Hi

My kitchen sinks blocked, one side has a disposer. Under the sink is PVC that leads to a single metal trap (which I can't detach), and then 70-year old iron past that. First I was using the 2 drain caps to "plunge" the drain, but now the disposer is leaking from the bottom. So we haven't been using the kitchen sink. I do have a kitchen sink kit which has PVC pipes etc and I was thinking to just remove the disposer (we never use it and don't want it).

I put the auger in from the nondisposer sink and I think I cleared the trap, I also opened the PVC and there wasn't water backed in it.

The rest of the plumbing is 70 year old iron. So one concern is that by auguring, I pushed whatever the blockage was further down the system, which has a lot of rust or whatever in it, and which we're concerned might catch that material and block further down e.g. stopping the bathroom and/or shower etc.

So what do you think? Shold I try to remove the disposer and then continue using the sink? (The kit comes with a trap, so could i make a "pre"-trap that is PVC that i can just detach and clean if necessary?)

Can the blockage catch further down the pipe and then block more of the system?

We don't want to call a plumber so we're just not using the kitchen sink, but that's pretty inconvenient (family of 4!)

Thanks for any advice!
-Neal



Edited 1 times.

neal, it is awfully hard to say anything without being there.
i'm guessing that if you rent a good electric snake with 25 ft long wire in it that while the pipes are open, run the full length of wire down the drain and run some water at the same time.
in simple terms, give it a good cleaning.
very rarely is a slow running drain cleaned by just cleaning the trap. you gotta get in deeper.

something like this is needed.

I do have an auger, but mine is manual. i think it catches somewhere a bit past the trap, so I didn't want to push it, i probably went about 8-10'. if it catches i just try to bring it back up - im pretty reluctant because im afraid if the tip snaps or it just gets completely stuck or it somehow breaks a pipe.

But i guess you're saying to put the auger in, and turn the water on and then go as far as I can?

what i'm saying is 'clean it' well.
a hand auger will not do a good job on 70 year old metal pipes.
if you want to do the best you can with what you have, that is fine.
go ahead and remove the disposer and put in a basket strainer with what ever else you need to get it back together.
if the system drains slowly then be prepared to rent a machine like i pictured and clean the pipes like a pro would.
by the way, there is no such thing as a timid plumber. cautious yes but never timid..
good luck.

DO you think removing the disposal will solve the problem of blockage? And what about the old iron pipe?