"Duh" moment in clearing a kitchen drain clog

[packardv8]

FWIW, I've been working on, in and around home plumbing for fifty years. I'd have said I know my way around common repairs and construction.

The daughter's sink drain clogged. It's old iron pipe and for whatever reason in the construction, a snake wouldn't make the 90-downturn in the wall. I returned the rented snake and bought a rubber expansion blowout and the hose water pressure came out the vent pipe on the roof.

The light came on, but by that time it was another trip back to the tool rental store and another $25 for the snake. Five minutes down the roof vent and the clog was clear.

How, in fifty years had I not seen or heard of anyone clearing a clog by snaking through the vent? I'd always been able to clear clogs I encountered by going through the drain. After all this time, I still learn something almost every time I get into plumbing.

jack vines

 

[frodo]

FWIW, I've been working on, in and around home plumbing for fifty years. I'd have said I know my way around common repairs and construction.

The daughter's sink drain clogged. It's old iron pipe and for whatever reason in the construction, a snake wouldn't make the 90-downturn in the wall. I returned the rented snake and bought a rubber expansion blowout and the hose water pressure came out the vent pipe on the roof.

The light came on, but by that time it was another trip back to the tool rental store and another $25 for the snake. Five minutes down the roof vent and the clog was clear.

How, in fifty years had I not seen or heard of anyone clearing a clog by snaking through the vent? I'd always been able to clear clogs I encountered by going through the drain. After all this time, I still learn something almost every time I get into plumbing.

jack vines

me to, and i have been a plumber for 35 years.

you never stop learning

 

[phishfood]

I am always learning new things, new ways of doing the same thing, etc.

Just yesterday, I a was trimming out a custom shower, with 3 flush fit heads on the ceiling. I was thinking that I was going to have to grind down the jaws on my biggest adjustable wrench to fit on the wrench flats up against the ceiling, wasn't looking forward to that. Then it dawned on me, tighten the head onto the nipple, then use my inside nipple wrench to tighten the nipple into the wingell in the ceiling. Easy peasy.