Why isn't this draining?

[lukeiam]

I'm going to assume -- since my bathroom drain worked fine and it was a standard / non-adjustable type -- that the diagonal is jamming this up? It's a big sink (30"). When I do a big wash it's not clearing...there was no food or anything, just water. I could cut this down to eliminate the diagonal, but wanted to check with the smart Pros here first THANKS for reading and any help/insight!

 

[Geofd]

You say when I do a big wash......I's your washing machine also part of this drain, although it's not the best set up just by changing your p trap and sink should not change anything,,snaking the drain couldn't hurt

 

[breplum]

The diagonal, aside from not being to code whatsoever, has nothing to do with not draining.

 

[lukeiam]

You say when I do a big wash......I's your washing machine also part of this drain, although it's not the best set up just by changing your p trap and sink should not change anything,,snaking the drain couldn't hurt

No washing machine...just this sink. Sorry, by big wash i meant lots of dishes

 

[lukeiam]

The diagonal, aside from not being to code whatsoever, has nothing to do with not draining.

Thanks. Do you think this is too narrow then? p-trap seems pretty straightforward; I didn't think this would be a code thing.

 

[Ludington]

Did you try taking the p trap apart and cleaning it out ? Maybe it's just narrowed / clogged.

 

[lukeiam]

Did you try taking the p trap apart and cleaning it out ? Maybe it's just narrowed / clogged.

Thanks, yeah, taken it apart a few times but when it reaches a certain volume it stops. I'm hard-pressed to believe the drain pipe (in the wall) is clogged, only because it was working fine before the renovation. I could snake it, I suppose...But I was thinking maybe this drain was too narrow for the sink volume or the diagonal was a factor -- maybe not!

 

[MicEd69]

Was your previous sink attached to the copper pipe like this one is? Do you know what the piping looks like inside the wall, and can you provide a sketch? Materials of construction, sizes, fittings, dimensions, etc.

 

[lukeiam]

Was your previous sink attached to the copper pipe like this one is? Do you know what the piping looks like inside the wall, and can you provide a sketch? Materials of construction, sizes, fittings, dimensions, etc.

This is what it used to look like (connected to two sinks). Inside the wall is ABS going down (probably 2-2.5" pipe) and the steel going up through roof. Thanks for any help!

 

[Twowaxhack]

Unscrew the cleanout and clean that tee out where it goes vertical just inside the wall.

 

[lukeiam]

Unscrew the cleanout and clean that tee out where it goes vertical just inside the wall.

Thanks! Good call. Unscrewing that might be a nightmare -- maybe not. What about just snaking it?

 

[Twowaxhack]

What about just snaking it?

That’s exactly what I want you to do.

Then put the plug back in and fill the sink with hot water and let it out. You could also use a plunger as the sink is draining.

 

[lukeiam]

That’s exactly what I want you to do.

Then put the plug back in and fill the sink with hot water and let it out. You could also use a plunger as the sink is draining.

Got it! Thank you very much....That makes sense. Maybe something got in there!

 

[MicEd69]

It appears your 1 1/2" sink drain is going into a 3" cast iron sanitary tee that is necked down to a 2" PVC vertical drain line. That is not ABS. And that reducing rubber connector produces a ledge that can be problematic. It would have been much better to replace that 3" cast iron sanitary tee with a 2" PVC sanitary tee. You may want to still consider that to prevent further future issues. If you do that, I would also install a standard P-trap instead of that corrugated tailpiece which is also problematic.

 

[lukeiam]

It appears your 1 1/2" sink drain is going into a 3" cast iron sanitary tee that is necked down to a 2" PVC vertical drain line. That is not ABS. And that reducing rubber connector produces a ledge that can be problematic. It would have been much better to replace that 3" cast iron sanitary tee with a 2" PVC sanitary tee. You may want to still consider that to prevent further future issues. If you do that, I would also install a standard P-trap instead of that corrugated tailpiece which is also problematic.

Thank you! I really appreciate you chiming...funny, my plumber who did the rough-in didn't say much about that. But he might not have wanted to deal with extra work. The drain was working fine before! So maybe the corrugated unit is part of this hiccup. I definitely see doing the above if I had a washing machine, etc, but it's just a sink.

 

[MicEd69]

Thank you! I really appreciate you chiming...funny, my plumber who did the rough-in didn't say much about that. But he might not have wanted to deal with extra work. The drain was working fine before! So maybe the corrugated unit is part of this hiccup. I definitely see doing the above if I had a washing machine, etc, but it's just a sink.

OK, but just note that this is against the Massachusetts Uniform State Plumbing Code. Either the inspector missed this, or this wasn't inspected.

248 CMR 10.05

 

[breplum]

No plumbing code allows tee on its side. But he said it was existing, so I hadn't brought it up.

 

[MicEd69]

No plumbing code allows tee on its side. But he said it was existing, so I hadn't brought it up.

Yeah, I was more concerned about the size reduction in the vertical drain line.

 

[Twowaxhack]

Looks like 2” cast iron tee with a bell end pipe left on then they cut the pipe off close and slipped a fernco boot over it. Hard to tell.

It’s not right but I wouldn’t cut the wall open now to replace it. It may be 3”, pics can be deceiving on an iPhone

 

[MicEd69]

Looks like 2” cast iron tee with a bell end pipe left on then they cut the pipe off close and slipped a fernco boot over it. Hard to tell.

It’s not right but I wouldn’t cut the wall open now to replace it. It may be 3”, pics can be deceiving on an iPhone

The pipe coming out of the top of the cast iron sanitary tee is larger than the PVC pipe out of the bottom. But the steel vent pipe going up does neck down to something that appears to be the same size of the PVC line. So, in looking closer at the photo, I think you are correct that the cast iron sanitary tee is 2". And as the steel line out the top doesn't look like it is 1" larger than the PVC line, I'm thinking that while the sanitary tee is a 2" and the PVC line is only a 1 1/2" line.

That is a smaller ledge to catch things, but it sure looks like an ongoing and repeating plugging issue besides being poor practice and against code.