Garbage Disposal Backs up 2nd sink help?

[smeylink]

I have a double sink, 1 with a Garbage disposal and one is just a sink. Both have a P trap then they Y into the main drain. Did have a plumber at my house to assist on a different job and he noted all the plumbing looked ok including the vent which was one of my concerns/questions but he doesn't do clean-outs. (Turns out I should ask what his rate is for Time and Materials saving him quote time but he did come when he said and the work was good expect I was really hoping he would find a silver bullet on this drain issue which he didn't).

Each drain works w/o backing up with water on high, I can see the water but doesn't fill back into the sink stays right below in the tube. Problem we are having is if the disposal is turned on it backs up the other sink and bad smell from the drain and only backs up into the sink with the disposal on. Otherwise both sides drain where you can see water but doesn't enter the sink.

So far I have verified the P traps (Both) are clean and they were.
Took my Drill with my clean out auger tool and snaked about 10-15 ft down at least few times prob went closer to the max of 20-25.
Took advice I read from Terry on Bio Clean and have tried multiple time in all the drains in the house w/o any luck per instructions. Even put it down the drains before a 6 day vacation to give it even extra time to work.

My gut tells me my small auger bit is passing thru something but I'm not completely clearing it as the drain does work but could be faster IMO. I'm thinking because it is slower it works w/o the disposal but when it is running the speed the water is being spun is causing it to go the route of least resistance which is the other sink.

Suggestions to try, size bit for auger to use or ? I think if I don't get this fixed in a few weeks my wife might disown me because I will be at the farm getting ready for planting season giving her plenty of time to pack up and leave with the kids. ;-)

Thanks for any suggestions!

 

[hj]

You either have a stoppage in the drain OR a poor piping installation under the sink, (most likely the latter since it only backs up when the disposER, not DisposAL, is working).

 

[Sponsor]

 

[smeylink]

You either have a stoppage in the drain OR a poor piping installation under the sink, (most likely the latter since it only backs up when the disposER, not DisposAL, is working).

Worth getting / renting a 1/2" drain snake and running it down to clear? Or best approach to clear the drain?

 

[Reach4]

Worth getting / renting a 1/2" drain snake and running it down to clear? Or best approach to clear the drain?

Do you have a basement?

 

[smeylink]

Yes, and access to pipes.

 

[Reach4]

Yes, and access to pipes.

If you have a vertical drain pipe under the kitchen sink, the most probable place for a clog would be where the drain flow turns from vertical to horizontal. Today codes require a long sweep bend down there, but it was not always required. If you have an accessible cleanout there, you can use that to clean out. Stop using kitchen sink water for a while before opening the cleanout.

I had a similar setup with no cleanout. I cut a ~9 inch section of pipe out a foot or so above the concrete laundry tub that the pipe passed behind, and I used a Brasscraft medium or small drain bladder down the drain pipe to clear the blockage enough. A snake might have done better. I had to re-clean it with the drain bladder about 10 years later.

I could have installed a cleanout in the gap. Instead I just replaced the cut-out section of pipe using two flex couplers. I should have used banded couplers, but the not-banded couplers worked in my case.

 

[smeylink]

Quick update, rented a power snake and ended up with a blockage at the very last bend into the vertical pipe going down to the main. Glad I kept going as I would have never guessed it would be that far away from the sink that was causing this. Thanks again for the tips and help!

 

[Nakopf]

You either have a stoppage in the drain OR a poor piping installation under the sink, (most likely the latter since it only backs up when the disposER, not DisposAL, is working).

Just did a quick survey of suppliers and manufacturers, and it appeared to me that "disposal" was the prevailing nomenclature, while "disposer" makes more sense (verb vs. noun structure) - anyway, half my customer base calls them garburators.

 

[Terry]

InSinkErator Garbage Disposals – The iconic American appliance
https://www.insinkerator.com/

This is a copy/paste off of the Insinkerator web site.

 

[hj]

ISE calls them "disposers", and that is what is on their sink flange. "Disposal" is a trademark of GE, (and Hotpoint), garbage disposers. Using the term Disposal for a disposer is like saying ALL NM wire is "Romex". IF you read the first posting in the electrical forum, you will see that manufacturers take a dim view of using their trademark names generically.

 

[Reach4]

Disposal may have been an Insinkerator brand, but it is a general word today. Note that https://www.insinkerator.com/ does not mark the use of that word as (TM) or (R).

http://pro.moen.com/garbage-disposals has no problem using that word/term.

Teflon is a trade name that is battled over to keep it from becoming generic.

 

[Terry]

From the Insinkerator web site.

Also this weird looking installation on their web site.

And because of hj I've been calling them disposers too.
https://terrylove.biz/13-disposers

 

[Cwhyu2]

I`ve been calling them disposers for 30 years.
But then i`m just old!

 

[Reach4]

I`ve been calling them disposers for 30 years.

Disposer is a good word too.

Also this weird looking installation on their web site.

Brings new meaning to "baffle" tee.

 

[Ladiesman217]

InSinkErator Garbage Disposals – The iconic American appliance
https://www.insinkerator.com/

This is a copy/paste off of the Insinkerator web site.

Taken from the same InSinkErator web site. Disposer.

https://www.insinkerator.com/us/en/food-service-disposers

https://www.insinkerator.com/us/en/food-waste-disposers

 

[smeylink]

Being from WI and purchasing a WI products we like to call thinks what we call things.... When you were in school where did you get your drink from... ;-) Bubbler of course because... Kohler is from WI and is what they called it and I went to a WI school. ;- ) Now I don't have family that works for Insinkerator, but several generations that work for Kohler and yet I still purchased a Toto toilet. I do support Kohler in many other ways...