Why You Shouldn’t Flush Coffee Grounds Down the Sink

If you’re the type of person who has to have coffee as part of their morning ritual in order to set themselves up for the day, then you’re not alone. Coffee has grown to become almost as popular as tea in the UK, and one other habit you might also share with the coffee-drinking crowd is rinsing coffee grounds down the sink.

This everyday act, where you’re tidying up in the morning, is one of the biggest contributors towards drain blockages. That’s why, in this piece, we’re going to cover the issue in more detail. We’ll look at why coffee grounds don’t break down like other waste, how they cause pipe and drain issues, the real cost of ignoring it and who to call if this article comes too late for you.

At Express Drainage Surveys, we’re experts in dealing with the aftermath of any drain blockages, including those caused by incorrect coffee grounds disposal. We can help you identify the issues and fix them before it does any more damage.

Why coffee grounds don’t belong in your sink

Who knew that there were hidden perils to something as simple as your morning brew? You should never pour your used coffee grounds down the drain because of how they behave in water. There are two main issues at play here:

Unlike regular food waste, coffee grounds don’t dissolve or break down in water. In fact, they’re more likely to compact themselves and clump together.
When you combine coffee grounds with grease and soap, which are plentiful in most drains, they tend to form a dense sludge.

Coffee grounds have a structure that is oil retentive, granular and fibrous, which means it shares similarities with other common offenders such as rice, pasta, eggshells and cooking oils. Stop and think about it: would you pour any of these items down your kitchen drain?

The cumulative effects of coffee grounds in domestic or commercial drains are so profound that they’re one of the top items found during professional drain surveys in the UK.

The science behind the blockages

Let’s take a closer look at the chemistry and mechanics of coffee grounds and blockages.

We know that coffee and its oil residue can stick within pipes themselves, but when those grounds bind to any fats in the system, they form an almost immovable layer. That slows your water flow right down and gives bacteria more and more time to grow.

This is partially how fatbergs are created, a real news item covered over the last decade or so in the UK, particularly in London. It’s something we find evidence of here at Express Drainage Surveys when carrying out CCTV drain inspections, where coffee residues show up as a granular buildup along the internal pipe walls.

Common misconceptions about your coffee grounds

We get it – when you’re in a rush or trying to keep things tidy, you can fall into bad habits and think that washing grounds away down the sink isn’t that big a deal. There are plenty of myths and common misconceptions, but it really is important that you don’t do this if you want to avoid drain blockages later down the line.

One of the biggest excuses for people with modern kitchens is that they think having a waste disposal unit means that anything can go down the sink. The reality is that coffee grounds can dull the blades on these units, clog your mechanism and still end up clogging up your pipes. This is why so many plumbing experts advise against using disposal units for any fibrous or oily materials if you’re lucky enough to have one.

Remember, just because it can fit down the plug hole, it doesn’t mean that it’s actually gone away. Prevention of drain blockages is cheaper than the repair, especially since coffee grounds that travel deep into the system can create blockages that require a lot of work – it isn’t always just confined to the under-sink space inside your property.

What happens when coffee grounds clog your pipes?

If you think that you might have a problem with a blocked drain caused by pouring your coffee grounds away, you might notice some of the following:

Short-term symptoms: This includes water drainage slowing down, gurgling noises from the sink and some unpleasant odours from the plughole caused by bacteria.
Long-term symptoms: You’ll find complete blockages develop over time, which brings a backflow of wastewater into your property and flooding risks externally. This can also lead to serious structural damage to your underground drainage infrastructure.

Whether you’ve noticed a gradual decline in the ability of your drains to handle water or you can relate to the long-term effects of a blockage, a CCTV drainage survey could be crucial. This service allows an engineer to directly locate a blockage without having to excavate. You’ll then get a detailed report with a quote for any repairs or maintenance if required.

Just think, a few stray coffee grounds today with your morning brew could lead to a deeper drainage disaster tomorrow.

When to call the experts

So, how do you know when you should call in the experts? Some of the signs we’ve outlined should be your first clue that something isn’t right, but also, if your DIY attempts are not effective, we’re always here to help.

Our professional team make solving drain blockages straightforward and affordable, so there’s no need to panic. We’ll use state-of-the-art technology to provide comprehensive video evidence of any blockages, and we can talk you through your options if there are stubborn coffee grounds-related issues.

If you’ve been pouring grounds down the drain already and want to have your drains checked out preemptively, you can also call on the services of our team.

Cleaner brews and cleaner drains

Now that you know why you shouldn’t put coffee grounds down the drain, you can enjoy your brew in peace. As well as our expertise, we’re also happy to provide homeowners and business owners with the following services:

Contact us today to speak to our team and arrange for any of our expert drainage services at your property, and we’ll be more than happy to assist you.