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Author:
kfreeman (TN)
I have a very handy hubby who can do all kinds of things, including plumbing, but he is stumped over our kitchen sink, and I am frustrated!
Over the last year, our kitchen sink has gotten slower & slower. He has tried Drano, boiling water, snaked the line, checked the vents on the roof, and used the balloon that fills the pipe & blasts water down it. Still, both sides of the sink back up when something is poured down one side. It takes a couple of minutes for it to finally empty. And, when the dishwasher empties from each cycle, it fills up for several minutes.
He can see water going down the pipe when he looks at the cleanout, so he doesn't feel there is a clog. He can't figure out what to do & he has told me I'll just have to live with it. It was fine for the first 3 years (it's a new house), so I know it should be able to be fixed. Please help! Thank you!!
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Author:
phillyplbg (PA)
Its time to call someone in who has the right equipment to do the job
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Author:
HelpMePlumb (FL)
Doesn't feel there's a clog? A plumber will tell you differently.
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Author:
kfreeman (TN)
I so appreciate your answers! Let me clear up that hubby isn't just "handy:...he helped his parents build their house years ago...including plumbing, electrical, etc. He has an engineering mind & has always fixed any plumbing problem we've had. He's replaced toilets, put in pressure regulators, replaced pipes that burst in our previous house, put a submersible pump in our well, and much more. He can usually do it all, which is why his not being able to fix this has me scratching my head.
I've been saying, "let's call a plumber" for a while now. He doesn't want me to do that...maybe a matter of pride because he's never been able to not fix something that didn't work right. Or, maybe because he doesn't deal with the sink backing up all the time, so it's not a big deal to him. Either way, if you can give me some suggestions for what he can try first, that would be fantastic! Then, if those things don't work, maybe he'll let me call a plumber.
I can't figure out why the snake didn't do the trick (possibly not long enough?)
How in the world the blast of water didn't fix the problem (not powerful enough?)
Thanks in advance for your suggestions!
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Author:
hj
Unless it does not have a "vent", which appears not to be the case if he has checked the vent, then it IS a clog, but he is not cleaning the drain in the right location.
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Author:
hj
quote; I can't figure out why the snake didn't do the trick (possibly not long enough?)
How in the world the blast of water didn't fix the problem (not powerful enough?)
The snake may be long enough, but it may either be too small, not going in the right direction, or not being inserted in the correct place. Water takes the path of least resistance, so it may have gone elsewhere instead of pushing the clog away. There are plumbers who have worked for decades in the trade and THEY do not know how to unplug a drain line, so why should your husband be any different.
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Author:
kfreeman (TN)
Both the snake & the water balloon were inserted in the main cleanout under the sink. If both the water & the snake went in the wrong direction away from the clog, what does he need to do to get it to go in the right direction?
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Author:
Wheelchair
In some areas, a repair service plumber can think differently then a plumber that installs new plumbing. Just as in the minds of the people who build cars vs those who repair those same cars.
Find a local licensed service plumber, with the right equipment. Who knows.. a small camera might be what is needed to verify everyone's theories. Or, you can work within the limits of a sink that plugs occassionally.
Best Wishes
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Author:
hj
The snake should have gone the correct way, so that means he either the snake is too small, OR he is not snaking from the right location. When he has the plug out, does the sink still fill with water? If so the stoppage is between the sink and the cleanout.
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Author:
tomswift123 (KY)
I think you should replace your sink with a new one.
[www.3gorillas.com]
Edited 1 times.
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