[David606]

My mom's kitchen sink drains VERY slowly or not at all. I've snaked it, used drain cleaner, taken all the pipes I can get to apart, no clog. It does this sporadically. It will be fine for awhile, then it does it again, then will clear itself. I'm at the end of my rope. Have to drive 3 hours to get there, so would like a few things to try.

[hkstroud]

You will have to tell us more. Like what kind of pipe (galvanized, PVC) and how old.
Forget the drain cleaner. They either don't work or if they work they cause all the goop in the pipe to collapse and cause a blockage. Only real way to clear is to snake.
What size and kind and size of snake did you use previously and how far did you snake.

Sometimes, especially if you are using a small manual snake, you can go through a soft blockage and have it close up again after you pull the snake out. Only thing you can do is snake again until clear. Rent a powered drain snake and go until you have hit the main drain..

[speedball1]

When your washer drains does the sink gurgle a bit? Back to you, Tom

[xnhungx]

When your washer drains does the sink gurgle a bit? Back to you, Tom

Hi Tom and everyone

I was wondering if you guys could help me with a similar situation. My kitchen sink won't drain too. I've taken the pipes that I could apart. There were no clogs found in that. Same with my garbage disposal when I took it apart ran water in it and came out the other end without any problems. When the garbage disposal is running, water drains out and 'gurgle' as you put it only to come back up again as soon as I shut it off. Also my sink is a dual one. I've been at this for the past few days now and I don't know what else to do.. can't afford calling a plumber.

[speedball1]

Hi and Welcome to The Plumbing Page. At AskMeHelpDesk.com.
Sounds to me like you have a partial clog in the horizontal drain in the wall. The solution would be to remove the traps "J" bend and send a snake up into the wall,(see image). There's a bend ablout 8 inches in but once around that you only have to put out 6 more feet of snake. Flush with a tub of hot water. Good luck and thank you for ratting my answer. Tom

[xnhungx]

Hi and Welcome to The Plumbing Page. at AskMeHelpDesk.com.
Sounds to me like you have a partial clog in the horizontal drain in the wall. The solution would be to remove the traps "J" bend and send a snake up into the wall,(see image). There's a bend ablout 8 inches in but once around that you only have to put out 6 more feet of snake. Flush with a tub of hot water. Good luck and thank you for ratting my answer. Tom

Thank you very much for a quick response and help!

I have another question. Do you know if it's possible for me to remove that 'U' trap? I know that there isn't any blockage in there, but I can't seem to loosen that darn thing off there. I've tried multiple times with a large channel lock pliers.

I live in a mobile by the way, so I would need to run a snake down what I mark in light blue right? If I can't seem to remove the 'U' trap, would it be possible still for me to remove the clog by running a snake through that then to the 'J' trap and so on?

Again thank you for the help, greatly appreciated!

[speedball1]

I don't see a nut so the "J" bend must be glued in. You have a upright pipe coming out of the top. Is that a AAV,(Air Admittance Valve) I see? Is it glued or threaded on? Back to you, Tom

[xnhungx]

I just went to go look. I don't know if it is. I took a picture with my camera at the top of it and it read: LYONS INDUSTRIES V-200 VENT. I think it's glued on too cause I tried loosening up that also.

[speedball1]

That's , indeed, a mechanical vent. Are you quite sure it doesn't have threads at the base? Plumbing codes mandate that AAV's MUST be out where they can be serviced and/or replaced. Gluing it in is against code. Go take another look and get back to me. Regards, Tom

[xnhungx]

The only thing I could find that I could possibly take it apart is these flexible coupling. Is that what I need to do is take that apart in order to put the snake in directly through the vertical pipe?

[speedball1]

Whatever gets you into that vertical pipe behind the trap. Good luck, Tom