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TucsonJeff · Dec 12, 2005, 02:01 PM

Hi,
Thanks in advance for any help on this - these forums are really a blessing.

My kitchen sink is backed up somewhere between the sink and the drain leaving the house. A nearby sink, toilet, and shower all drain fine. A plumber came out today and tried for a couple hours, with two different snakes, to try to unclog it - no luck. My house is 52 years old and it does not have a vent for the kitchen sink, only one for the main drain. So it can't be snaked through there.

The plumber said the problem was due to the way it was plumbed, using water fittings instead of drain fittings. I'm a little surprised it has worked for 52 years and just now clogged "permanantly" - We've only lived here three months.

His solution was to run a new drain for the kitchen sink through the wall to the outside and straight out to the main drain going to the sewer line. The house is on a slab so there's no crawl space to work in. The walls are adobe and a foot thick, so running a pipe through it won't be easy. The main drain is only 6 feet or so away, so there won't be TOO much digging to do. He also said he would add a vent line in the process.

So I'm wondering, does this sound reasonable? The plumber wanted $1250 to do it, but he said he coulf half that if I dug the trench, and when it came down to it I could probably do it myself (that's what he said). I think I could too, I've worked with copper and PVC pipes and it seems like a logically simple problem. I also have skilled friends that would help me.

Thanks for any help,
Jeff

speedball1 · Dec 12, 2005, 04:19 PM

Hi Jeff,

$1250 to run a drain? I retired too early. How does your plumber know what type of fittings are inside the wall? If this were my call I wouldn't be so hasty. I'd rent a cement saw and cut a 2 foot access hole directly behind the stubout. If this is like most unvented sinks the stubout runs into a elbo pointing down that connects directly into the drain line. Once I got to the elbo I'd break it out and cut the pipe down to where I could No-Hub on a drainage tee. The branch of the tee I would connect, with another No-Hub Band, back to the stubout. After I snaked and cleared the kitchen drain line I'd install a Studor AAV vent of top of the tee. Since the AAv screws on it can be removed and the tee used as a cleanout if needed. I would then frame up a cover for the access hole and paint it to match the rest of the wall. I just thought I'd give you another option. Regards, Tom

TucsonJeff · Dec 12, 2005, 04:39 PM

Great, thanks for the response. If I understand it correctly you're suggesting I cut a 2 foot hole partway into the wall to house a T and the AAV. This won't work because the drain comes up vertically from the cement slab, rather than thorugh the wall. I suppose I could cut/chisel this out of the cement, but even if I got to the first elbow several inches deep I don't think it would help much - the plumber said they were able to get the snake in a distance of 8 feet before it hung up on something. I seems easier to me to drill a hole through the wall and dig a trench to access the main drain.

Thanks for your advice, the more I learn the better. Jeff

talaniman · Dec 12, 2005, 10:14 PM

If the plumber could only get the snake 8 ft in he has a long way to go.I've run into obstructions that took more than an hour to clear.Then you have to be aware of any bends in the pipe.Using a snake is an art. Call roto rooter before you spend the big bucks especially with an older home.An experienced plumber with the right rotor can save you a lot of time and trouble.good luck. :cool: 1250 for a cleanout would bring me out of retirement fast. :) :cool: