Problems with kitchen sink

este1981

Hi, my kitchen sink keeps backing up and washing machine water keeps coming up into the sink. Plumber has been 4 times and has snaked it, jetted it with water, plunged. Last Thursday he decided that it wasn't getting enough air because when its blocked one plung and the water drained. If you just run the tap it doesn't block but if you fill the sink and take plug out it blocks. So on Saturday he went onto roof and snaked down the vent pipe, the problem was then solved until Wednesday when it started backing up again and gurgling again. He said that he could put some kind of valve on pipe work under sink would that work? Should add its only the kitchen sink that has a problem, our bathroom which is upstairs is fine.

Also it's a 1.5 sink, each half has its own trap. The washing machine backs up into the big sink but if you fill big sink up and pull the plug out the water comes into the little sink but only slightly. Also noticed last night that about an hour later you could still hear the odd glugging coming from the sink.

This is seriously starting to stress me out now!!

keystone

Im suspect he's talking about putting in either an air admittance valve (which can be incorporated in the trap) to stop it gurgling or (more likely) he's talking about fitting one of these which is effect a non-return valve. Either way it will not solve the problem only mask it and bury it. The problem is that you still have a blockage and he hasn't cleared it. Treating the symptoms rather than the cause is not the answer.

Cheers

este1981

But you could run the tap forever more without it backing up its just when you pour a whole basin of water down or in one go or the washing machine drains that there's a problem?

keystone

which tells me you still have a blockage of some description.

Cheers

este1981

But would it not back up with the tap running on full blast for ages if it was blocked?

ed110220

este1981 wrote: »

But would it not back up with the tap running on full blast for ages if it was blocked?

It suggests there is a partial blockage which can let water past at the rate that the tap runs, but not at the rate that the washing machine empties.

este1981

Thanks for your replies, will ask him to snake it again, its just so frustrating that all was well for 4/5 days now i'm back to square one! would I be better getting one of those drainage companies in?

keystone

este1981 wrote: »

Thanks for your replies, will ask him to snake it again, its just so frustrating that all was well for 4/5 days now i'm back to square one! would I be better getting one of those drainage companies in?

I'm not convinced that "snaking" it again is going to fix it because it didn't the first time. Personally I'd be taking the waste pipework apart now until I found it. Don't let him charge you again if you get him back again.

Drainage companies? - nah - waste of money.

Has anyone lifted the appropriate manhole cover to see what is happening when a) the tap is on full blast and b) when the plug is pulled in a full sink and c) the WM is running?

Cheers

este1981

Phones him to update him and he thinks there's something stuck and acting like a valve he's coming back to find the manhole outside to investigate from there (appears the old owners have lock blocked over the top of it though so we'll have fun trying to locate it!) if that doesn't work think we'll need to get a drainage company to put a camera down to try and find where it's blocked!