Gah!...We Have to Get a Plumber!

QM · 03-01-2011, 08:27 AM

What a bummer!

Ever since yesterday morning our kitchen sink has been acting up. Yesterday we ended up trying everything we could to get rid of the clog...I poured baking soda and vinegar down the drain, later we put Drano down the drain and DH even tried using a snake and plunger. After attempting to snake and plunge it for over an hour yesterday evening, we've given up...and called a plumber. Water has risen in the bottom of our dishwasher (beside the sink), and whenever we run water anywhere in the house it makes the kitchen sink water rise a bit.

What a pain! I hope it's nothing the plumber can't fix quickly and it doesn't cost too much.

He's coming this morning around 10.

**Spirit Deer** · 03-01-2011, 10:43 AM

What we did was use a fish tape, normally used for fishing wires through walls when doing electrical work. We tried the snake and it wasn't long enough to reach the clog.

I attached a rag to make it fatter on the end, using several zip ties. I wanted to make sure there was no way the rag could come off or we'd have had bigger problems. Then we just fished the fish tape down through the sink waste pipe. Voila! No more clog. One of us rolled up the fish tape as it came out of the pipe, while the other ran a dry rag over it so it was dry and wouldn't rust after being rolled up. Then we just detached the rag and all was well. Worked like a charm!

Good luck with your clog. It's never a good thing not to be able to use a sink.

**imagine** · 03-01-2011, 10:53 AM

When this has happened to use they just needed to snake the house drain not the sink drain.

The part that makes me think that this might be what is happening to you is that when you run water any where in the house it backs up into the sink. The water is trying to find a way out and it is finding the sink the easiest way.

Good news is it is not a expensive fix nor does it take very long.

**Libby** · 03-02-2011, 12:16 PM

I hope this doesn't cost you too much! When this happened to us, my toilet was a pooh fountain and the water found any way out it could, through the sink, tub, laundry sink and here's my dad who kept flushing the upstairs toilet and doing dishes

We called Roto Rooter to snake out the drain to see what the prob was with the cam. Tree root through the sewer pipe that attaches to the house.

Costly fix but not as costly as a basement flood would've been.

Good Luck!

**TigerGirl1226** · 03-02-2011, 12:37 PM

Just be sure that who ever you use is licensed. I work for the licensing board in my state so I like to remind everyone.

Good luck! Hope it's an easy fix!

QM · 03-03-2011, 12:43 PM

Well, the toal bill came to $173.46...$28.50 for drain chemicals, $125 for labour and $19.96 for tax. I guess food gunge was clogging the main pipe and their special chemicals cleaned it out. We couldn't do it ourselves with a snake because the clog was WAY down the pipe and going along the basement wall. Anywho, it's done and overwith. Now to pay it off my Line of Credit...

**lisaflex** · 03-03-2011, 06:59 PM

well, it is done and hopefully no more issues. sometimes these things just cant be helped or done our own w/out a professional.

understandably, it sucks....a few yrs back we had a really bad septic block that ended up costing us thousands....so, in that respect you can be grateful your cost was no where near this!