My kitchen sink will not drain (takes two hours). I have snaked down 10' (it's not in the trap). All the other sinks, tub and toilets drain fine. I opened the clean-out above the trap and snaked up the air vent for 15'. When I retrieved the snake, the last 4' had snow and ice on it! This can't be good! Any suggestions?

Since posting this, I tried plunging like suggested, nothing, but I heard the water going UP the air vent, again, this can't be good

HI Eagle...

The vent would certainly slow a drain to a crawl, but not to a point that it would take 2 hours to drain a sink!

I'm thinking you have 2 issues... a clogged drain and a frozen vent... ;)

To fix the frozen vent I'd recommend getting up into the attic space and using a hair dryer or even an electric blanket wrapped around the vent stack to thaw it out. In spring when you can, get up to the vent, and flush it down using a hose (be sure someone is inside to keep the water from backing out the sink and onto the floor).

To clear the drain, you may need to go farther out or you may need to simply continue snaking the drain back and forth many times. In many cases, people think they are snaking the drain and they are really snaking the vent, so keep that in mind, too.

Finally, some of the older cast iron, galvanized, and copper drain pipes can be a real problem and on occasion, no matter how many times you snake the drain, the drain just can't get cleared and the drain pipes need to be replaced.

Let me know how you make out, OK?

Mark

So far, I poured hot water into the drain from the roof (14" of snow on the roof) we heard the water drain, but no change in the kitchen, so my thoughts are an elbow off the main vent stack that is frozen. The clean-out was right above the p-trap (odd?) so I know when I snaked up and down. When I snaked up, I can hear the snake in the walls behind the cubbards, so to me, that means the ice is in the walls!! I can't snake any further down that 15' but being that all the other drains in the house are draining, what does that tell me?

HI Eagle...

If you can't snake down further than 15 feet then you have probably found the blockage... ;)

Keep working the snake in this area... should eventually break through.

What size snake are you using and what kind of snake? If you are using a hand-held it may be time to step it up to an electric hand-held or larger...

Back to you...

Mark

I am using a 1/4" x 15' hand snake, so that didn't find the block. I did hit a blockage but it felt more like a 90. After working the snake, I retrieved it and found no junk on the end, unlike snaking up the vent (snow). To me it sounds frozen...

Hi..

If you leave the cleanout cap out (will act as a vent) and drain the sink at a slow pace how does the water drain? If it drains well for a long time then venting may in fact be the issue.

If water flows out the cleanout, then as much as the vent may even be frozen, it is not the major issue... clogged drain is and you will need to rent a larger, longer snake machine.

Mark

I thank you for your help, Mark, you were good help. I turned out to be a few problems. The vent was covered in snow and flush to the roof so it was missed under all the snow, also it was a clog at an elbow in the drain that was next to a window (poor plumbing) which was a cold spot, so that, too, was frozen. So, several factors caused the problem.
Again, Mark... Thank you!!