HELP! Kitchen Sink Draining Slow...Can't Find Clog

[daddylogan]

Hey folks,

I like to think I can do things myself but I am kind of stuck and not much of a plumber so here I am...the grasshopper!!! LOL

I have a kitchen sink that has been starting to drain slowly, but never actually clogs. Now when I am running water constantly, like when doing dishes, it will form a small pool in the drain itself and it will backup into the garbage disposal side of the sink...but it keeps draining and really never gets any more backed up then that.

So I figured I would buy one of those long things with the "teeth" on it and push down my drain and that would catch onto the mass and drag it out. Nothing, it hits nothing, So tonight I pull the curved part of the trap (p-trap I guess or u-trap) and guess what...nothing in it!!! So, I took that long thing with the teeth on it and pushed it as far down as I could into the larger drain line and nothing again. Obviously the line between the disposal is clear because water backs up into from the other side of the sink and I checked it to be sure.

So my question is, what do I do now??? Sure, I could call the plumber to come run a snake but for that price I could get my own $200.00 electric snake a Lowe's and keep it for life!

Just for FYI...this is a condo townhouse. Nothing else in the condo is clogged or having draining problems...only the kitchen sink. I also only see one clean=out for the whole place and that is in the garage. I will post a pic below and maybe someone can tell me if that is what I think it is?

Here is a pic below my kitchen sink and everything is clear into the main downward pipe.



Now, here is what I presume is the "main" clean out in the garage???



Anyhow, all suggestions welcome. Would love to get this fixed before it becomes a full blown clog. Thank you ;-)

peace out,
daddylogan

[hj]

I would like to see a picture of the piping to the "left" of the disposer, because I am not sure what that "Y" is doing, or why the sink vent turns sideways in that direction. Whoever did the plumbing did not do you any favors because there should have been a cleanout in the line between the tee and they Y. OWNING a $200.00 snake machine, and KNOWING how and where to use it are often two distinctly different animals. The only $200.00 snake I own is a hand held battery operated one for small lines. For a line like yours, I use my $2,000.00 machine.

[daddylogan]

I would like to see a picture of the piping to the "left" of the disposer, because I am not sure what that "Y" is doing, or why the sink vent turns sideways in that direction. Whoever did the plumbing did not do you any favors because there should have been a cleanout in the line between the tee and they Y. OWNING a $200.00 snake machine, and KNOWING how and where to use it are often two distinctly different animals. The only $200.00 snake I own is a hand held battery operated one for small lines. For a line like yours, I use my $2,000.00 machine.

The pipe branching off to left just seems to make a huge circle!!!! No kidding. At the bottom of the picture where it branches off to the left, it circles up behind the disposal and right back into the top of the drain line. That looked odd to me too but it has been working fine for over a year like this until just recentley.

The snake I am talking about at Lowe's is $298.00 and is not a hand held one....it is a floor model with a 20 foot snake. I would think that might be a good investment but maybe I am wrong? Like I said, I am green here so my ears are wide open ;-)

Let me know what ya think and thank you!!!!

Oh...also, is that my main clean out in the garage????

peace out,
daddylogan

[daddylogan]

Resolution: Had my main kitchen pipe snaked and there was a grease clog about 7-10 ft in. All clear. I also asked the plumber about my setup underneath the sink and he said since my sink is mounted in an island, that it is a "self-venting" system and that is why the pipe loops off to the left and back around the top like it does. Still thinking about buying my own snake for thinks like this. My plumber even said he has a backup Rigid he would sell me for $120.00 so I will be thinking about that for sure ;-)

peace out,
daddylogan

[Terry]

If it was grease, pick up some bio-clean
That will keep the pipes clear. And if you have cats, it's great for the litter box.

http://www.easycarts.net/ecarts/terr...html#Bio-Clean

Without bio-clean, this can happen

[daddylogan]

Thanks Terry!!!!

peace out,
daddylogan