Sink drain collecting food

[Evan Brenner]

Hi,

I'm brand new to plumbing, but have a problem I wonder if anyone could guide me on.

Basically, at the bottom of our farmhouse sink there is a hole where the water drains. It's about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. The water flows into the hole. About two inches down the hole is a little crossbar which would catch large debris (a fork, a ring, a bottlecap, food - whatever one might not want going down the drain).

The problem is, this crossbar is seated like two inches down the drain. So food builds up and I must routinely (once or twice durning after dinner dishwashing) reach in with two fingers and try and clear out food. This is super-annoying, unpleasant, and time-consuming.

I had the sink recovered a few years ago and although I don't remember exactly how the drain worked prior to the work being done, I don't remember this problem. Should/can the crossbar be put in flush with the bottom of the sink?

I unscrewed the drainpipe and took a picture under the sink in case that would help diagnosing and resolving the problem.

Thanks!
Evan

 

[Geofd]

that's what the drain is supposed to do if you let those bits of food to go down the drain after a while you would have a clogged drain

 

[Rickyman]

It’s called a basket strainer, you’re missing the basket.

Check under the sink, your wife probably put it there with all the cleaning products.

 

[Evan Brenner]

I see! Thank you. Is there a style of sink where the crossbar is flush with the bottom of the sink (ie. raised two inches)? I am familiar with this basket strainer style, but we have little kids and loads of dishes and the little basket gets filled so quickly and often and I really don't mind larger chunks of waste going down the drain.

I know I'm getting particular here, but I'd prefer to just press soggy cheerios between a crossbar, rather than having to pull out a little basket (presumably with a finer mesh than the crossbar) to clear it.

 

[havasu]

Have you considered installing a garbage disposal?

 

[frodo]

I see! Thank you. Is there a style of sink where the crossbar is flush with the bottom of the sink (ie. raised two inches)? I am familiar with this basket strainer style, but we have little kids and loads of dishes and the little basket gets filled so quickly and often and I really don't mind larger chunks of waste going down the drain.

I know I'm getting particular here, but I'd prefer to just press soggy cheerios between a crossbar, rather than having to pull out a little basket (presumably with a finer mesh than the crossbar) to clear it.

press away....have a cheerio pressing party
get a magnetic sticker for your refrigerator for your local drain cleaning guy

 

[Diehard]

I believe it's common to clear the food from dishes, etc., prior to washing them.
Then the basket strainer, with it's 1/8"+/- holes, catches anything that doesn't get scraped from the dishes and simply gets lifted out and dumped into a waste container.


Garbage disposal are not the best choice for septic systems, if that's what you have.