blocked sink drain-back2back 2nd story baths

[dianedebuda]

Have 2 apts with back-to-back baths that seem to share drains. Tub & toilets ok, but sinks do not drain much, if at all. Tried my little manual snake without luck (but don't think I've really ever gotten anything cleared with that anyhow <g>). Tenant has tried Liquid Plumber without success. Several years ago I had a blockage in those sinks and called RotoRooter. They were not able to snake it and I don't want to go that expensive route again. Sure wish I remember how I got it fixed then. Anyhow I'm pretty handy and (unfortunately) have experience in renting snakes & clearing kitchen drains. But 1) I'm worried I'll have trouble getting the snake upstairs and 2) not be able to guide it down the drain since the RotoRooter guy couldn't. And he's sure to have been much more experienced than I.

May be some kind of dirt clog cause the tenent said it stopped up a while back after her kids had knocked over potted plants. She said she got it fixed then with Liquid Plumber, but it has reoccurred. Don't know period of time between her "fix" and reblock - could be days or months. My little snake did seem to have "dirt" dirt on it...

FWIW: wall pipe is cast iron.

Have thought about trying to get some sort of temp cap for wall side for one apt to block off at least part of the route before trying again with my other drill-activated snake. Don't know if there's an air vent right there or not. Any other/better ideas?

Thanks,
Diane

 

[IFIXH20]

Pull the p-trap & trap arm on both sinks to see if you can see out the other side. Have anyone tried a drop head on the drain cable or bending the cable just pass the head. You definitely need a power snake.

 

[dianedebuda]

Pretty sure I did the view test the last time & it was a see-thru. Work by myself, so suggestions on good way to bend cable? Can't see & have always snaked by feel before - maybe I've been successful just by luck.

Thanks for reply.

 

[johnjh2o]

What I have done in that situation is use a short piece of 3/4" PVC with a 45 on the end. Push that into the waste line to were the two branches enter DBL fitting facing the 45 down. Then push your snake through the PVC pipe directing it down to the stoppage.

John

 

[dianedebuda]

Sounds good to me. Thanks. Hopefully will get my car out of the shop tomorrow so I can try it.

 

[PioneerPlumber]

Open wall and install a full size 2" clean out tee on the stack. (Below the double fixture fitting)
This will allow you to properly snake this line with a full size snake head.
If that isn't something you're capable of doing, call a professional who will. Snaking this line any other way (drop head, bending cable or sleeving trap arm with 45) will be a temporary fix regardless of wether or not you manage to get the line open.

That being said, I would probably snake with a drop head and prepare for the installation of a clean out once problem returns...

 

[dianedebuda]

Finally got this resolved. Posting in case someone else is blessed with this. First headache was that it was only a 1-1/4" pipe, so 3/4" fittings were too big. Tried a bunch of things like 1/2" fittings, but what ended up working was a 10" 1-1/4" drain pipe modified to act a guide to get the snake to turn. One end was blocked off by pounding in about 2" of a 6" (approx) cut-to-firmly-fit 3/4" plywood strip. A slot (approx 2" long x 3/4" wide) was cut into the bottom of the pipe in front of the plywood inside the pipe. This modified drain guide was then inserted into the wall pipe and aligned over the down leg of the T by "feeling" with something like a hooked coat-hanger. Used standard drain washer/nut to keep guide pipe alligned while using snake. Manually inserted 1/4" drill-activated snake with tip slightly bent into guide; plywood acted as a stop & snake bent down the slot into the down leg of the T. Easy after that.