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Kitchen sink drain. Update
montanajoe
Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 60,162 ******
is kicking my butt. Clogged, standing water for two days now.
Done the plunger, drano, baking soda/vinegar, tore apart the drain. Tried a hand auger. Can only get in a couple feet, can not get it to go further, a 90, T, who knows. Finished ceiling below it so can't see the pipe. Got a call in to plumber for in the morning. $150 just to come out. Would've been $350 to just show up today. Dammit.
Comments
may be a bit late but rent a drain snake I think even big box stores rent them now.
I have seen compressed air forced into the drain with a compressor and the drain sealed best it could just usings a dish towel to seal the pressure and dont go over board and blow the pipes apart
not sure but I remember compressed cans of air with a sealing top made just for it plce over the drain and press down on the can
as a kid i remember people would use muriatic acid to eat thru the clog
I can not remember ever having a clogged up drain my self now a backed up toilet once yes but that was a easy fix
good luck I for one hate to have to call any one to any work for me just call me cheap LOL
if I ever get a clog all the pipes are easy access even the main one going to the septic tank
Air compressor and a snug but not airtight seal might be the ticket you're looking for. Just set the air pressure at about 50psi so you minimize the risk of damaging pipes. It's worked for me before.
🇺🇲 "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." - Thomas Jefferson 🇺🇲
Have used the cans of air many years ago. First time using it, we learned that all down line drains must be covered, blew everywhere.
Tried using the blowing air off my shop vac. Nothing
Run yer garden hose into the drain that is clogged. Wrap a towel around it very securely and hold it tight. Have someone turn on the water to the hose. If this doesn't clear the pipe, yer in trubble!!!
Have you seen or ever use those rubber bladders? They come in different sizes. Connect to garden hose, put down drain, turn on water. Bladder fills with water and expands, in turn sealing off pipe. Builds X amount of pressure and cuts loose with a stream of water forced down the pipe.
Have used before. But with anything that puts pressure into the pipe, you better cover,plug all downstream drains.
Sounds like a "complete plug" and the cures you did will never reach the culprit. It will take a "professional" snake to get it unplugged imo. only. Been there and used to do light plumbing. Don't mess with the hose it will just make a mess.
Do you have steel pipes? My mothers 83 age friend drains all stopped up in his house. I cut the smaller steel pipes out and replaced with PVC a couple weeks ago. A couple days work and everything works good now. The guy has done so much for my mother as no way I charge. I also mowed his 2-acre yard with about 20 apple trees with bees everywhere also.
I build log cabins with carefully crafted dovetail notches. Difficult carpentry.
And I have done all the wiring on 4 log cabins. I know the residential wiring code. I am a good, unlicensed electrician.
But plumbing? Forget about it. I can't do plumbing, I just don't understand it.
A old plumber when i was younger told me two things to remember and know to be a plumber
poop rolls down hill and don't chew your fingernails
What I've done on clogged sink drains that a snake auger will not get to due to too many 90's etc.
I took a 0-60 gauge if the air compressor does not have such and small 120v portable pancake air compressor that has a regulator and hard plumb air into the drain pipe and try to inject air. If I cannot build pressure I go and listen to the vent pipes. (usually have to get on top of the building and the vent pipe is usually the closest vertical pipe from where the sink is located
Small portable 120v air compressor is also handy for other things when not needed for clearing drain pipes.
When I find a vent pipe blowing air I plug it and re-test. When I get 25psi on the drain I just go off and let it set. Sometimes takes several minutes for the air to start clearing the drain. I do not use above 25psi due to possibly blowing plastic joints apart.
You can find lots of different size expanding sealing stuff for pipes on-line and lowes handles several. I do not use water as the pressure, it can get messy.
If the air starts going through but the drain does not clear good I inject some vinegar and baking soda and then use little water or air to get the soda to the clog.
Not a fun job but can save you a large plumbing fee. Using air pressure inside a house is more user friendly than using water pressure.
Auger it from the vent pipe down (need to get on the roof).
Yep, sometimes that works. It's worth a shot, usually eliminates at least the first 90.
If the house does not have an external clean out, it can be a very good investment. You needn't ask how I know. Guess what backed up into the shower. We have one now, and it cost a lost less than the initial repair.
A plumber is a carpenter with his brains knocked out.
Four things to know, work never ends, poop won't normally run up hill,
hot on left, cold on right. Everything else takes care of itself.
You would not know how much "stuff" can come out of a 1/4 inch hole when it is under a bit of pressure.
Poop must not be too dangerous, I have ate lunch sitting beside many a plumber with soiled hands and old age killed most of them.
Drain is clear,drain is clear.
Nothing that $468 couldn't take care of.
Our plumber finally made it out to us. He brought in his power auger but he too had a heck of a time getting to start down the pipe. Each side of the sink has its own p-trap that goes into the wall and meets at T. The auger, like mine did, kept passing from side to other but not downward into the drain pipe. Started talking about cut out back of cabinet, or ceiling in basement. Oh Lord, no. Gave it one more try and got the auger line to feed. Ran a good 20 feet or so of line and busted through clog.
Thought about going down vent pipe but said it was in wrong location to work.
Anyways, it's clear. He did recommend a preventive enzyme treat to use, available on line at that popular place. Going to order it tonight.
Thanks all.
Enzyme name might be of interest here, especially if it is made by Colt or S&W. I have a couple of places it might be of use.
Just one more tid bit of plumbing humor…..
Not a requirement to the field of plumbing but it has long been known that the VERY BEST plumbers have butt cracks that extend up the back quite a bit higher than your average human.
The only difference between a Plumber and an Engineer is, a Plumber knows that hot is on the left and cold is on the right and poop won't run uphill. An Engineer knows that hot is on the left and cold is on the right and poop won't run uphill ……………………………………. without a pump.
Well, praise the lord it is fixed. Nothing much worse than water that want go down.
My doctor neighbor had a plumber come fix a leaky faucet one day. It took him about an hour. When he gave the doc the bill, the doc complained that it was more than he made in an hour. The plumber said “yeah, I know. I used to be a doctor “.
The guy I worked for that taught me flooring used a similar line on a doc once. We got all finished up with about 150 yards of carpet and Greg presented the doc with the bill. The doc looked at it and said "My God that's a lot of money to lay carpet!" Greg looked at him and replied, "I didn't make much money when I was a doctor either". Doc got out his checkbook right quick and then gave each of us a $50 tip!
Congrats at least its done and one less headache