A clean pipe that cause water back up to both sink.

[Catelizabeth]

Our townhome built in 2018 so it is quite new.

Recently, we started to have the back up water in our kitchen double sink. The situation is: we can run the tap at maximum flo for about 2 minutes and then the water start to back up to both sink. Right side worse than the left side. It also happens if we keep the water in one sink and unplug the stopper then the water start to get into the another sink with a very slow drain rate. The left side is the one that has a straight pipe down to the p-trap. We have dissembled the p-trap and the connect pipe and cleaned it. We have run a drain snake after take off the p-trap. The drain snake goes in for about 2,3 meters with no pressure and pull out extremely clean. When check the P-trap and the sink connect pipe, they both are very clean with no clog or grease. We are very cautions about the grease built-ups.

While check the pipe alignment, I notice that the right sink connect pipe that joint together with the vertical pipe on the left( sorry i don't know how to describe it more properly) the opener is almost at the same level of the p-trap outlet level. It shows in the pic 1. Could this be the reason of the water back up? Because there is not enough drop for the water to flow out?

The pic 2 shows that the right sink pipe joint is slightly higher than the left side joint which should be a proper fit.

My plan to try to fix this is to cut the p-trap off and insert a 1 1/2 abs pipe between the p-trap and the sanitary tee to make the connect pipe higher than the outflow level of the p-trap. As showing in the pic 3 with red lines as a cut line and the yellow diagram showed planned position. But i am not sure if this is a viable idea.

Could anybody help me with this ? Thanks a lot.

 

[Michael P Reilly]

I would think if the sinks drained before this issue then your under sink piping isn't the issue. 2 minutes of water is a decent amount. Likely you have something clogging the pipe further down than 2 or 3 meters. Could be in the stack it connects to. You might try snaking the nearest roof vent with a longer snake.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Reach4]

A common place for a clog under a kitchen sink is where, after entering the wall, the flow turns from vertical to horizontal. You should get your drain line cleaned.

Two minutes is a lot... like 4 gallons-- depending on how restrictive your aerator is.

Is this over a basement or crawl space? If so, can you see the drain pipe from below?

 

[Catelizabeth]

I would think if the sinks drained before this issue then your under sink piping isn't the issue. 2 minutes of water is a decent amount. Likely you have something clogging the pipe further down than 2 or 3 meters. Could be in the stack it connects to. You might try snaking the nearest roof vent with a longer snake.

we just sent in to reach the full length of our Husky power drum auger, it is 25ft. I heard the sound coming from below our kitchen floor and into the main drain pipe in another wall. There is little to no blocking feeling.
We have no tool to get to our roof since it is a rowhome and we are in the middle.
I'll update the outcome of this try.

 

[Catelizabeth]

A common place for a clog under a kitchen sink is where, after entering the wall, the flow turns from vertical to horizontal. You should get your drain line cleaned.

Two minutes is a lot... like 4 gallons-- depending on how restrictive your aerator is.

Is this over a basement or crawl space? If so, can you see the drain pipe from below?

We living in a 3 floors rowhomes and the kitchen is locate at 2nd floor. Below the kitchen is our garage and it is full covered so i can't see the pipe from underneath kitchen.
I can hear the drain snake crossing the pipe under our kitchen floor and reaching to the main drain pipe in the middle wall.

I have to correct my previous description of the backing up time. It takes about 30 seconds for the faucet to run directly at the drain before water back in. However, if pouring water using a bowl, i can only pour about 2 liters of water and it start to back up to both sinks.

If I store water in the sink and drain water from sink, the backing up start from the moment that the stopper being pulled. This is the most confusing part.

 

[Jeff H Young]

you've got a stoppage very close by simple as that

 

[Reach4]

10 ft of 1.5 inch pipe holds 0.918 gallons

10 ft of 2 inch pipe holds 1.632 gallons.

Let the pipe sit overnight to drain. The clog may be such that the water did not all drain between tests. Then pour water in and measure as you pour the best you can. Then compute an estimate.

Consider having a pro use a powered pro machine. Your little hand snake may have just punched a little hole into the clog, and it came back together after the snake got pulled. If you use a big machine, you could injure yourself.

Maybe the neighbors would like to share the visit.

 

[Catelizabeth]

We living in a 3 floors rowhomes and the kitchen is locate at 2nd floor. Below the kitchen is our garage and it is full covered so i can't see the pipe from underneath kitchen.
I can hear the drain snake crossing the pipe under our kitchen floor and reaching to the main drain pipe in the middle wall.

I have to correct my previous description of the backing up time. It takes about 30 seconds for the faucet to run directly at the drain before water back in. However, if pouring water using a bowl, i can only pour about 2 liters of water and it start to back up to both sinks.

If I store water in the sink and drain water from sink, the backing up start from the moment that the stopper being pulled. This is the most confusing part.

Thank you so much for everyone that response to my post. Appreciated!


Originally want to DIY and save some money though. I ran another snake extensively and it got much better since yesterday.
I will hire a professional plumber to check if things getting worse again.

 

[Reach4]

I had good luck with the I got a RIDGID PowerSpin Plus.


I powered it with a reversing drill.

 

[Jeff H Young]

Good luck only thing I can think of is its going past and making only a small hole. assuming youve stopped using garbage disposal

 

[Catelizabeth]

Good luck only thing I can think of is its going past and making only a small hole. assuming youve stopped using garbage disposal

LOL. As you can see in the pics, I don't have garbage disposal.

I planning to run the Husky every Sunday for the next month to possibly clean out as much as I can.

 

[Catelizabeth]

I had good luck with the I got a RIDGID PowerSpin Plus.


I powered it with a reversing drill.

The Husky power drum auger can be used pair with reversing drill. I planning to use my drill next time this weekend.

Wish myself lucky too.

 

[Tuttles Revenge]

At which point in the drain are you running the power snake down the drain from? I don't see a cleanout fitting. I like to have water running while I'm snaking a drain so I can tell if its flowing or not.

 

[Reach4]

At which point in the drain are you running the power snake down the drain from? I don't see a cleanout fitting. I like to have water running while I'm snaking a drain so I can tell if its flowing or not.

If there is no restriction in the left bowl, he may be able to snake right thru the trap. Then water can be running.

 

[Catelizabeth]

At which point in the drain are you running the power snake down the drain from? I don't see a cleanout fitting. I like to have water running while I'm snaking a drain so I can tell if its flowing or not.

From the outflow point of P-trap. There is a unite screw at the outflow point of the p-trap, from there i can take the two sink drain and the p-trap off.
I did this to check if there is any clog at the p-trap and found it was super clean.
It is easier to send in from this point than from the strainer of the sink.

 

[Catelizabeth]

If there is no restriction in the left bowl, he may be able to snake right thru the trap. Then water can be running.

Yes, I agree.
I took the whole p-trap off to try clean any possible clog.
Maybe next time I will run the snake from the strainer.

 

[Catelizabeth]

Don't know if anyone would be interested in discussing the pipe position?

As i mentioned before, the sink connecting pipe is almost at the same level of the p-trap outflow point. Would this at some point affect the water flow?

Will it be better if the sink connecting pipe at a slight higher level to the p-trap outflow point?

I googled some correct double sink drain pipe diagram and almost all of them showed a higher level sink connecting pipe. Maybe it should be a standard rule?

Mine just didn't seem quite right.

BTW, the water runs really smooth in my kitchen now.

 

[Reach4]

Good point. Your yellow lines would be much better, but that is not the cause of your recent problem.

Do I understand you to say that there is a 1.5 inch trap adapter at the wall? If not, what is at the wall?

 

[Catelizabeth]

Good point. Your yellow lines would be much better, but that is not the cause of your recent problem.

Do I understand you to say that there is a 1.5 inch trap adapter at the wall? If not, what is at the wall?

Do you mean the pipe connect the p-trap to the drain inside the wall? There is no adapter to the wall rather some curved short pipe turn that glued together.

 

[Reach4]

Do you mean the pipe connect the p-trap to the drain inside the wall? There is no adapter to the wall rather some curved short pipe turn that glued together.

At A on this picture, I noticed the little protrusion. That gave me hope there was something there that would unscrew. I think you are saying no, the thing at A will not unscrew.

There looks like enough place to put a trap adapter at B, but it would be at an awkward place.

Did you do your snaking by unscrewing C and inserting the snake?