Plugged up drain.

[dj1701]

Hi everyone.

I have a kitchen drain that is giving me a problem. It is continually getting stopped up.

I have used a plunger, and that works for a bit. I have used a snake and that worked for a while as well. I have tried boiling water to no avail.

I hesitate to use chemicals because it goes into my septic. Maybe someone knows of something that will work without destroying the good bacteria.


Thanks
Dave

 

[seville009]

Everything else drains ok (toilets, other sinks, showers)?

If they do, and your septic is not backing up, then maybe there’s something physically wrong with the kitchen pipes - not enough slope or air lock/plugged vent or something. Put a new j-pipe in under the sink - cheap an easy if that has build up in it.

 

[dj1701]

Everything else drains fine. The j-pipe is clear. Just started to give me problems.

 

[/pine]

Is the plumbing in a crawl space, basement, under a slab??
How long was the snake you used...? what there much grease on the end?
Kitchen sink drains are prone to grease buildups and boiling water does not always liquefy all the grease...

 

[stumblinhorse]

These work very very good for cleaning pipes.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MV3D542

 

[WM75Guy]

May be worth calling a plumber and running a camera down the pipe. That would give you a definitive answer.

 

[jaxs]

Hi everyone.

I have a kitchen drain that is giving me a problem. It is continually getting stopped up.

I have used a plunger, and that works for a bit. I have used a snake and that worked for a while as well. I have tried boiling water to no avail.

I hesitate to use chemicals because it goes into my septic. Maybe someone knows of something that will work without destroying the good bacteria.


Thanks
Dave

"IF" a plunger opens it up the problem is in first few feet of drain. Remove p-trap and inspect for grease build up or an object lodged in trap catching stuff when sink drains. Inspect wall tube while trap is off. If pipes are clean as far down as you can inspect,you'll need to use a snake. If you can rent a power snake with a scrapper attachment(attachment is U shaped to scrap walls as it gos through) it should do the job. Some but not all wall tubes have a compression fitting,if yours does removing tube will make snake easier to insert. If tube is soldered on I reccomend going down vent on roof with drain machine.
Ever heard of "a stitch in time saves nine"? If you have a disposal,remove it and put garbage in garbage can. Contrary to popular believe,grinding crap and flushing down drain will clogg lines. NEVER use hot water to flush anything down drain and use cold water to flush lines as they are snaked. Why? Because hot water melts animal and vegetable fat but they stick to cool line cool walls and resolidify thereby reducing diameter of pipe until it is too small to pass stuff through.

 

[zzvyb6]

Pipe frozen ? Hot water might eventually get thru it.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Get a ladder and snake it from the vent pipe on the roof. Something may have climbed down the hole and died.

 

[civilian]

The vent pipe for that sink could also be blocked with frozen snow. Jon

 

[dj1701]

I snaked it 25' and it came back clean. Never thought about the vent pipe being clogged.

Pipes are in a crawl space. All are PVC.

Dave

 

[Paddy]

what size drain pipe? I use 2" pipe to 4 in sewer and 1-1/2 P trap

 

[dj1701]

what size drain pipe? I use 2" pipe to 4 in sewer and 1-1/2 P trap

I'm not sure. I spend as little time under the house as possible.

 

[mike0000]

I battle our kitchen sink drain fairy often. It’s drain line is a long run to the main septic “stack” Sink is on an outside wall with my septic stack on the opposite side of the house. I added a tee with a threaded clean out cap. It’s in an unfinished section of our basement. I run my power snake through it whenever we notice slow draining, probably twice a year.

Mike

 

[AWSubie]

Have u run the snake both ways at the clean out? Meaning that (if the plumbing was installed correctly when the house was constructed) either at the exterior wall of the house or in the crawlspace there are two capped ports into plumbing, one that goes towards the septic tank and another that goes into the house drain system. Sometimes these are the same size and sometimes the septic system size is like a 3 inch and the one going towards the house is two or one and a half inch; anyway I had a similar situation just last week where I had run the snake into the house, but didn’t think it was necessary to run towards the septic and I was wrong. I should’ve run both ways and I would’ve spared myself a second try clearing the clog.

 

[Little Red Tractor]

I'm thinking vent is plugged. I had a similar problem in a previous home.

 

[mike0000]

Have u run the snake both ways at the clean out? Meaning that (if the plumbing was installed correctly when the house was constructed) either at the exterior wall of the house or in the crawlspace there are two capped ports into plumbing, one that goes towards the septic tank and another that goes into the house drain system. Sometimes these are the same size and sometimes the septic system size is like a 3 inch and the one going towards the house is two or one and a half inch; anyway I had a similar situation just last week where I had run the snake into the house, but didn’t think it was necessary to run towards the septic and I was wrong. I should’ve run both ways and I would’ve spared myself a second try clearing the clog.

When I added my clean out tee I put it near center of the sink run. I found out like AWSubie that I had to run both directions, to the sink and to the septic stack. I put a bucket under the clean out, not a real pleasant job, but better than paying someone else to do it.

Mike

 

[HawkinsHollow]

Another vote for vent pipe. Was having the same issue and the plumber climbed up on the roof and snaked it down the vent pipe. If your sink is in front of a window the vent has to run horizontal until it can clear the window. Crud backs up into the horizontal part and messes up the works. Good luck! Been having issues myself, finally paid $350 to have a pro come out and clear the main and kitchen and put the camera on both of them. Money well spent!!

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Try this! Ace Hardware had it on bottom shelf "hidden away" for a reason. Open windows first! Pour & run...

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Pour some down vent pipe too. Whatever clog, dead rat, etc will be gone.