The sink in my bathroom drains very slow, it only started maybe 2 weeks ago and since then has almost moved to a complete clog.

Last week I removed the trap and cleaned it out, there was some gunk building up in it. After that I removed the horizontal pipe that connected to the wall and ran a hand auger in as far as I could... which wasn't that far, I made it through the first 90 degree bend but shortly after that I either hit another bend or the clog. So I spun my auger and pulled out a small amount of debris. I kept at it but wasn't able to remove any more debris so I re-assembled and the sink drained much faster. Now already it has started to slow down again, I plugged the overflow in the sink and plunged last night as a quick fix and it helped, but it is again slowing down already today.

What is interesting is that when it drains little air bubbles come up. Both the tub and toilet drain fine so my amateur troubleshooting abilities lead me to believe it isn't a venting problem. The toilet connects to the same line as the sink somewhere in the wall before the basement, and the tub connects to that same pipe in the basement which then connects to the main... let me know if you need more info and thanks again for any help with my slow draining sink!

Don't discount the vent just yet, each of those fixture can have their own vent. I thnik you clog is too far in for plunging to do much, its likely past the vent. Did you use a 1/4" drum auger, that should be able to get past two 90's and I think you were near touching the real clog last time. https://www.hardwareworld.com/14-inch-x-25--feet-Drum-Auger-pPFKKRT.aspx

Yes, I was using a 1/4" drum auger like the one pictured in your link. I guess my next step is to try the auger again and just be more patient with it?

Thanks for the quick response.

Firm pressure and lots of turning should get you past that 90 or into the clog, firmer the better.

Dear Abby,

I spent the last hour and a half playing with the hand auger, as well as one of those rubber bladders or "clog buster".

All my hard work is rewarded with a sink drain that now drains 3x slower than before... Is there a part in the re-assembly that could cause the drain to slow even if using the same pipes to re-assemble?

Yours truly,

Thoroughly confused

Is there anything else I can try or do before needing to call a plumber?

Its your call, I have had some stubborn drains but with enough turning of the drum always got my snake to reach the clog.

So I'm almost positive I hit the clog this time, pulled out a small clump of misc gunk... the sink ran PERFECT for a few minutes, then started to slow, now it is back to being VERY slow again... Does that mean all I really did was push the clog further into the plumbing? I went in fairly deep with the snake this time... probably 4-6 feet. I'm going to try again tomorrow, but just wanted some confirmation that It seems the problem has only been pushed further into the pipes...

Thanks for all your help so far!

I would be nice if a clog had a hook on it so you could get it all the first time. I would try again and this time have several buckets of very hot water ready to flush the drain.

Well it could be that you have a clog in you drain or your pluming is backed up

Ilove, if you read all of the posts here yopu will see that we have been talking about his clog for a weel, yes it is clogged. Welcome to AMHD.

I went at it again with the auger and manged to get the auger down to the last few feet of its life(it's a 20foot auger) Still no dice, the sink drains a lot longer than before without backing up, but it still backs up and is slower to drain once it does now than before... Is it possible I'm pushing the snake up the vent and not down through the plumbing drain? I have no idea if that is even possible but I don't see how I could have pushed the snake out that far and still have a slow draining sink, and my shower still runs fine. There is only maybe 5' of plumbing separating them in the basement.

I would have suspected that by now the clog would be also interfering with the shower and yet it is not...

While were at it here... The vertical pipe that runs into the basement is cast iron, the shower is on new PVC, they meet at a T connector and then connect back to more cast iron before hitting the main drain.

What would it look like to replace the cast iron once it reaches the basement with PVC so it meets with the PVC from the shower at the same T connector... I was thinking while the pipe was cut I could run the snake straight up and see if I can knock anything lose, or maybe even install an additional clean out at this location for future problems.

I fear that my frustration with this is taking me to a level that is putting absolutely ^#$&*$ idea's into my head... just wanted to clarify...

Thanks again for all the help so far...

Sounds to me like you are going through the clog and it is closing up on you as soon as you start running water again. Can't imagine what that kind of clog could be in a sink line. Run snake in a foot or so at the time, pull it back and repeat several times. Pour quart of bleach in drain 1/2 hour before snaking. Keep snaking.

Hi Bob.

Depending on how the plumber installed the pipes you might have a 50/50 chance of going into the vent rather than further down the drain. Sure you can replace everything with PVc but your old cast may not be part of the problem at all so lets think of saving it for now. Once you reach the cast your pipe is much larger at 3" or 4", I am thinking your clog is still in the 1 1/4" sink pipe. This works better on traps but lets give a mixture a try. Allow your drain to be empty for several hours and then mix 1/2 cup of baking soda with 1/2 cup table salt, pour down the drain dry. Now add a pint of warm white vinegar and allow to soak over night, don't get your face over the drain when you add the vinegar. Tomorrow dump in 2 buckets of very hot water and call me in the morning. With your report.