Kitchen sink pipes blocked (I think)

[p4evr]

Hi all, new member here with a plumbing issue I am trying to figure out.

Scenario:
Started getting blocked over the months with poor flow and slow drainage.
I used drain, baking soda and vinegar with boiling water the week prior, no impact.
M used the small picks and brushes from Temo + Draino, and plunger a few days prior, now super blocked.
Run water it just stands in the sink and takes hours to drain.

Actions:
I took the trap out (very clean) and used pipe snake
- 1x with old 15' on that only when 10' due to previous damage.
- 2x with new 25' that reaches past the laundry drain down to sewer for sure.
No affect, now the bottom of drain leaks as all that drain snake maybe roughed up the connection?

Help:
I've done all that I can think of and thought to see what may have been missed or tried before calling in the pros. Hydro-jetting, cutting the basement pipe, clear whatever and re-assemble?

Your thoughts are appreciated. See pictures below showing piping from sink to the sewer line.

Sincerely,
p4evr

 

[bczoom]

Have you confirmed the short pipe between the sink and the trap is clear?
Are any other drains in the house slow?
Do you have any air admittance valves on this line or under other sinks?
Are you on public sewer or septic?

 

[p4evr]

Have you confirmed the short pipe between the sink and the trap is clear?
Are any other drains in the house slow?
Do you have any air admittance valves on this line or under other sinks?
Are you on public sewer or septic?

Hi bczoom,

Yes, the short pipe between the sink and trap is totally clear. It unscrews as part of the trap and I looked at it 3 times and clean per the baking soda/vinegar last week.

Nothing else is slow, even the laundry sink which the kitchen pipes Y into before heading the sewer is fine. The washing machine runs pipe (straight down) fine as it feeds into the laundry pipes that go into the sewer pipe.

I do not have any valves under the kitchen line nor does any other sink.

I am on public sewer, of course I own the pipe to the property line somewhere underneath the house.

How are you thinking?

Sincerely,
p4evr

 

[p4evr]

Here is a labeled picture of the basement pipes for clarity.

Thank you all for having a look, and have a fantastic day!

Sincerely,
p4evr

 

[waybomb]

Are any of the other traps in the house or any toilets losing water? Meaning the system's vent is clogged and venting through the taps?

 

[Doc]

Crazy problem. Defies logic. Waybomb might be onto something.
I was going to guess a tree root was blocking the pipe but since nothing else is plugged we know that is not the issue.
If nothing else I'd be tempted to cut the long pipe before the vertical drop and run the snake forward from there. But before that get a 1 1/2 or 2" coupler and glue to put the pipe back together when done.

 

[FrancSevin]

Okay. I had a similar issue. I tried drain cleaners, rodding the pipes, nothing seemed to permanently "fixed the trouble.
I bought an expensive gallon of some fancy super cleaner from Lowes everybody said would do the job. Nope!
Finally, I just bought a bottle of the cheapest generic Chorine Bleach and poured it down the sink drain.
BINGO!!!
Now I do that every three or four months. Drain is clean as a whistle!
The only thing this remedy won't clear is a collapsed pipe.


BTW, A garbage disposer grind things up but a horizontal drain ( Black Pipe) that is long and less than 1/4" per foot drop will allow sediment of the grindings. Do the Bleach flush every three months.

 

[p4evr]

Thank you all for the feedback.

Yes, I will try bleach, and if that doesn't work, I will cut the pipe which was last resort.

Will let you guys know how it goes!

Sincerely,
p4evr

 

[p4evr]

Thank you all for the feedback.

Yes, I will try bleach, and if that doesn't work, I will cut the pipe which was last resort.

Will let you guys know how it goes!

Sincerely,
p4evr

Hi all,

I did put a gallon of chlorine bleach from Walmart that took about 1/2 hr or so. Then ran water a few hours later, same results where the water backs up the drain after a few liters.

I'll try the auger again and hydro jet before cutting the pipes.

Sincerely,
p4evr

 

[Doc]

Maybe a pressure plunger would work. Most say they are for toilet but they also mention tough drain plugs. You'd have to remove the J trap to put it in I'd guess but maybe after everything else this would do the trick. Search amazon for lots of these type products.
Here is a link to one of the pressure plungers and a review from this one. I have never used one but I had read about them.

Amazon.com

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful and Easy to Use – Worth Every Penny!​

Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2025
Verified Purchase
I was desperate after trying every traditional plunger and chemical cleaner with no luck. This Pushare high-pressure air plunger saved the day! I had a stubborn toilet clog that wouldn’t budge, but after just two pumps with this tool—gone! The foot pump makes it super easy to build pressure, and you can feel the power when it blasts through the clog.

It’s really well made, and I love that it comes with multiple adapters for different drains, plus gloves so you’re not getting messy. Works great on sinks and showers too. This is a must-have tool in every home!

 

[p4evr]

That is a great idea, Doc.

Let me regroup to figure out next steps.

Sincerely,
p4evr