I have posted this same problem on two other sites in the past two months. I'm looking for some fresh ideas, so please forgive me if you're read this before!
My wife and I own a duplex. The first floor was used by my wife's grandmother, who passed away several years ago.
I am finally getting around to remodeling the first floor. About a year before she passed away, her kitchen sink began stopping up. Usually, a quick plungering would solve the problem. Since she didn't use the sink much, it wasn't much of a problem.
While I was remodeling the kitchen, I began focusing on the drain problem. First I took apart the garbage disposal, but found nothing. I then replaced the S-trap. I even then poured Liquid Plumber directly into the drain in the floor and let it sit for a few days. Nothing helped.
The drain consists of a one-foot vertical brass pipe going into the floor, a 90deg elbow, a one-foot horizontal piece, a 45deg elbow, and then a 6-foot horizontal pipe right into the stack. The whole thing is 1.5" diameter.
I've had suggestions that the system isn't vented properly. I've had others say that once the S-trap was removed, that shouldn't be an issue.
I've had people tell me there's a blockage somewhere, however I have snaked and snaked until my arms have fallen off. I can get about eight feet into the drain, which, coincidentally, it right where the drain hits the main stack. In the beginning, I had some gunk come out, but lately, nothing other than stagnant, stinky water. I apply pressure and twist and twiat, and whatever the head is biting into, it's not budging. This makes me think the head is biting into the stack somewhere.
No other drains in the duplex have a problem. The general opinion is that the problem is definitely somewhere from the main stack to the sink. I'm about ready to just cut the pipe and get in there with a flashlight to see for myself what is going on, but now I'm afraid that if I do that, I will need to tear out the wall again and replace my older S-trap with an in-wall system and a P-trap to make it code-compliant.
Thanks for any help or guesses anyone might have. I'm a few days away from just breaking down and calling a plumber.
My wife and I own a duplex. The first floor was used by my wife's grandmother, who passed away several years ago.
I am finally getting around to remodeling the first floor. About a year before she passed away, her kitchen sink began stopping up. Usually, a quick plungering would solve the problem. Since she didn't use the sink much, it wasn't much of a problem.
While I was remodeling the kitchen, I began focusing on the drain problem. First I took apart the garbage disposal, but found nothing. I then replaced the S-trap. I even then poured Liquid Plumber directly into the drain in the floor and let it sit for a few days. Nothing helped.
The drain consists of a one-foot vertical brass pipe going into the floor, a 90deg elbow, a one-foot horizontal piece, a 45deg elbow, and then a 6-foot horizontal pipe right into the stack. The whole thing is 1.5" diameter.
I've had suggestions that the system isn't vented properly. I've had others say that once the S-trap was removed, that shouldn't be an issue.
I've had people tell me there's a blockage somewhere, however I have snaked and snaked until my arms have fallen off. I can get about eight feet into the drain, which, coincidentally, it right where the drain hits the main stack. In the beginning, I had some gunk come out, but lately, nothing other than stagnant, stinky water. I apply pressure and twist and twiat, and whatever the head is biting into, it's not budging. This makes me think the head is biting into the stack somewhere.
No other drains in the duplex have a problem. The general opinion is that the problem is definitely somewhere from the main stack to the sink. I'm about ready to just cut the pipe and get in there with a flashlight to see for myself what is going on, but now I'm afraid that if I do that, I will need to tear out the wall again and replace my older S-trap with an in-wall system and a P-trap to make it code-compliant.
Thanks for any help or guesses anyone might have. I'm a few days away from just breaking down and calling a plumber.