Air? In my kitchen drain? It's more likely than you think.
June 22, 2010 4:14 AM Subscribe
Sometimes my kitchen sink drains get clogged....with air. How can I stop this? Or is this normal?
Sometimes, when I run the faucet in the kitchen sink, the drain will...just not drain, or will drain very slow. I have a double-sided kitchen sink, so often when that happens I'll switch to the other side, with the first side standing half full and draining very slowly. As I'm working on the second side of the sink, suddenly the first side will belch forth a few huge bubbles and then start draining like a champ. After this, the first side will drain perfectly. Once in a great while, the second side will also start "clogging" with air as well, getting about a quarter full before they both bubble up and drain.
It seems like air is getting trapped somewhere in the workings down there. Is this normal? If not, what can I do? I've already Drano'd the thing a few times, and it also seems that that's not the problem because it drains so well once the air finally escapes.
Sometimes, when I run the faucet in the kitchen sink, the drain will...just not drain, or will drain very slow. I have a double-sided kitchen sink, so often when that happens I'll switch to the other side, with the first side standing half full and draining very slowly. As I'm working on the second side of the sink, suddenly the first side will belch forth a few huge bubbles and then start draining like a champ. After this, the first side will drain perfectly. Once in a great while, the second side will also start "clogging" with air as well, getting about a quarter full before they both bubble up and drain.
It seems like air is getting trapped somewhere in the workings down there. Is this normal? If not, what can I do? I've already Drano'd the thing a few times, and it also seems that that's not the problem because it drains so well once the air finally escapes.
Sounds like you've got a clogged vent. If you can get on the roof with a garden hose you can often clear the obstruction that way. If that is not possible then a plumber should be able to take care of it. If the vent isn't clogged but just really far away (or on the off chance your kitchen sink isn't vented) then you can install an under-sink vent.
posted by Rhomboid at 4:49 AM on June 22, 2010
posted by Rhomboid at 4:49 AM on June 22, 2010
Depending on where you live and how old your home is, I'd say "not vented" is a distinct possibility.
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 4:53 AM on June 22, 2010
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 4:53 AM on June 22, 2010
This happens to me occasionally as well. I have fallen into the correlation = causation trap of noticing it more on extremely windy days.
My usual method of fixing it is pretty much the same as above: plug the drain, fill the sink halfway, yank out the plug, and then battle it with a tiny sink plunger until it makes that burpy bubbly sound.
posted by elizardbits at 4:59 AM on June 22, 2010
My usual method of fixing it is pretty much the same as above: plug the drain, fill the sink halfway, yank out the plug, and then battle it with a tiny sink plunger until it makes that burpy bubbly sound.
posted by elizardbits at 4:59 AM on June 22, 2010
In theory a sink should be vented - a vent being pipe that connects to the drain under the sink and goes up through your roof. Normally, except for a little water in the U-shaped trap, the drain line should be filled with air. When you open the sink drain to let the water out, a pressure differential is created between the two sides of the trap, and the vent pipe admits air to equalize this pressure so that some water stays in the trap. The trap prevents sewer gases from entering your house, and the vent directs them safely outside rather than into the house. The possibilities here are: the vent is clogged (a bird nest, leaves, dead squirrel, etc.); there is no vent at all; or you have a newer house with an air-admittance valve (AAV, an interior vent) rather than a vent stack near the sink. An AAV lets air into the drain when needed, but doesn't let sewer gas out, so the house still needs a minimum of one roof vent for that purpose. AAVs don't always work, and whatever the venting arrangement is here, it's obviously not working. Those belches of air could be letting some sewer gas into your house as well, and could be leaving the traps dry. In any case, you need to check and clear the vent if there is one, and possibly have an AAV installed.
posted by beagle at 5:55 AM on June 22, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by beagle at 5:55 AM on June 22, 2010 [1 favorite]
Could be a clogged vent, but it could also be just a vent that was not optimally placed. The perfect venting system would vent every time there is a direction change from horizontal flow to downward flow. Instead of an elbow, they would install a tee going up into the venting system. Sometimes this isn't possible, or isn't done due to cheapness or just plain plumbing mistakes.
Another thing to look for is to make sure the pitch of your under-counter drains is correct. Sometimes the drains don't have enough pitch because of tight constraints or the installation of some new device.
Try running some of that enzymatic/biological drain treatments for a few months. That should take care of any weird "lumps" of almost-clog along the line.
posted by gjc at 5:59 AM on June 22, 2010
Another thing to look for is to make sure the pitch of your under-counter drains is correct. Sometimes the drains don't have enough pitch because of tight constraints or the installation of some new device.
Try running some of that enzymatic/biological drain treatments for a few months. That should take care of any weird "lumps" of almost-clog along the line.
posted by gjc at 5:59 AM on June 22, 2010
If all else fails my patented and entirely stupid (but effective) method is:
1. Run water until it comes up to near the plughole.
2. Add copious amounts of caustic soda. Leave 5 minutes.
3. Then add spirit of salts of similar acid-based drain declogger.
Run like crazy, immediately. You will get mini Mt Vesuvius as the acidic and alkali solutions react, but I've found it remarkably effective at clearing the pipes.
I would also think it's a good way to get a corrosive solution in one's eye, although I've never hung around long enough to find out. YMMV. I am not a plumber.
posted by MuffinMan at 7:55 AM on June 22, 2010
1. Run water until it comes up to near the plughole.
2. Add copious amounts of caustic soda. Leave 5 minutes.
3. Then add spirit of salts of similar acid-based drain declogger.
Run like crazy, immediately. You will get mini Mt Vesuvius as the acidic and alkali solutions react, but I've found it remarkably effective at clearing the pipes.
I would also think it's a good way to get a corrosive solution in one's eye, although I've never hung around long enough to find out. YMMV. I am not a plumber.
posted by MuffinMan at 7:55 AM on June 22, 2010
DO NOT follow MuffinMan's advice without plenty of ventilation - room fan, box fan at door with open windows all around, something!
posted by IAmBroom at 3:06 PM on June 22, 2010
posted by IAmBroom at 3:06 PM on June 22, 2010
Response by poster: I forgot to mention the complication in checking for that air vent: I do not own my home. I live in an apartment, in a building where I do not have access to the roof OR to the back yard.
I actually have tried plunging it in the past, but I may have been a little too vigorous as I caused one of the drain pipes to break off the seal holding it against the drain and my super told me to cut it out, so I'm leery of doing that again. I've got a hunch it may be the air vent some of you are suggesting, but how would I check that without access to the roof?
Or, is there some kind of easy workaround (i.e., "just don't turn on your faucet all the way because then the water runs in slow enough to let the air escape")?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:19 PM on June 22, 2010
I actually have tried plunging it in the past, but I may have been a little too vigorous as I caused one of the drain pipes to break off the seal holding it against the drain and my super told me to cut it out, so I'm leery of doing that again. I've got a hunch it may be the air vent some of you are suggesting, but how would I check that without access to the roof?
Or, is there some kind of easy workaround (i.e., "just don't turn on your faucet all the way because then the water runs in slow enough to let the air escape")?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:19 PM on June 22, 2010
Response by poster: Oh, and to clarify:
My usual method of fixing it is pretty much the same as above: plug the drain, fill the sink halfway, yank out the plug, and then battle it with a tiny sink plunger until it makes that burpy bubbly sound.
I actually don't have to do anything to get the bubbles to come; they just do by themselves after a minute or so. So the problem does seem to be self-resolving eventually.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:21 PM on June 22, 2010
My usual method of fixing it is pretty much the same as above: plug the drain, fill the sink halfway, yank out the plug, and then battle it with a tiny sink plunger until it makes that burpy bubbly sound.
I actually don't have to do anything to get the bubbles to come; they just do by themselves after a minute or so. So the problem does seem to be self-resolving eventually.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:21 PM on June 22, 2010
The sink is malfunctioning, so just tell the super to please dispatch a plumber. If they insist on more details you can tell them that the vent is not working and that this can result in sewer gas venting into the apartment which is a health hazard. But really, you shouldn't have to explain or attempt to diagnose it for them -- it's broken and it's their job to fix it.
If they insist that you should just live with it, then adding an under-sink vent is not out of the range of a DIY project. Probably the hardest part would be determining what your local building code requires, but you might get lucky if you find someone at your local hardware store that isn't totally clueless.
posted by Rhomboid at 11:30 PM on June 22, 2010
If they insist that you should just live with it, then adding an under-sink vent is not out of the range of a DIY project. Probably the hardest part would be determining what your local building code requires, but you might get lucky if you find someone at your local hardware store that isn't totally clueless.
posted by Rhomboid at 11:30 PM on June 22, 2010
DO NOT follow MuffinMan's advice without plenty of ventilation - room fan, box fan at door with open windows all around, something!
Yes, ventilation is a good idea. When I've done it, I've not gone back into the room for an hour or so and left windows, doors open.
posted by MuffinMan at 1:00 AM on June 23, 2010
Yes, ventilation is a good idea. When I've done it, I've not gone back into the room for an hour or so and left windows, doors open.
posted by MuffinMan at 1:00 AM on June 23, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
I'd attack it like any other clog with two inlets. Seal up one of the drains by stuffing a wet rag in there (or any other idea you might have for a tight seal). Run some hot water, attack it vigorously with a plunger from the unsealed drain.
If that doesn't fix it, try some caustic drain cleaner. But I would expect a good plunging to set it right.
If all else fails, taking apart the assembly under the sink is easier than you think and the surest way to beat a clog. But again, I doubt you'll have to do that. Plunge away!
posted by Mayor Curley at 4:28 AM on June 22, 2010