Slow Bathroom Sink Drain

[infernoman06]

I recently replaced the vanity in the bathroom and installed a new one. Nothing else was changed. The shower/bathtub and toilet drains correctly. Also the vanity worked just fine before the replacement. I've tried chemical drain cleaners and nothing works. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thank you.

The sink has no overflow and it already has a pop up style drain stopper. The vent is not stopped up and neither is the drain. Both were snaked. What is the solution? Thanks for all the help so far.

[Drain Medic]

Did you replace any of the pipes for the vanity underneath? Wouldnt use chemicals, sounds like you may need a snake

[infernoman06]

I only replaced the p-trap.

[Pipestone Kid]

Did you possibly push the trap too far into the drain pipe? (so it is hitting the back wall of the drain and restricting the flow?)

[drtyhands]

Right on Pipestone,let me know if you ever want to make some money on the side:D

[Ace Sewer]

Bingo!

[PLUMBER RICK]

I recently replaced the vanity in the bathroom and installed a new one. Nothing else was changed. The shower/bathtub and toilet drains correctly. Also the vanity worked just fine before the replacement. I've tried chemical drain cleaners and nothing works. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thank you.

i'm going to think outside the box :smile-square:

i've found that sinks without an overflow drain opening never drain properly due to an air lock.

try removing the stopper and see if it drains faster. even a drinking straw inserted into the drain will help allow air to enter. if the drain speeds up, you have an air lock.

rick.

[yasudaplumbing]

i'm going to think outside the box :smile-square:

i've found that sinks without an overflow drain opening never drain properly due to an air lock.

try removing the stopper and see if it drains faster. even a drinking straw inserted into the drain will help allow air to enter. if the drain speeds up, you have an air lock.

rick.
A really good point Rick.

I've found this out a lot with Vessel sinks which don't have and overflow hole. If your customer provides a "grid" style strainer for their new vessel sink, Don't install it. Tell them to go buy a "push style" pop-up.
The "grid" style lets the water pool at the bottom and subsequently simulates a clogged drain.

Tracy

[gear junkie]

i'm going to think outside the box :smile-square:

i've found that sinks without an overflow drain opening never drain properly due to an air lock.

try removing the stopper and see if it drains faster. even a drinking straw inserted into the drain will help allow air to enter. if the drain speeds up, you have an air lock.

rick.
This is why I come to the forum. Learn something new everyday.

[Ace Sewer]

i'm going to think outside the box :smile-square:

i've found that sinks without an overflow drain opening never drain properly due to an air lock.

try removing the stopper and see if it drains faster. even a drinking straw inserted into the drain will help allow air to enter. if the drain speeds up, you have an air lock.

rick.


Rick and Tracy you may have just solved a puzzle for me... I have a large public bathroom, with about 20 sinks, many if not all of which drain slowly. Customer wanted me to blow every sink and the 'mains' for want of a better word they drop into. I started on one, no improvement. I got curious... it was still slow with the trap off draining into a bucket. NOTHING in the way there. Better with the strainer removed, but still slow. The sinks DO have overflows, not cast into the porcelain, but a vinyl hose running down around the underneath from the overflow hole in the front of the sink to the bottom of it. Pull the hose off the porcelain at the bottom and it drains nicely. I bet those hoses are plugged with mold.

[westcoastplumber]

I have seen this many times in sink bowls.

The other times is when the pop-up is set to low

Another thing that helps with the vacuum effect is to much putty in the overflow hole, you can also get a stinky drain that way

[CrazyJoe]

I have nearly the exact same problem.

I've left the under sink plumbing untouched other than a new brass sink drain that connects to the existing P-Trap.

The sink never had a draining problem before and it appeared to work fine for a few weeks ... now it takes hours to drain the sink. A snake reveals nothing blocking and the drain is only 3 feet from the main sewer line running under the house. A stand-up shower just upstream of the sink has the same draining issue. The toilet and kitchen sink drains upstream of these drains fine.

Could it be a separate vent line that is plugged ?

Any and all help is appreciated ... and thanks in advance.

[westcoastplumber]

I have nearly the exact same problem.

I've left the under sink plumbing untouched other than a new brass sink drain that connects to the existing P-Trap.

The sink never had a draining problem before and it appeared to work fine for a few weeks ... now it takes hours to drain the sink. A snake reveals nothing blocking and the drain is only 3 feet from the main sewer line running under the house. A stand-up shower just upstream of the sink has the same draining issue. The toilet and kitchen sink drains upstream of these drains fine.

Could it be a separate vent line that is plugged ?

Any and all help is appreciated ... and thanks in advance.


Both fixtures draiuning slow, on the same line, 3' from the main? sounds like a possible vent problem.