Clogging, p-trap, disposals, etc

[shura]

Ahoy all,

I just bought a condo and it came with some issues. Right after moving I realized that the kitchen drain line was clogged. If water was left running, in about 20-30 seconds you'd see water standing in the disposal. So, since the place is under home warranty, a plumber showed up and cleared the clog (which, according to him was something like 10 ft down the line).
Note that cucumber or zuccini peels are about all I put in the disposal. In about 5-6 days, the clog was back. Another plumber showed up and said the following:

1. Whoever installed the sink and the piping below is an idiot.
2. There is now no room to install the p-trap.
3. There is no fix, aside from redoing the entire setup.
4. The main purpose of the disposal is not to grind anything, but create downward pressure.
5. Given the above, I am not supposed to put anything solid into the disposal, period. Otherwise, it'd be considered abuse and I'll be charged.

The picture of what's under the sink is attached. Is what the plumber said correct? Any suggestions? I am planning to redo the entire kitchen, but the plan is not immediate. Should I just accept this, or is there a way to have a quick & cost-efficient fix? Please be gentle, I know very little about plumbing.

Thanks!

 

[Debo22]

That is a work of art. He's wrong about #4

 

[shura]

That is a work of art. He's wrong about #4

Heh Any suggestions?

 

[SHEPLMBR]

Everything is wrong with this. If this is a rental, I would get the property manager in there and have it fixed. There is no way that disposer can drain properly and what is going up out of that trap?

 

[CT-18]

What is that p-trap on the right serving. That is a mess. I have been a licensed plumber since 1989 and i don't think i have seen worse. I would expect that from an electrician who was trying out plumbing.

 

[frodo]

remove everything, open the window and throw it out side, go outside and kick it around.

go buy a 1 1/2 pvc double wye and a 1 1/2'' fitting x female adapter with threaded plug

put tha in the middle hole of the double wye.

remove the existing wye and install new d wye

pipe as i have shown

 

[SHEPLMBR]

remove everything, open the window and throw it out side, go outside and kick it around.

go buy a 1 1/2 pvc double wye and a 1 1/2'' fitting x female adapter with threaded plug

put tha in the middle hole of the double wye.

remove the existing wye and install new d wye

pipe as i have shown

I agree bud, but still wondering what's going up out of that trap.

 

[shura]

Hey, thanks for all your responses, and feel free to circulate the glorious pic among your peers -- I love making ppl laugh. But let me try to answer all of your questions...

1. No, this isn't a rental. The dude who sold me the place is a lawyer, who probably thought he was a plumber and a handyman.
2. That p-trap on the right is not connected to anything up top -- the vertical pipe seems to be a stub.

Thanks for showing the correct topology. I also looked at a bunch of pics of what proper setups look like. The drain dude (not a plumber) from the first post said that the bottom of the sink is simply too low. Can you confirm that, or is it BS?
Can anyone suggest an estimate of how much this will cost to fix?

Thanks!

 

[frodo]

I agree bud, but still wondering what's going up out of that trap.

old way of not using an air gap fitting, , messy as hell.

run the hose to the stand pipe leave an air gap,,

stupid as hell design,,,you achieve the same thing by looping the hose and hooking it to the disposal

only way to confirm it will or wont

is to do it and find out

if you do it yourself.$20.00 in material

hire a plumber $150--$250.00, we are not cheap, and college tuition is high

 

[shura]

old way of not using an air gap fitting, , messy as hell.

run the hose to the stand pipe leave an air gap,,

stupid as hell design,,,you achieve the same thing by looping the hose and hooking it to the disposal

only way to confirm it will or wont

is to do it and find out

if you do it yourself.$20.00 in material

hire a plumber $150--$250.00, we are not cheap, and college tuition is high

Thanks! Though I am not sure what to do with that vertical pipe, or the right side of the topology you drew. The left side makes perfect sense. Why not simply disconnect the vertical pipe and connect the right sink section through a p-trap?
I assume you don't think that the sink bottom is too low for the disposal to drain into the pipe at this height...

 

[frodo]

replace the basket strainer, then screw a 1 1/2 fitting x female threaded adapter onto the new basket strainer

attach a 1 1/2 '' pvc tee to the adapter, that might be high enough

only way to know for certain is to do it

https://www.supply.com/shop?nid=487429&d=13116-13080&wmh_cid=242274502&wmh_aid=15352618702&wmh_kid=117838587382&gclid=CjwKEAiArbrFBRDL4Oiz97GP2nISJAAmJMFaN5xu8MZlkvvA3poPVAbpM93UO9kB2x8bL0ngSyaXkRoCRlvw_wcB

 

[SHEPLMBR]

old way of not using an air gap fitting, , messy as hell.

run the hose to the stand pipe leave an air gap,,

stupid as hell design,,,you achieve the same thing by looping the hose and hooking it to the disposal

only way to confirm it will or wont

is to do it and find out

if you do it yourself.$20.00 in material

hire a plumber $150--$250.00, we are not cheap, and college tuition is high

Yessir I understand this. Maybe another discussion for another forum. But I cannot tell you how often I am deluged with people with pictures and want discount for product.

 

[frodo]

Yessir I understand this. Maybe another discussion for another forum. But I cannot tell you how often I am deluged with people with pictures and want discount for product.

I have a friend who's bathtub was plugged, Asked me to fix it.
It was around tax time, She is a CPA, When I was finished with the tub
i handed her my taxes, asked her to "do them " for me.
she quickly quoted me a price. I laughed and said the Tub unstoppage was the same price. She actually thought My work is a freebie but hers is not.
I was amazed

 

[shura]

frodo, thanks a bunch -- will definitely look into this. Not really sure why cost is being discussed here. I, for one, think that the estimate above is reasonable, even if it takes a professional half an hour. Expert knowledge and work need to be compensated properly, otherwise do it yourself and end up with crap like in the first photo. I work as a physicist and do industry consulting from time to time. I charge about $160-200/hr and I don't think that my doctorate makes my work and knowledge somehow more valuable than that of a plumber.

I have a friend who's bathtub was plugged, Asked me to fix it.
It was around tax time, She is a CPA, When I was finished with the tub
i handed her my taxes, asked her to "do them " for me.
she quickly quoted me a price. I laughed and said the Tub unstoppage was the same price. She actually thought My work is a freebie but hers is not.
I was amazed

Your friend is a freaking moron.

 

[tanksnotanks]

Thank you shura ....I'm on my 32 yr of college learning in the school of hard knocks

 

[WyrTwister]

What is that p-trap on the right serving. That is a mess. I have been a licensed plumber since 1989 and i don't think i have seen worse. I would expect that from an electrician who was trying out plumbing.

I am an electrician . I do my own plumbing . Even I can see you are trying to push water & waste uphill , from the disposal .

This stuff is suppose to work by gravity , flowing down hill .

God bless
Wyr

 

[CT-18]

Ok then it would be like me trying to do electrical.