Very Odd Clogged Drain

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Champaign, Illinois
I'm a plumbing newbie, so please forgive me if I state something that is painfully obvious...this is all pretty new to me :)

I have been doing a lot of looking around and reading at LOTS of DIY drain clearing websites.

THE PROBLEM:

The sink in my bathroom will not drain.


HISTORY:
It started off as a slow drain. It would usually empty its self within 10 minutes. Then, being the newbie I am, I tried fixing it, grabbed the plunger, and went to town. Now, it won't drain at all.

THINGS I HAVE TRIED:

  • Drain-O (failed)
  • Something from Lowes thats "like" Drain-O but it's "corrosive" and claims to be "industrial strength" ... (failed)
  • I climbed up on my roof and ran a hose full blast down both of my vent pipes for a long time each hoping it would do the trick. We had a brief glimmer of hope, because as I started to do it, the sink started to back up a little bit and fill with water...so I was hopeful it was clearing the drain. But after about 30 minutes each one running water...the sink still has not drained.
  • Bought a manual pipe snake, 20 footer, and ran every last inch of it into the drain under the sink. Nothing.
  • I took the trap under the sink off and made sure it was clear

MISC INFO:

  • The toilet still flushes fine
  • Bathtub drains perfectly
  • Kitcken Sink & Dish washer both drain just fine
  • I got down in my crawlspace to see if I could just take apart the plumbing under there, but its all PVC piping and it's all been glued together...no idea how the heck to work with that.

Is there any option im leaving out here? I really can't afford to call in a professional
 
Last edited:
THIS IS WHAT I DO IS PULL TRAP AND NIPPEL USE SNAKE MAKE SURE SNAKE IS GOING DOWN THE TEE TRY TO RUN ABOUT 20 or 30 FEET OF LINE THAT SHUD DO IT HOPE THAT HELPS FROM jeff
 
THIS IS WHAT I DO IS PULL TRAP AND NIPPEL USE SNAKE MAKE SURE SNAKE IS GOING DOWN THE TEE TRY TO RUN ABOUT 20 or 30 FEET OF LINE THAT SHUD DO IT HOPE THAT HELPS FROM jeff

Yeah, unfortunately i've tried that :( I think my snake just isn't long enough *sigh*

So im at the point of "Don't care any more" and im going to get down in the crawl space and start sawing.

It's PVC piping, glued together. As long as I replace the part I cut off...all will be well. Just didn't want to get this muddy.

Still, though, it's better than paying a plumber a ridiculous amount of money to do something that any simpleton like myself can easily do.
 
Please help me see the light. Under your sink you should have a P trap which allows access into your plumbing. Is this where you tried snaking the line? If so, you are on the right track by chasing that line. Be cautious about cutting PVC which contained corrosive drain cleaners. That stuff will eat pipes and skin, especially eyes, but is pretty useless with clogs. If I am missing something, please let us know.
 
Are you testing the water flow after the trap with the trap removed? I have to ask, because this is a popular scenario that home owners miss.
Be sure that the drain opening of the sink, pop-up and tailpiece are clear. If they are clogged, every time you reassemble the trap and water test it will appear that the drain downstream is clogged.
 
Yeah, unfortunately i've tried that :( I think my snake just isn't long enough *sigh*

So im at the point of "Don't care any more" and im going to get down in the crawl space and start sawing.

It's PVC piping, glued together. As long as I replace the part I cut off...all will be well. Just didn't want to get this muddy.

Still, though, it's better than paying a plumber a ridiculous amount of money to do something that any simpleton like myself can easily do.

sounds to me that you should bite the bullet and call in the pro's because if you think its expensive to clear a drain, just wait till you cut out the waste piping and then figure out your in over your head.
 

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