Stopped sink drain

[notch]

Out of the blue our sink drain just stops, clogged solid. I first tried drain cleaner, no luck. Pulled the trap and ran a 50' auger. Came back with nothing on it. Did it again with the same results. Put it back together and still no water drainage at all. Went up on the roof and snaked the vent until it hit water. Still no drain. Got back in today and snaked it again with no results. 1 1/2 pvc that ties into a 3" wye from toilet. Toilet flushes fine. I am sure the snake made it to the wye. I was going to cut the pvc in the basement tomorrow and get a good look, but would rather not do that. Please help!!!

[JCsPlumbing]

How far did you go after you hit water on the roof?

J.C.

[notch]

BTW, it is the kitchen sink.

Not too sure on how far, it was very cold and windy last night! I can do it tomorrow and make sure that I am down far enough. Can a clogged vent completely stop water flow? This drain can sit for 12hrs and not drop any.

[HebertDrainCare]

Are both sides of the sink stopped up or just one side?

Is your disposal, if you have one, working? Does the blade spin when you turn
it on?

[notch]

Are both sides of the sink stopped up or just one side?

Is your disposal, if you have one, working? Does the blade spin when you turn
it on?

Both sides are stopped up. Yes, disposal works.

[HebertDrainCare]

This may seem obvious but I'll shoot anyway.

Did you look inside of the trap to make sure it's clear?

Also check the "T" fitting just above the p-trap too make sure food from the disposal isnt stuck in it.

[JCsPlumbing]

Sounds like you're not making it to the wye for some reason. Could have went up the vent through the pipe in the cabinet. You also may have 50' of cable & you may not. Is this your personal machine or a rental?

J.C.

[vette850]

If the toilet flushes fine then there is no need to run 50' of cable down there. Are you SURE that the 1-1/2 ties into the 3" wye for the toilet? I've been in quite a few houses with improper or NO venting...and the drains typically drain, however poorly. Sounds like either disposal issues or if you have a double sink then the waste tee might be clogged.

[HebertDrainCare]

Does the 1 1/2 line tie in to the 3 inch above ground? In the wall? How far is it between the ptrap and the 3 inch?

[notch]

Trap is clean and so is the tee.

I will measure the actual pipe run from in the basement to see if it's less than 50'.

[JCsPlumbing]

Trap is clean and so is the tee.

I will measure the actual pipe run from in the basement to see if it's less than 50'.

Pull the cable out and measure it too.

J.C.

[HebertDrainCare]

May just be a thick blockage that needs to be run repeatedly.

Is the pipe sloping properly so the waste gravity flows downstream?

Try running the line again, If you are sure you are getting to the next largest line, 3 to 4 inch. Put your sink back together, turn on the water and allow both sides to fill up to the top. If you loosened the blockage enough the weight of the water in the vent may push the blockage out. With both sides full try plunging.

Hard to diagnose this without being there

[notch]

If the toilet flushes fine then there is no need to run 50' of cable down there. Are you SURE that the 1-1/2 ties into the 3" wye for the toilet? I've been in quite a few houses with improper or NO venting...and the drains typically drain, however poorly. Sounds like either disposal issues or if you have a double sink then the waste tee might be clogged.

Yes, the 1 1/2" line runs right into the where the 3" toilet wye is. There is a vent right off the sink line, behind the counter wall up through the roof. Waste tee is definitely not clogged.

[notch]

Pull the cable out and measure it too.

J.C.

Ok

[notch]

May just be a thick blockage that needs to be run repeatedly.

Is the pipe sloping properly so the waste gravity flows downstream?

Try running the line again, If you are sure you are getting to the next largest line, 3 to 4 inch. Put your sink back together, turn on the water and allow both sides to fill up to the top. If you loosened the blockage enough the weight of the water in the vent may push the blockage out. With both sides full try plunging.

Hard to diagnose this without being there

There is some slope. I will have to make sure that I am making it to the 3" line tomorrow. I did try plunging with both sinks full.

[PLUMBER RICK]

kitchen sinks without an outside cleanout is the worst. you need to have some water to help flush away the debris.

either a jetter or a larger cutter with a decent cable.

honestly if you have a good roof access. i would try again with the sink full of water and a helper telling you when the water starts to move or if you made it to the 3'' main. the kitchen sink is suppose to be on a 2'' horizontal line. 1.5'' into the wall san tee and 2'' from there to the main.

rick.

[drainman881999]

Notch,After removing the trap & drain arm,Insert your auger. Make sure cable is making the downward drop.(water will continue to drip from the drain as you add cable) .

Now auger until you reach the clog,and clear the drain(water will no longer drip from the drain,not even when you pull back).

Now be careful,lay down Plastic,old newspapers,towels,etc;retract your auger,don't sling black -------- all over the place.

Reconnect ,Clean up,Test the sink.Pat yourself on the back,Wash dishes.

Repost, let us know how you did it.

[drainman881999]

If your auger is very small,bend the end appx.45 degrees.

This will give a erratic,off center,whipping effect to the cable,thus cleaning a larger area.

[notch]

Thanks for the help. I just got it fixed. I dumped some boiling hot water in the drain last night and tried to feel the pipe to guess on where the clog may have been. I guessed fairly close. I cut into the pipe to find solid black sludge. Once open, a solid four foot section came out with all the water behind it. I snaked the other way, assembled and tested. I'm guessing the clog started at a pair of 90 degree elbows at the wall. Total clog of 7' or 8'. Thanks again.

BTW, I guess these store bought snakes just go right through the clog and then it just seals back up once pulled out.

[drainman881999]

Congrats,Now you are a drainman.The expert on your drain line.Are you going to be a plumber/sewer tech. now?

[notch]

Congrats,Now you are a drainman.The expert on your drain line.Are you going to be a plumber/sewer tech. now?

No thanks!

[Thurman]

"Notch", this sounds so much like a problem I had two years ago. Do you have a dishwasher that uses the same drain as your sink? I ran the small 3/8" sized snake through the sink drain lines under the kitchen sink the length of the auger, say 20 ft. The I went under the house, found a 1 1/2" clean-out under there for the sink line and ran the auger through for the length of the auger. Fixed the problem, NOT! The sink would still back up and drain very slowly. I cut the PVC pipe in the run between the clean-out and where it tied into the 4" PVC for the whole house. Voila! I had maybe a 3/8" hole within this 1 1/2" PVC pipe. It had caked up with what seemed to be soap scum and fatty stuff. I bought an attachment for my pressure washer, cut the 1 1/2" near the 4" and really cleaned it out until it was 1 1/2" again the full run. Everything was reattached using Fernco couplings and more pipe strapping. I also have a dishwasher and was told (?) the dishwasher soap could have been most of the problem. Hope this helps someone. Thanks, David