First time posting. What a great resource this site is. My concern is a sink in our powder room which runs very slow - even though I've used several types of drain cleaner to try to free it up. I'm wondering if the problem is not a blockage, but a plumbing installation issue: trap is too close to the sink to permit the water to run through it quickly enough; or perhaps the pipe is too small. Any assistance appreciated. I can supply pictures if necessary.
Powder room sink drainage
- Thread starter w84paula
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Jadnashua
Retired Defense Industry Engineer xxx
If you do end up calling a plumber, tell him what you used to try to clear the clog - some of those things can be dangerous. One quick thing you can try is to remove the stopper assembly - sometimes gunk gets caught around that. Pulling it out and removing that gunk - often hair, could resolve the problem. While it is out, if you had one, you could use a snake to try to check for obstructions. If other drains are slow, too, you probably have a clog somewhere. If it is just this sink, you've narrowed down where the problem is, but not resolved the cause.
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Deb
Do not use any more drain cIeaner. It does not work. It is caustic. It can damage pipes, snaking equipment, and people.
I would pull the drain plug first to check for hair and stuff (it is amazing what you find down drains), but I wouldn't try to run a snake through the lav tailpiece and p-trap--really tough to get through those small fixture p-traps and a lav could have 1-1/4". To remove the stopper assembly, you have to remove the rod that is holding the stopper down. If you have hair and soap accumulation here, you can see and it may be necessary to remove the p-trap to clean anyway. If this new construction, you could have some kind of construction debris. And, like you mentioned, it could be an installation problem. Go to the next paragraph.
If that is not it, I would next check that the horizontal piece of the p-trap that goes into the wall is not too long. You often have a 90 in the wall. The OD of the p-trap is such that is will go inside 1-1/2" drainage piping. The horizontal part of the p-trap can be inserted into the pipe in the wall so far that it is against the back of the 90, cutting off almost of the drainage area. I
have run into this more than once.
Deb
The Pipewench
Do not use any more drain cIeaner. It does not work. It is caustic. It can damage pipes, snaking equipment, and people.
I would pull the drain plug first to check for hair and stuff (it is amazing what you find down drains), but I wouldn't try to run a snake through the lav tailpiece and p-trap--really tough to get through those small fixture p-traps and a lav could have 1-1/4". To remove the stopper assembly, you have to remove the rod that is holding the stopper down. If you have hair and soap accumulation here, you can see and it may be necessary to remove the p-trap to clean anyway. If this new construction, you could have some kind of construction debris. And, like you mentioned, it could be an installation problem. Go to the next paragraph.
If that is not it, I would next check that the horizontal piece of the p-trap that goes into the wall is not too long. You often have a 90 in the wall. The OD of the p-trap is such that is will go inside 1-1/2" drainage piping. The horizontal part of the p-trap can be inserted into the pipe in the wall so far that it is against the back of the 90, cutting off almost of the drainage area. I
have run into this more than once.
Deb
The Pipewench
LonnythePlumber
Plumber, Contractor, Attorney
Drain Chemicals
Drain chemicals do not open drains. Some must help open slow drains for awhile but, only a device can scrub the edges of the pipe to open the drain. Our drain water is treated and returned to streams and pulled out by others to drink after further treatment. Best not to use them.
Drain chemicals do not open drains. Some must help open slow drains for awhile but, only a device can scrub the edges of the pipe to open the drain. Our drain water is treated and returned to streams and pulled out by others to drink after further treatment. Best not to use them.
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