Double Sink water backing up

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Julie89

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Hello, new user here. So I moved into this new place a few months back and everything was fine until a few weeks ago when my kitchen double sink started to back up. I removed the trap and the pipes to see if there was a clog but nothing. I tried the old baking soda and vinegar hack but nothing. I then bought a 15ft auger at Lowes (the 1/4th Inch) and slid it inside the pipes to see if the pipes were clogged further down but it did not seem clogged, as nothing was coming out nor did I feel any obstructions while snaking. The double sink water comes back up and backs up into both sinks when I run water and takes forever to drain. A few days ago, I noticed the water coming out of the dishwasher so I turned it on and the dishwasher water backs up into the double sink as well and it stinks like rotten eggs or something like that. The garbage disposal looks rusted when I look inside and I think the garbage disposal might be the problem but I’m not sure because as I said, it was working fine for a couple of months there until recently and I don’t use the garbage disposal at all, I throw away the scraps in the trash can. Does anybody have an idea of what’s going on and how I can fix it? Below I have attached a picture of how it looks under the sink.

5F3E8C71-5AFB-4DCB-95FA-416AFEDC38D9.jpeg
 

wwhitney

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Sounds like a clog, just farther downstream than your snake can reach. Not my area of expertise, though.

As to water backing up into the dishwasher, the hose connected to the garbage disposal is supposed to be routed in a way that prevents that. You need to take that low dip in the hose just over the where the pipes from the sink enter the wall, and raise that up as high as it can go, to the top of the cabinet, and secure it there. That will keep water from backing into the dishwasher, unless it backs up into the sink as high as the hose.

Cheers, Wayne

sink_dw.jpg
 
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Julie89

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Sounds like a clog, just farther downstream than your snake can reach. Not my area of expertise, though.

As to water backing up into the dishwasher, the hose connected to the garbage disposal is supposed to be routed in a way that prevents that. You need to take that low dip in the hose just over the where the pipes from the sink enter the wall, and raise that up as high as it can go, to the top of the cabinet, and secure it there. That will keep water from backing into the dishwasher, unless it backs up into the sink as high as the hose.

Cheers, Wayne
So it backs up into the dishwasher from what I’ve seen but when I turned the dishwasher on, the water from the dishwasher came back up into both sides of the sink and it gives off this rotten egg kind of smell. I haven’t ever used the dishwasher until today when I tested to see if the water would come up (and it did). I wanted to drain the dishwasher since the water would come back into the dishwasher and leak onto the wooden floor. I also don’t use the disposal at all, I have one of those baskets to catch any food scraps when I did wash my dishes in the sink and then I would throw that away in the garbage. Also, thanks for the tip for the hose, It’ll probably help stop the water from coming back into the dishwasher.
 

Reach4

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Can you access the drain line in the basement below there?

Your plumbing under there is not the normal way, but I don't think that contributes to your clog.
 

Julie89

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Can you access the drain line in the basement below there?

Your plumbing under there is not the normal way, but I don't think that contributes to your clog.
When I took out all the pipes, I put the snake through the T like joint that connects both traps to the main drain system. The pipes were clean though and the snake went as far down as it could go. (I’m not sure if this answers your question though). Also, could you elaborate on the plumbing is not the normal way? Thank you!
 

Reach4

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https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/install-garbage-disposal-in-double-sink.1736/ shows typical good install.

You are not sure if you answered my question about the basement?

Frequently kitchen drains clog when the line in the wall turns from vertical to horizontal. If you see a vertical pipe below the kitchen, and that pipe goes into the basement floor, the turn in the floor is a common place to clog.

When you put the snake in, are you confident the snake went down rather than up the vent?
 

Julie89

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https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/install-garbage-disposal-in-double-sink.1736/ shows typical good install.

You are not sure if you answered my question about the basement?

Frequently kitchen drains clog when the line in the wall turns from vertical to horizontal. If you see a vertical pipe below the kitchen, and that pipe goes into the basement floor, the turn in the floor is a common place to clog.

When you put the snake in, are you confident the snake went down rather than up the vent?
I’m not sure if it went up the vent or down the pipe because the basement doesn’t extend into that area of the house. The kitchen sink is on the east wall of the house, over the kitchen sink, there is a window where I can see the driveway if that helps give an idea of where the kitchen is, but directly below the kitchen there is no basement.
 

Reach4

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Then the pipe inside the wall will go to the left or right. At that point there will be a sanitary tee with a drain line down, and a vent pipe up. Is the left or right of the window near to being over the basement and a visible drain pipe?
 

Julie89

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Then the pipe inside the wall will go to the left or right. At that point there will be a sanitary tee with a drain line down, and a vent pipe up. Is the left or right of the window near to being over the basement and a visible drain pipe?
The basement ends just around where the island of the kitchen ends, which would be behind me when I would wash dishes. In the photo, there is some insulation (yellow stuff) where the pipes enter the wall. A few inches past the yellow stuff, the pipe just turns downwards. I did not check if there was an pipe that went upwards but are you saying that if there is a pipe going upwards, that it goes to the vent? Also, I’m pretty sure now that the snake went through the drain pipe because I inserted the snake once I removed the traps and it went downwards. The window is to the left-center area of the east wall of the house, to the right of the sink is the refrigerator, the pantry, and a little area where I have a coat rack.
 

Frustrated Canadian

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Good day Folks,

I think, I have a similar problem.

Since our kitchen was redone, the single shallow sink was replaced with 2 deep sinks.

My sinks drain slow, emptying into the empty sink when one side is drained, and emptying into both sinks when the dishwasher drains.

1. if I flow water in one basin it does fill the other as well
2. It equalizes quickly
3. Extremely slow


I am wondering if an AAV would be the solution to my issue?

Any input would be appreciated,

Thanks,
Jeff,

slow sink draining.jpg
 

Reach4

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I suspect a partially clogged drain. An AAV would not help.

When the sink sits unused overnight, how much water can you quickly add before the sinks start backing up?

With your glued system, it is going to be hard to clean. Do you have a thru-the-roof vent right above? Is that drain under a window? Do you have a basement beneath, and is the drain pipe visible there?
 

wwhitney

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If the picture was taken level, the bigger problem is that the trap arm appears flat or sloped upwards, and the horizontal portion upstream of the trap looks like it may have standing water in it.

Also, the dishwasher hose should have a high loop under the cabinet, and that wye where it connects should have been rolled up, I think.

For cleaning/access the current installation does allow the trap and all the ABS upstream to be removed via the two trap adapters just under the sink strainers, and the union within the trap.

Cheers, Wayne
 

Frustrated Canadian

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Thank you “Reach4” & “Wwhitney” for such prompt responses!





I hope these answers can help…..





Sink has not been used for a few hours, 3 quarts of water starts filling the second sink.





To clean: I can just unscrew the adaptor at the trap and it slips right off as an assembly (not sure if thats correct). See pic 1





The vent coming out of the roof is 4’6” to the right and back 3’





A window is over the sink, the big vertical drain pipe that it gets to is 4.5 feet over beside the furnace roof vent pipe (Pic 2), basement below, cant see pipes.





Centre horizontal pipe between sinks is a little low on the right (Pic 3), Horizontal pipe after trap is titled downwards (I good thing I figure)





I can/will rebuild the pipe assembly with the dishwasher “Y” pointing up.





Thanks,


Jeff,
 

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wwhitney

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Your recent pictures dispel two of my concerns, namely that the trap arm inside the cabinet is flat or reverse sloped (pic 4 shows it's not), or that the horizontal pipe between the sinks is too low, as low as the trap arm (pic 1 shows it is not).

Picture 3 does show that the horizontal pipe between the sink has reverse slope, it should be falling 1/4" per foot from left to right. But that shouldn't be causing your issues, particularly for the right hand sink.

As nothing under the sink looks particularly wrong, the slow draining is very likely due to a partial drain blockage downstream of the trap. As is often the case.

Cheers, Wayne
 

Frustrated Canadian

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Thank you “Reach4” & “Wwhitney”,

You guys were bang on, I cleaned out the clog with a snake

Flows perfectly, glad I didn't install an AAV, lesson learned, plumbing is not that easy (learned the same lesson with electrical)!

Thanks again,
Jeff
(tail wagging like a dog about to go for a walk)
 
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