How to fix a kitchen sink not draining?

[chrisjoh]

Hi, my sink is not draining and think it may be due to the way it is plumbed. I have taken the drain apart and cleaned it for any blockages however the water still does not drain properly from the sink. There is no vent so thinking that may be the issue or the trap is too high? What would people suggest to do in order to fix it? How should it be re-plumbed, if needed?

I have put vinegar and baking. soda down the pipe as well as took the pipes apart and cleaned them.

[Jason]

Welcome to Bunnings Workshop @chrisjoh. We're pleased to have you join the community and look forward to reading all about your projects and plans for around the house and garden.

Let me tag a few members with plumbing experience to see if they can share their thoughts with you: @EricL, @Santullo, @tom_builds and @JDE.   

I would also take a look at How do you unblock the drain? and try a few different approaches to your vinegar and baking soda.

Jason

[chrisjoh]

Thanks Jason. I took tye drain apart and cleaned it out so know it's not blocked. It has to be something else and in my google searches, all roads lead to a venting issue. 

I would like to fix this myself however struggling for ideas on how to re-plumb given the drain placement.

[TedBear]

Hi @chrisjoh , I don't think the issue is a vent problem at this point of the plumbing because each sink is in fact vented at its opening. Assuming that the sinks have drained at some point in their lifetime, it is more likely that there is a build up of debris further down the line. 

There are various cleaning methods you can try, as suggested by Jason. It could be helpful if you can get direct access to the pipe that goes out throughout the cabinet bottom so that you could put a cleaning snake in there. If you can get to the pipe's outlet you could try putting a garden hose into it and back flush it. That often loosens stuck debris. (Only do this if the  sink end plumbing is intact or else success may mean a flooded cabinet to clean up.)

[EricL]

Hello @chrisjoh 

Thanks for sharing your question about your kitchen sink not draining. It appears that you've taken all the necessary trouble shooting steps you can regarding the drain for your kitchen sink. I can only suggest the next step up and that is to use chemical cleaners such as Drain Clean 2L Hair Unclogger or Drano 770ml Bathroom Max Gel Drain Cleaner. Both these chemical cleaners will work on biodegradable matter. 

Another method is to use mechanical cleaners such as Kinetic 6mm x 6m Wire Drain Auger. If none of these methods work, I'm afraid it's time to call the plumber for a drain inspection. they will be able to find out if something is blocking your drain or tree roots entering your drain pipe.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric
 

[chrisjoh]

Thanks all for your advice. I ended up getting a plumber in and it wasn't a venting issue. It was just a block up of grease and tree roots. Now my sewers blocked after cleaning all that out. Bring in the camera team to find the vent for the connection to the sewer main.

[Jason]

Glad to hear you have the problem sorted @chrisjoh. Many thanks for the update.

Jason