Bad Pipe Design under Kitchen Sink?

[ygDIY]

Hi all, my kitchen sink always gets clogged, I think the pipe design is not good, unless there is some unobvious reason behind the current design. Please see the attached pictures.
View from left of the disposal:

View from right of the disposal:

Do you think this is a reasonable design, or a bad one?

 

[ygDIY]

I want to attach more pictures, but it always says file too large.. but my picture is reduced to only 20KB now..

Anyway, I found it always gets clogged in where the left and right sink pipe join together, right behind the service cap. The clog is mainly grease, I have been very careful not to put any food debris in.. Once clogged, using Draino etc is not very effective, I guess Draino does not reach and stay in the clogged area.

Experts, would you recommend hiring someone to re-design these pipes to reduce so many turns? Thanks!

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Reach4]

I want to attach more pictures, but it always says file too large.. but my picture is reduced to only 20KB now..

Make sure the picture is not bigger than 800 pixels either way.

The ?? is probably a vent, but does not appear follow the rules of venting. Normally vent pipes should stay within 45 degrees of plumb until 6 inches above the flood level of the sink. It still might work well regardless.

Venting is not the cause of clogging. Is this above a basement? The clogging may actually be down there. How do you usually clear the clog? Do you use that plug?

 

[WorthFlorida]

I'm not a plumber but that piping is hardly common sense. Anything behind what looks like a double fixture tee? That type of fixture is only to be used for vertical installations. The ?? pipe seems to be the vent since the combo is correctly installed for a vent. A fix is cut out the double fixture where the red arrow is. A 45 elbow may work. reconfigure the sinks traps and maybe installed the disposal on the other sink. Without more pictures my suggestion is only what I can see. If you can not do the work, definitely hire the work out. This will never work and please do not use chemicals, save your money.

When photos are too large I put them in an editor and shrink them or change them to JPEG. PNG file types are larger. Sometimes it doesn't work. If you have an iPhone, change the setting for JPEG pictures. Apple has their own file name HEIC (High-Efficiency Image Format) from iOS 11

 

[ygDIY]

Hi Reach4, thanks for the reply! This is above a basement, so the pipe goes into the wall, then goes down to the "ceiling" of the basement, went across the room horizontally, then down to the main sewage.

Additional pictures, note where I found the clog is:

Better this way?

 

[Reach4]

Something like that, but you need a trap.


What is the altitude difference between the output of the disposal and the input to the wall?

 

[ygDIY]

Hi WorthFlorida, thanks for your message! The disposal has an input from the dishwasher on the right, so I guess it has to stay on the right side sink.

Now I can upload images, do you mean what my "better?" picture shows? Thanks!

 

[Reach4]

The disposal has an input from the dishwasher on the right, so I guess it has to stay on the right side sink.

The line from the dishwasher can be extended if you want it to reach farther.

What is the altitude difference between the output of the disposal and the input to the wall?

Can you show a wider photo?

 

[ygDIY]

The line from the dishwasher can be extended if you want it to reach farther.

What is the altitude difference between the output of the disposal and the input to the wall?

Can you show a wider photo?

Hi Reach4, thanks! The altitude is about the same.

What do you want to see in a wider photo? I will try to take more photos, or draw it out.

 

[ygDIY]

Venting is not the cause of clogging. Is this above a basement? The clogging may actually be down there. How do you usually clear the clog? Do you use that plug?

Hi Reach4, from what I can see, the clogging is at the double fixture tee, as illustrated in my picture. If I open the service cap at the double fixture tee, let the water drain out, and simply dig out the clog using a stick, it will stay good for some days.

Also, when it clogs, if I ran the disposal, dirty water may come out from both sink; if I flush the other sink, dirty water will raise from the disposal side. You can see the water levels on the two sides goes like seesaw, then becomes even, then slowly does down (or not).

Based on the above, I guess the clog is mainly at the double fixture tee, the part beyond the wall and goes to the basement might be OK. Make sense?

 

[Reach4]

Hi Reach4, thanks! The altitude is about the same.

That is important. You need some fall to make this right.

Are the bowls on the sink the same depth?

What do you want to see in a wider photo? I will try to take more photos, or draw it out.

The general layout sketch would be good.

Also trying to figure out what it would take to cut a new entry for waste into the wall.

I would get a self-leveling laser level to make this measurement easier.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Bosch-3...-Device-and-Carrying-Pouch-GLL-30-S/207134022
Johnson Level® Self-Leveling Cross and Line Laser Level at Menards®
Laser level at Lowes.com: Search Results
The lower end self-leveling units will use a pendulum, and only show in low light. But for indoor, that is all you need. Stack up books etc to adjust the height. Or get a fancier one, and have that available in your circle of tool-swapping friends.

Laser level lines really show up in photos taken in low light. If your phone or camera has a low light mode, you can get the output from the disposal and the entrance to the wall in the same photo.

Not having a disposal is not bad. You just put solids into the garbage instead of down the drain.

Putting in a trap adapter at a lower level may be worthwhile. A plumber could do that pretty quickly. Then you would patch the wall with drywall.

I would like to see a photo that shows the two connections to the wall.

 

[ygDIY]

Hi Reach4, here is the photo showing the two connections to the wall. As you can see, the output from the disposal is about the same level as the entry to the wall, but with several turns.

Also, this is the photo showing the double fixture tee, where I believe the clog occurs:

 

[ygDIY]

That is important. You need some fall to make this right.

Are the bowls on the sink the same depth?

Hi Reach4, visually they look like at the same level, as you may see on the photos above. Do you mean even a small fall, like 1 or 2 degrees, will also count?

The bowls on the sink has the same depth.

 

[Reach4]

Hi Reach4, visually they look like at the same level, as you may see on the photos above. Do you mean even a small fall, like 1 or 2 degrees, will also count?

2 degrees would be good.