Sink backup

[ckg1999]

I have a double sink with a InSinkErator on one side. When I use my disposal, the water will backup into the sink and sometimes come out through the water filtration spout. I attached some pictures below.

Any help would be great, that way I can stop having the wife yell at me!

 

[Jadnashua]

There should be no cross-connection to the supply, and if it isn't just vibration causing a little water to come out, you have a major health problem that needs to be addressed. Can't help with the other aspects. It might work better to have the trap between the two.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[ckg1999]

Well, the way it works is this (from what i can tell - moved into the house a couple of months ago) (attached below)

Where would the health problem come from? What is the "proper" way to hook all this crap up?

 

[Jadnashua]

The disposal is acting like a pump. If when it runs, you get water out of the potable water, you are somehow pushing polluted drain water into your drinking water. If, on the other hand, it is just the vibrations of the disposal vibrating out a few drops from the neck of the faucet, it's an annoyance, not a health hazard.

 

[ckg1999]

At this point, it is more on the annoying side. What happens when the drain stops up due to the food, it forces other water out through the air hole.

I am wondering if I need to flip the sides of the sink with the disposal.

 

[Bob NH]

Your water filter system is apparently a Reverse Osmosis (RO) system. An RO system is like a long pipe where the supply water comes in one end, the waste goes out the other end, and the filtrate goes through the permeable wall of the pipe. Therefore, it will have three connections.

1. Supply water which connects to the filter/RO system.
2. A waste line which is actually connected to the supply side within the RO system, but which should have a check valve and waste relief valve between the waste outlet and the drain
3. A filtrate line which usually goes to a pressurized stroage tank, such as that tank to the left in the picture.

The waste relief system should be acting like a backflow preventer. Waste water shouldn't get into the supply side if there is pressure in the system and the waste relief valve system is working properly.

 

[Herk]

If that center tee has a baffle in it, you're really going to have some messed-up behavior. From what I can see, I'd say get that thing out of there, put a solid arm across, then put the waste into that. I can't speak to the cross-connection problem, but I'm guessing this is done wrong. If you're getting anything out of the spout while the disposer is running, that's just wrong. On the other hand, maybe the water is just shooting up out of the drain.

Is it possible that the drain is clogged and isn't taking all the water, so that the disposer is shooting it out?

The tee at the trap side of the picture must have a baffle in it, and the one in the middle must not - considering that it would be upside down.

In addition, the dishwasher drain hose should run up at least to near the ledge - it's called a "high loop" and keeps water from draining back into the dishwasher from the disposer. Many states require a safe waste on that instead of the high loop.

 

[ckg1999]

It sounds like this was done all wrong and i need to get someone to come in and redo the whole thing.

I don't think there is a clog in the drain, water runs just fine. When I put alot of food down the disposal, I get a slow/clogged drain, with some stuff coming out of the water filtration.

 

[Construct30]

You are never supposed to hook a drain from drinking water filters or softeners or furnaces directly into a drain. You should always have a break between the potable water drain and the DWV system, it slips my mind at the moment what that is called. They make a fitting that you put on top of a 1 1/2" pipe that you put the softener or filter drain into that holds it above the flood plane of the DWV system. I would get that thing off there the way it is, it is very very dangerous to your health.

What I'm trying to say is, in the event of a clogged drain you want the backed-up water to run out on the floor and not into your drinking water, furnace or air conditioner. Never count on a cheap flow check to get that job done, plumb in a break.

 

[Construct30]

International plumbing code 802.1.5 says it too. The vent is too high, the break or air gap must be between the DWV system and the filtration unit drain.

 

[Herk]

Here's a code-approved connection.

 

[Construct30]

Does that fitting have an air gap on it?

 

[Construct30]

This looks maybe like the system he has http://www.waterfiltersonline.com/air-gap-faucets.asp the air gap is built into the faucet, if so and it is hooked up right then all he has to do is fix the drain issues and he's OK. I knew one old plumber that hooked up dish washers, in-sink-erators and the other sink each with it's own trap and directly into the main drain. Over kill or not? It really doesn't look that bad to me, it is just an end outlet sink cross-over with a compression T in the middle for the reverse osmosis system, nothing really wrong there. It would be better to have a Y and 45 if you could find one. Maybe no vent behind that wall?

 

[ckg1999]

The reverse osmosis system I have is a Watts Premier 5-stage.

So basically, this is hooked up correct, but the pipes need to be redone? Will it be an easy task or one that would require a plumber?

 

[Construct30]

If you go to the last site Herk posted on the code approved set up, there is nothing wrong with what is there as far as what you can see, other than maybe the vent on top of the middle T, but it would be necessary given the set up. I am assuming the T in the middle is open and the rest is a stock end out let crossover. It better have a proper vent behind the wall that is not plugged. It would be nice to see the filter drain as high as possible out of the flow of the dishwasher and disposal, maybe with a fitting like in Herk's post on the other side of the sink. I have agree with the old plumber friend of mine. The disposal and dishwasher should dump into one trap and the other sink and filter into a second one. You need to clean a disposal and dishwasher trap often. Use the other side of the sink for cleaner operations.

I hate to state the obvious, but have you taken the trap apart and made sure everything is clean and clear? Check back in the wall as far as you can. A slow drain would cause your problem.