Problem:
Kitchen sink has been clogged and drains very slowly. Today, I drained the drum trap in the basement, which did not have much in it that would cause a clog. Then, I ran my cable auger from the drum trap towards the sink, and could not find a clog. Then, ran the cable auger from the drum trap towards the main pipes going to my septic, and could not find a clog. Then, just to be thorough, ran the cable auger from my sink down to the drum trap, and could not find a clog. Now the sink is basically not draining at all. Please help, I'd rather not shell out $$$ for a plumber. Thanks in advance.



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Does the sink drain fine with the drum trap removed ?

Yes, it drains fine. It really seems like there are no clogs going from the sink to the drum trap, and likewise from the drum trap to the main stack for at least 4ft.

drum traps very, very rarely clog at their inlet. the clog will be on the outlet side. (the higher opening).
as the snake is turning it is always best to have some water trickling but if the cover of the drum trap is facing down, you can not do that.
if you are able to get the snake wire down from the sink opening and into the trap, with the trap open guide the wire into the outlet pipe. (not while it is turning rapidly). if it will advance into the outlet by turning, put the cover back and run some water. now, turn the snake wire to see if it will get to the clog, loosen it and the water will wash it into the main where it will flow away harmlessly.
this might work depending on the orientation of the inlet/outlet openings...

Unless you are describing SOMETHING wrong, there should NOT be a "drum trap" in the kitchen sink line. Do you have a "P" trap in the cabinet under the sink?



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drum trap in basement for the kitchen sink was not uncommon (years ago) in MA.

How old is your septic system and when was the last time it was emptied?
Best Wishes

Yes, we have the drum trap in the basement under the kitchen sink and no p trap. Very common in our area (house built in 1958).

I am not exactly sure how old the septic system is, but it was emptied in 2012 when we bought the house.

Packy:
Thanks for the suggestion regarding the drum trap. Unfortunately, the cap is on the bottom, so I guess I will have to try to feed the auger up to the outlet once I get it down from the sink.

The strangest part of this is that I don't seem to find any clogs for ~4ft going from the drum trap to the main stack. I suppose the clog could be further down, but this is a 2in. pipe, and I would think it is rare for a pipe that size to get clogs this bad.

At this point, the sink hardly drains at all...



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Can the drum trap be eliminated and a P-trap be installed in its place? You would then be able to auger it and run water to wash down the buildup.

my experience is that the clog is where the the 2 inch enters the main line.
so, send the wire in more than 4 feet..
i wouldn't replace the drum trap with a p-trap because you have no proper vent for that trap. you may wind up losing the seal of the p-trap due to syphonage. you will never lose the drum trap seal even if there is a hurricane draining down the pipe.

IT must never have left the state, because I have NEVER seen it done any where else.

probably because you don't have basements down in AZ..
i have seen lead drum traps that recieve water from a tub, a lav and a kitchen sink. they look like an octopus.

that would be a tripus trap

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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

Thanks Packy,
I ended up feeding the auger 15ft, which put me ~2ft short of the main stack. I'll push it the last couple of feet and hopefully that will make the difference. Thanks for your suggestions. In your experience, what has caused these clogs at the entrance to the main?

"that would be a tripus trap"...

no it would not..
you forgot the outlet and some old drum traps actually had a vent pipe wiped into the very top.
then it would be a quadrapus or a pentapus.

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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638