Our kitchen sink is clogged. Went to Menards and purchased a 25ft snake. It seemed as though I broke through one clog. (It felt different than a turn in the line.) Well, I got to the end of the 25 ‘. I put everything back together and water was not draining correctly. Is the only answer to get a longer snake? Any other tricks of the trade that I could give a try?
Thanks,
FDR
Older house? Sounds like tree roots may be stopping flow. Disclaimer I am not a plumber, sounds very familiar to what we had happen at family cabin. Carrot peels can do a hell of a number on newer garbage disposals etc, but usually there is a stoppage point that you can disassemble and dump.
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Older house? Sounds like tree roots may be stopping flow.
The house is between 15-20 years old. The sink and dishwasher are the only things that drain from that side of the house. All other sinks or tubs seem to drain fine on the other side of the house.
FDR
do you have standing water in dishwasher as well?
try “thrift” its a comercial grade pipe cleaner, i use it on just about all clouged drains and works 9 out of 10 times the only thing it wont eat out is roots. you can buy it over the counter at woodruff or ferguson companies. they are pellets poor them in the sink and run the hootest water you can with them, they will disolve and should clean your pipes out. do not breathe in the fumes as its disolveing.
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Our kitchen sink is clogged. Went to Menards and purchased a 25ft snake. It seemed as though I broke through one clog. (It felt different than a turn in the line.) Well, I got to the end of the 25 ‘. I put everything back together and water was not draining correctly. Is the only answer to get a longer snake? Any other tricks of the trade that I could give a try?
Thanks,
FDR
You went through the clog or your vent is clogged causing slow drainage. try running the snake again. If this doesnt work, check the vent. Roots are not your problem.
Oh great. You found where I hid the body. 
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do you have standing water in dishwasher as well?
No.
FDR
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Our kitchen sink is clogged. Went to Menards and purchased a 25ft snake. It seemed as though I broke through one clog. (It felt different than a turn in the line.) Well, I got to the end of the 25 ‘. I put everything back together and water was not draining correctly. Is the only answer to get a longer snake? Any other tricks of the trade that I could give a try?
Thanks,
FDR
You went through the clog or your vent is clogged causing slow drainage. try running the snake again. If this doesnt work, check the vent. Roots are not your problem.
When you say vent, are you speaking of the one coming out of the roof?
FDR
Run the water til it backs up into the sink. Close off one sink whole with a rag or the drain plug then use a plunger on the other sink hole. Plunge like crazy, it normally always works for me. If the clog comes free, fill the sink with warm water then pull the drain plug,it should flush down the clog.
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Run the water til it backs up into the sink. Close off one sink whole with a rag or the drain plug then use a plunger on the other sink hole. Plunge like crazy, it normally always works for me. If the clog comes free, fill the sink with warm water then pull the drain plug,it should flush down the clog.
A plunger is great advice, UNLESS you have PVC pipes – the pressure can blow the glued seams appart.
Can you run water into one of the drains while you operate the snake in the other one? That would help flush the line as you snake. When I snake a drain I go in a few inches at a time and work it back and forth, go a few more inches…… It seems like it clears the line better doing it that way than just running it straight in.
A couple of other things. I really like the snake I got that attaches to a drill rather than a manual one. Much faster, easier to use, and cleans the drain line better. I also learned from the snake before that, when you’re done hang the snake out to dry or it will RUST, and breaking a snake off in somewhere in your drain line would be REALLY BAD. 
Good luck. Our kitchen drain has been running slow and I hope that it makes it until it can be a “winter project.” 
Dan
The grease and soap in kitchen drain lines can set in the lines to the point that its like you are trying to clean jello out of the lines. Run a snake threw and it closes right back up.
Is your snake long enough to reach the end of the kitchen drain line? This is the point where you think it ties into another line that is not clogged. If not you may need another snake.
Put a couple of kinks in the end of the snake. This will help clean the sides of the pipe as compared to just pushing the 1/4″ end of the snake threw the clog. Even with this you may need to run the snake a number of times.
If the drain is completely stopped up do not put drain cleaner in it. If you do it will not work anything like what you seen on TV. What it will work like is a sink and drain line full of very bad chemicals that you will need to deal with. Partially clogged drain lines are okay to run drain cleaner down. Fully clogged drain are not.
Hire a drain cleaner and move onto the next project. He most likely has the power snake that rotates fast enough to fully clean the drain line. Not just poke a small hole threw that will close up again.
If you have had problems with the drain before once it is open look at things like pitch and length of the line. Might be some changes that may help. 1/4″ per foot is code for a horizontal kitchen drain line. Not enough pitch and grease will build up in it. If problems continue you can also look at a product like Bio Ross that adds bacteria to the line just like wwhat people add to there septic systems. This will help keep it open.
This works for me every time and I also do it every couple months to keep drains open and clean.
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup baking soda
poor into sink
poor 1 full cup vinager and watch as it bubbles
and plug sink with a rag and let set 1/2 hour or so.
follow this with a pan of boiling water.
If drain is severly clogged you may have to repeat
a couple of times.
As I said it has always worked for me, good luck 
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The grease and soap in kitchen drain lines can set in the lines to the point that its like you are trying to clean jello out of the lines. Run a snake threw and it closes right back up.
Is your snake long enough to reach the end of the kitchen drain line? This is the point where you think it ties into another line that is not clogged. If not you may need another snake.Put a couple of kinks in the end of the snake. This will help clean the sides of the pipe as compared to just pushing the 1/4″ end of the snake threw the clog. Even with this you may need to run the snake a number of times.
If the drain is completely stopped up do not put drain cleaner in it. If you do it will not work anything like what you seen on TV. What it will work like is a sink and drain line full of very bad chemicals that you will need to deal with. Partially clogged drain lines are okay to run drain cleaner down. Fully clogged drain are not.
Hire a drain cleaner and move onto the next project. He most likely has the power snake that rotates fast enough to fully clean the drain line. Not just poke a small hole threw that will close up again.
If you have had problems with the drain before once it is open look at things like pitch and length of the line. Might be some changes that may help. 1/4″ per foot is code for a horizontal kitchen drain line. Not enough pitch and grease will build up in it. If problems continue you can also look at a product like Bio Ross that adds bacteria to the line just like wwhat people add to there septic systems. This will help keep it open.
X2
Chemicals are a waste of money on cloged drains.
A 1/4 drain cleaning cable is ment to be used on small drains like your bathroom sink.
Kitchen sink line are generaly the worst line in the house to clean. And then if you have a garbage disposal the problems multiply.
I think you would be better off if you hire a drain cleaning company.
Roto Rooter.. 85 bucks last time I did it and they get the tree roots too that you don’t have.
Had the same issue over summer. Is your sink and laundry on the same line? See if your drain hole for the washer is backing up also. You could always rent a power snake at the depot for bout 35 and run it through plain w/o the bits should be able to clear that clog. With the power snake, you can also run it through the main drain, if you hear water swooshing in the main drain then its roots. If the main drain is dry then the issues is from sink to main drain. If its backing up or leaving black/dark brownish residue either up the sink or washer drain, you might have a broken pipe. In that case, skip the rest and ask for a plumber with a cam only to lesson the fee’s on calling a plumber out there, most will charge you for them to try and resolve the problem w/o even fixing the problem. The cam will find the location of the crack, jack hammer and some man power will be needed afterwards.
Called plumber. Will let you know how it turns out.
FDR
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Called plumber. Will let you know how it turns out.
FDR
Good Idea.
Let a Pro do it, go fishing yourself
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