouldn't use boiling water to unclog it. Modern household pipes are not designed to handle boiling water. Hot water, sure. But not boiling. PVC pipes (typical in most homes) are only meant to handle up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Boiling temperatures can cause stress on metal and plastic pipes, as well as the joints that connect them.

If you have a clog that prevents water flow, the hot water will simply sit there, causing the pipe to absorb more heat. This situation is compounded in the winter, when the pipes are colder and therefore more susceptible to temperature shock. The sudden introduction of extremely high temperature water can cause the pipes to expand rapidly and split open, or warp them enough to cause a leak.

Even if you don't have a full clog in your pipes right now, odds are there is some buildup. When boiling water goes down the drain, it can melt some of the residue and carry it deeper into the pipe, where it resolidifies. Think of it like a snowball effect. The boiling water can carry grease to a new spot, where it cools and solidifies again, creating a larger, more damaging buildup. To keep pipes clear, try one of our hacks to clean a clogged sink that doesn't require boiling water. Additionally, properly getting rid of kitchen grease can eliminate some of the worry regarding clogs, too.

Boiling water can also create new clogging problems because it can make your PVC pipes sag slightly. Remember that pipes drain thanks to gravity, so anything that warps or misshapes them can interfere with that. Instead of draining properly, new clogs can take root in these sagging and misshapen areas which no longer allow water to keep flowing downward.

If dumping boiling water down the drain is bad, what are you supposed to do? You don't have to wait 15 minutes for the water to cool down naturally. You can just add cold water. Run some cold water from the tap into the pot of boiling water, and then strain your pasta or potatoes down the drain. Once the liquid is closer to the temperature of hot tap water, your pipes will be able to handle it safely.