This is a bizarre one (for these untrained eyes).
Here's the set-up:
Two side-by-side vessel sinks have horizontal drains which share a vertical 2" drain between them, that 2" drains into the main line (vertical at that point)
Sinks are in an addition to the house constructed in 2008.
left sink was draining very slowly (immediately begins filling, come back in a couple of minutes to see if its done draining. My wife's - she never said anything to me.)
The right side drains freely.
A couple of years ago I had the same symptoms and never felt satisfied with hand reaming but it was better. At the time also tried a couple of
doses of drain-o.
This time I rented a power snake. I ran the snake through _both_ left and right traps into the wall -- the snake appeared out of the other trap in both directions.
I did this multiple times.
I left the right sink connected and running water. I snaked the left drain and as withdrawing I could feel the cool fresh water on the cable.
So, remember the right drain is free, the left is blocked -- but the snake found nothing.
Snaked a number of times with short in/out reams along the way hoping to find the down spot or at least breakup the clog. I've found reference to "drop-heads" and "skilled plumbers" can go slowly and "feel" the drop etc.
I tried all that. no diff.
Finally, I had to return the snake, so one last idea of frustration: I allowed the left sink to fill nearly to the top.
The right trap was still removed -- nothing overflowed there.
Plunged a few times on the left and pulled the plunger directly up with some aggression/frustration and hark!, I hear drain noise.
huh? Yes! got it! drained quickly and with the satisfying burp/glug at the end.
Try it again, this time while plunging I left the water filling. Same thing --
But! as soon as the sink finishes draining it begins filling again. Confirmed this a few times -- as soon as the volume is gone, it immediately start backfilling again.
The bathroom does have its own stack. But its more on a line with the left sink -- and not the main drain mentioned earlier. (that is to say I don't think the stack is directly connected to the main line -- maybe).
It seems like some sort of siphoning or blocked stack issue. No other fixture has chase problems though: toilet,bath, shower - only the left sink.
Have you folks got any ideas? I've plunged numerous times -- it always works (even with only a half or quarter filled sink) unless I don't give the plunger a clean "pop" off.
When the sink fills I do see air bubbles coming up from the drain -- not boiling cauldron bubbles but a few smallish sized and much tinier ones.
My wife says, even now with its slowness it is better than before my attempts.
thanks for reading, I hope you can confirm/help/explain!
I've added a 2min. vid showing the plunge/drain symptoms:
www.mountcrumpit.com/vids/slowdrain.mp4
Here's the set-up:
Two side-by-side vessel sinks have horizontal drains which share a vertical 2" drain between them, that 2" drains into the main line (vertical at that point)
Sinks are in an addition to the house constructed in 2008.
left sink was draining very slowly (immediately begins filling, come back in a couple of minutes to see if its done draining. My wife's - she never said anything to me.)
The right side drains freely.
A couple of years ago I had the same symptoms and never felt satisfied with hand reaming but it was better. At the time also tried a couple of
doses of drain-o.
This time I rented a power snake. I ran the snake through _both_ left and right traps into the wall -- the snake appeared out of the other trap in both directions.
I did this multiple times.
I left the right sink connected and running water. I snaked the left drain and as withdrawing I could feel the cool fresh water on the cable.
So, remember the right drain is free, the left is blocked -- but the snake found nothing.
Snaked a number of times with short in/out reams along the way hoping to find the down spot or at least breakup the clog. I've found reference to "drop-heads" and "skilled plumbers" can go slowly and "feel" the drop etc.
I tried all that. no diff.
Finally, I had to return the snake, so one last idea of frustration: I allowed the left sink to fill nearly to the top.
The right trap was still removed -- nothing overflowed there.
Plunged a few times on the left and pulled the plunger directly up with some aggression/frustration and hark!, I hear drain noise.
huh? Yes! got it! drained quickly and with the satisfying burp/glug at the end.
Try it again, this time while plunging I left the water filling. Same thing --
But! as soon as the sink finishes draining it begins filling again. Confirmed this a few times -- as soon as the volume is gone, it immediately start backfilling again.
The bathroom does have its own stack. But its more on a line with the left sink -- and not the main drain mentioned earlier. (that is to say I don't think the stack is directly connected to the main line -- maybe).
It seems like some sort of siphoning or blocked stack issue. No other fixture has chase problems though: toilet,bath, shower - only the left sink.
Have you folks got any ideas? I've plunged numerous times -- it always works (even with only a half or quarter filled sink) unless I don't give the plunger a clean "pop" off.
When the sink fills I do see air bubbles coming up from the drain -- not boiling cauldron bubbles but a few smallish sized and much tinier ones.
My wife says, even now with its slowness it is better than before my attempts.
thanks for reading, I hope you can confirm/help/explain!
I've added a 2min. vid showing the plunge/drain symptoms:
www.mountcrumpit.com/vids/slowdrain.mp4
