Clog in Double Kitchen Sink After too much went in Garbage Disposal

[heldmacm]

Hello,

I'm having a problem with my double kitchen sink ever since too much food went through the disposal when washing dishes after dinner tonight. Basically, water won't completely drain from either sink (it drains from the disposal side when the disposal is turned on but then comes right back up); it does not drain at all down the side without the disposal. Additionally, when the disposal is turned on, the side without the disposal will shoot water out of the drain (sometimes a foot or two high!)

As far as what I've done, I've disassembled the p trap, as well as the line to the disposal and did not find any clogs. I rinsed both out with water in another sink just to be safe before reassembling. I'm not positive the plumbing is correctly done here, as I don't have much confidence in the person that originally did it, so I attached a couple photos of what's below the sink. My next thought was to try a plunger, but I decided it would be a good idea to first reach out to some folks that know a lot more about this stuff than I do. Any help would greatly be appreciated!

 

[Reach4]

So filling one unstoppered sink bowl makes the other back up. In that case the clog is in the wall or below, and would often be where the drain pipe turns from vertical to horizontal.

Is the drain line from the kitchen above readily visible in the basement?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[heldmacm]

So filling one unstoppered sink bowl makes the other back up. In that case the clog is in the wall or below, and would often be where the drain pipe turns from vertical to horizontal.

Is the drain line from the kitchen above readily visible in the basement?

Thanks for the response. I've attached a picture of the drain line from the basement that's directly below the kitchen sink. When I went downstairs to take a picture of it, I noticed there was water sitting on top of my washing machine that's right next to this line. I'm not sure if this is related, as I didn't find water on the floor, maybe I spilled some water when dumping out the bucket from the kitchen into the tub that's next to that line and the washer.

As far as what causes water to back up in the kitchen, I see water back up if there's undrained water in both sinks, I run the disposal (which causes water to start shooting out of the sink without the disposal), the side with the disposal then drains (the side without it does not drain), but then water comes back up the side with the disposal. To your point, there is a horizontal line under the kitchen sink that connects to the wall where it turns vertical, and that is the part under the sink I did not yet check. It should be visible in the second picture in my initial post of pictures (where you see it connected to the p trap). Hopefully those clarification makes sense...thanks again.

 

[Reach4]

There are two vertical pipes in the basement in your photo. If the kitchen drain is on the one on the right, use the cleanout to clean the drain line. Expect the clog to be under the basement floor. If you let the drain go unused overnight, you might not get spillage when you open the plug. I don't know if a small Brasscraft drain bladder on a hose could go into the cleanout and go down. So a mechanical snake, big as practical, would be the tool of choice.

If the kitchen drain pipe is the one on the left, check back for a suggestion as to how to clean.

 

[heldmacm]

There are two vertical pipes in the basement in your photo. If the kitchen drain is on the one on the right, use the cleanout to clean the drain line. Expect the clog to be under the basement floor. If you let the drain go unused overnight, you might not get spillage when you open the plug. I don't know if a small Brasscraft drain bladder on a hose could go into the cleanout and go down. So a mechanical snake, big as practical, would be the tool of choice.

If the kitchen drain pipe is the one on the left, check back for a suggestion as to how to clean.

We actually had what appears to be a similar problem several years ago where too much food was put in the disposal, and a plumber we hired cleaned out the drain pipe with the cleanout, and all was well (until we unfortunately made the same mistake again last night). Based on what you said, it sounds like we'll need to have a similar clean out done again to the drain pipe with the cleanout cap.

As far as the plumbing under the sink, does all look to be on the up and up? I don't believe we have an AAV or possibly a garbage disposal baffle - do we need either of those things, or is the status quo sufficient?

 

[Reach4]

As far as the plumbing under the sink, does all look to be on the up and up?

Yes, but it is hard to tell some things from a photo like that. The two horizontal tubes should be sloped downward at 1/4 inch per foot toward the output.

In particular the trap arm, the lower horizontal, looks like it may have a reverse slope. If you did, you could maybe trim the tee on the bottom a bit if needed, and to lift the left side of the trap higher. Slopes may already be perfectly fine. Get a level, and check if there is doubt.

 

[heldmacm]

So I figured out where the water I found on top of the washer this morning came from. The attached is the ceiling in the basement laundry room directly below the kitchen sink, and it's currently damp. I'm assuming this came from spilled water under the sink once the bucket overflowed yesterday and drained down through the holes cut out for the water lines below the sink.

I have someone coming tomorrow to clear the clog, but between this issue and whatever issue there may or may not be under the sink, I think I'm unfortunately also going to need a plumber (not just someone who can clear a drain). Any additional advice on how to deal with this entire situation would be appreciated.

 

[Reach4]

I was going to ask about that bucket. A clog should not have caused the water to go into the bucket. You may not have tightened the plastic nuts enough, or you could be missing a gasket.

 

[heldmacm]

I was going to ask about that bucket. A clog should not have caused the water to go into the bucket. You may not have tightened the plastic nuts enough, or you could be missing a gasket.

I meant that there was a big water spill when I was taking apart the p trap, line to the disposal, etc. There was a lot of water that spilled when the bucket overflowed, and I suspect some of it drained down through the holes I mentioned into the area between the kitchen floor / laundry room ceiling before I could dry it all up.

 

[Reach4]

I meant that there was a big water spill when I was taking apart the p trap, line to the disposal, etc. There was a lot of water that spilled when the bucket overflowed, and I suspect some of it drained down through the holes I mentioned into the area between the kitchen floor / laundry room ceiling before I could dry it all up.

The drain cleaning will probably hold you until the next drain cleaning a few years later.

Today the transition from vertical to horizontal is done with a long sweep. I suspect that was not the case many years ago.

If the drain cleaner shows you part of the clog, that might help tell you what to avoid sending down the disposal.

 

[WorthFlorida]

I can almost guarantee that you stuffed too much macaroni down the disposal. With too much stuffed in, it comes out like paste and will block up right at the trap or wye and and anything further down the pipe that will catch it.

The arm of the trap is going up hill and that aggravates clogging of the pipe from the disposal. The picture below shows something similar to what you set up needs, a wye with two p traps. However, from the pictures it looks like the tailpiece can be cut by two inches the get the trap higher up for the arm to slope downward or at least level.

 

[heldmacm]

I can almost guarantee that you stuffed too much macaroni down the disposal. With too much stuffed in, it comes out like paste and will block up right at the trap or wye and and anything further down the pipe that will catch it.

The arm of the trap is going up hill and that aggravates clogging of the pipe from the disposal. The picture below shows something similar to what you set up needs, a wye with two p traps. However, from the pictures it looks like the tailpiece can be cut by two inches the get the trap higher up for the arm to slope downward or at least level.

Thank you - that helps. There's no question what caused this, as unfortunately, it's due to putting shredded meat down the disposal last night. It was a dumb thing to do, and I certainly wish I hadn't. Simce there's nothing of note caught in any of the PVC pipeline removed (p trap, tailpiece to sink without disposal and pipe connecting the disposal to the tailpipe), along with the advise I've received, it sounds like the obstruction is behind the sink and/or below the kitchen into the basement. I am certainly hoping the person coming tomorrow will be able to identify and unclog wherever the issue is (likely in the right vertical drain pipe in the picture from my laundry room). From there, it sounds like I'd be best served to redo the plumbing similar to what your picture shows (or what you suggested in cutting the tailpipe). Most importantly, I definitely don't intend to put anything like meat down the disposal again, and that should hopefully go a long way towards not clogging it.

On a related note, are you able to see if my setup has a baffle for the garbage disposal? If not, is that something I should have?

 

[heldmacm]

The plumber that ended up coming out today did a great job, and the clog appears to be resolved. The clog was actually able to be addressed at the sink level, and it was not necessary to clean out the drain pipe in the basement that has the cleanout. He also completely redid the plumbing under the sink (I've attached a picture), which I believe is consistent with some of the suggestions that were provided here. Now I just need to figure out how to best attack that stained ceiling from the water that drained down between the kitchen floor and basement ceiling and keep my fingers crossed it doesn't result in any mold. If anyone has any suggestions for that situation, please feel free. Otherwise, thanks for the help with this issue!

 

[Reach4]

As far as what I've done, I've disassembled the p trap, as well as the line to the disposal and did not find any clogs.

I had read too much into that. I was thinking you had disassembled more than you had. I am glad that your drain lines are properly pitched now.

Now I just need to figure out how to best attack that stained ceiling from the water that drained down between the kitchen floor and basement ceiling and keep my fingers crossed it doesn't result in any mold.

When you pulled the old trap, the pipes were full of water. That water went down to the basement.

Run a fan toward the wet area, and keep the AC removing moisture for a while. Paint the ceiling after things dry to address the stains.

 

[heldmacm]

I had read too much into that. I was thinking you had disassembled more than you had. I am glad that your drain lines are properly pitched now.


When you pulled the old trap, the pipes were full of water. That water went down to the basement.

Run a fan toward the wet area, and keep the AC removing moisture for a while. Paint the ceiling after things dry to address the stains.

Thanks again for your help!