Will a P-trap fit?

[Bodrey]

I had my bathroom renovated many years ago and the when the contractor installed the ABS under the sink he didn't use a P-trap. I'm assuming this is for one of two reasons:

1) It was easier to forgo using a P-trap in lieu of getting the job done quicker/easier

2) There wasn't enough of an offset for a P-trap to fit

For the sake of everyday use, it has virtually no impact. However, for One, I'm not sure it's technically legal not to have one (P-traps prevent gases from entering the home). For Two, it makes it impossible to clean out any gunk buildup that may be inhibiting water flow. There's nothing to keep a drain cleaner from going straight down the pipe instead of stopping at the P-trap and being allowed to "sit" and break down the buildup. Plus, that stuff smells pretty nasty and attracts drain flies. I'd like to please get the opinion of some pros (see pics). I know P-traps are adjustable to a point but I suspect there may still not be enough room to accommodate the limited offset of the piping. Are there enough parts available (elbows of varying degrees, etc) that would make it possible?

 

[breplum]

Hello from California, USA !
Proper safe and sanitary practice ALWAYS requires a ptrap without exception. It prevents sewer gas and bugs from contaminating the living space.
The "contractor" was a complete idiot, no matter where in the world you are.
For venting, you can use an air admittance device coming off a tee.

 

[Bodrey]

Update: I was able to install a P-trap. I didn't have a lot of space to work with though so it took some fancy "finagling" to make it fit and still be able to close the vanity doors. However, the Overflow Push Drain Gasket won't provide a proper seal now. When I put everything back together it leaks at the base of the sink. Instead of replacing the gasket I opted to spring for a new Pop-Up Sink Drain Assembly. Just waiting for it to arrive.

However, now I have another plumbing issue (ugh... the joys of owning a home). This time it's the kitchen sink. I've noticed recently that when I let the dish water out it drains slowly. It has gotten progressively worse over the last couple of months. I was able to remove all of the sections under the sink up to the pipe that the P-trap attaches to. As expected, each section of the ABS had some gunk it them, but none of them were close to being completely clogged.

I then put a snake down the pipe at the point beyond the P-trap and worked it down and around as far as I could. I could not "feel" that there were any blockages (no resistance) and the snake had minimal gunk on it when I removed it. I cleaned all of the sections out as best I could and put everything back together. I then filled one side of the sink with enough water to test its ability to drain water. I expected the problem to be solved but instead some of the water backed up into the other sink. Now, the water's hardly draining at all!

I don't get it. If anything, it should be draining better, not completely clogged. Now, when I removed the tail piece from the strainer assembly I noticed something at its base that looks like a "valve". I should have taken a picture of it to show you but if you're a professional plumber I'm sure you know what it is, anyway. What is that thing? I'm not even going to speculate as to its purpose, but if it's possible that this "valve" is preventing the water from draining beyond the assembly please let me know.

Otherwise, I don't know what else to try at this point except maybe some Drano or Liquid Plumr. Any suggestions?

 

[havasu]

Pictures please!

 

[Bodrey]

Pictures of the base of the strainer assembly?

 

[MicEd69]

Now, when I removed the tail piece from the strainer assembly I noticed something at its base that looks like a "valve".

Is the "valve looking thing" at the base of the strainer assembly, or the base of the tail piece?

Does your double sink drain piping look something like this?

 

[Bodrey]

Very similar to that as you can see. The "valve looking thing" is at the base of the strainer assembly.

 

[MicEd69]

I can't tell for sure, but I think that is just a slip joint adapter. Are there 2 slip joints in that assembly? If there are, you need to be sure you didn't shove one down into the trap too far and block the flow. If that isn't the cause, you have a blockage in the drain line someplace. You may have pushed something farther down the drain when you tried to snake it.

But you also have a S-trap instead of a proper P-trap.

But let's talk about the drain clog first. I would not use chemical drain cleaners. I would try one of these.



The S-trap should really be changed out, so it becomes a P-trap.



In Delhi, I'm assuming you can install an AAV (Air Admittance Valve) on top of the line labeled "Vent", instead of routing it to above the roof.

 

[Pipe Dreams]

I can't tell for sure, but I think that is just a slip joint adapter. Are there 2 slip joints in that assembly? If there are, you need to be sure you didn't shove one down into the trap too far and block the flow. If that isn't the cause, you have a blockage in the drain line someplace. You may have pushed something farther down the drain when you tried to snake it.

But you also have a S-trap instead of a proper P-trap.

But let's talk about the drain clog first. I would not use chemical drain cleaners. I would try one of these.

View attachment 41416

The S-trap should really be changed out, so it becomes a P-trap.

View attachment 41417

In Delhi, I'm assuming you can install an AAV (Air Admittance Valve) on top of the line labeled "Vent", instead of routing it to above the roof.

View attachment 41418

The "wrong way" was done for at least 50 years, with no issue.

 

[Bodrey]

PD - The S-trap configuration not withstanding, I know this has nothing to do with the clog. I also don't think this is a venting issue. I had my new sink and plumbing installed about a year ago and until recently have had no issues with it whatsoever. I'm also skeptical that a chemical drain cleaner will resolve the issue but at this point I don't know what else to try. This stoppage is a complete mystery to me... unless like I said it has something to do with that valve-type thing at the base of the drain assembly.

 

[MicEd69]

PD - The S-trap configuration not withstanding, I know this has nothing to do with the clog. I also don't think this is a venting issue. I had my new sink and plumbing installed about a year ago and until recently have had no issues with it whatsoever. I'm also skeptical that a chemical drain cleaner will resolve the issue but at this point I don't know what else to try. This stoppage is a complete mystery to me... unless like I said it has something to do with that valve-type thing at the base of the drain assembly.

Yes, I understand. I am NOT saying your issue is a venting issue. What I said was to use the Drain King 501 or equivalent to clear the drain clog.

And yep, S-trap have been used for decades and are still being used with success. And in Delhi they are apparently quite common. In the United States, they are pretty much universally out of compliance in ANY jurisdiction.

 

[wpns]

I would try to drain king thing first, and then some kind of chemical drain cleaner, and worst case call a plumber or a drain cleaning company. Make sure to let them know what chemical drain cleaners you have used, so they know what to expect, if something comes back at them.

For future prevention, do not put any food down the drain, especially coffee grounds and/or animal fats.

 

[Bodrey]

Update: I'm declaring victory! Ultimately, it took a WHOLE 80oz bottle of Drano Max Gel to do the trick but it worked. I did the dishes tonight and draining the water was the moment of truth. Although it seemed to drain slower than I thought (maybe I was just imagining things) it DID drain. No water "sat" in the left sink and no water backed up into the right sink. Also, when I rinsed the dishes (2-3 minutes of running the water continuously) it did not back up the drain. Score 1 for Drano! I was skeptical that it would work but now I can honestly say that it does work. A small price to pay to unclog the drain. Worth every penny. It probably saved me $200 or more by not having to hire a plumber.

 

[Bodrey]

I would try to drain king thing first, and then some kind of chemical drain cleaner, and worst case call a plumber or a drain cleaning company. Make sure to let them know what chemical drain cleaners you have used, so they know what to expect, if something comes back at them.

For future prevention, do not put any food down the drain, especially coffee grounds and/or animal fats.

Update: I was able to install a P-trap. I didn't have a lot of space to work with though so it took some fancy "finagling" to make it fit and still be able to close the vanity doors. However, the Overflow Push Drain Gasket won't provide a proper seal now. When I put everything back together it leaks at the base of the sink. Instead of replacing the gasket I opted to spring for a new Pop-Up Sink Drain Assembly. Just waiting for it to arrive.

However, now I have another plumbing issue (ugh... the joys of owning a home). This time it's the kitchen sink. I've noticed recently that when I let the dish water out it drains slowly. It has gotten progressively worse over the last couple of months. I was able to remove all of the sections under the sink up to the pipe that the P-trap attaches to. As expected, each section of the ABS had some gunk it them, but none of them were close to being completely clogged.

I then put a snake down the pipe at the point beyond the P-trap and worked it down and around as far as I could. I could not "feel" that there were any blockages (no resistance) and the snake had minimal gunk on it when I removed it. I cleaned all of the sections out as best I could and put everything back together. I then filled one side of the sink with enough water to test its ability to drain water. I expected the problem to be solved but instead some of the water backed up into the other sink. Now, the water's hardly draining at all!

I don't get it. If anything, it should be draining better, not completely clogged. Now, when I removed the tail piece from the strainer assembly I noticed something at its base that looks like a "valve". I should have taken a picture of it to show you but if you're a professional plumber I'm sure you know what it is, anyway. What is that thing? I'm not even going to speculate as to its purpose, but if it's possible that this "valve" is preventing the water from draining beyond the assembly please let me know.

Otherwise, I don't know what else to try at this point except maybe some Drano or Liquid Plumr. Any suggestions?

UPDATE: My new bathroom sink drain arrived today. I installed it and I'm back in business!