Hi, all!

Our kitchen sink recently had a draining problem. We had the pipes cleared out over 20 feet, and at the time the plumber told us that he thought our garbage disposal would need to be replaced soonish. He mentioned that the dishwasher pumps water through it as well, which wears it down more quickly. Well, the sink drained properly for a couple of weeks, but it's now about as bad as before. We haven't been clogging the disposal with anything - no grease, peelings, bones, etc etc - and we're thinking it must be the disposal that's causing this issue since the pipes should be squeaky clean.

So I've been shopping around online and would like to make a decision on this asap, but I'm unsure of what to buy. I want something compact for the space and durable to handle the additional stress of the dishwasher, but I'd like to spend less than $200. In fact, I'd like to spend less than $150. We need something that's easy to install to replace the existing one. I'm not at home now, but I think it's hard-wired in.

What would you recommend?

 

Most plumbers here are against any garbage disposal. As you just found out they can clog the pipes. I don't buy the dishwasher explanation. How could that wear out a disposal. It is just water running through it.

For less than $15 in parts you can permanently remove the garbage disposal and maybe prevent another expensive visit to clear clogged lines.

Sounds like the plumber didn't get it "squeaky clean" if the drain clogged in two weeks.

Just a thought I wonder if the dishwasher isn't grinding up waste adequately but I'm not familiar with dishwashers.

 

Nonsense...Find a new plumber IMO. The DW drains below the blades of the disposal...

You draining issues is most likly a clog. At the baffle of the continuous waste, trap, or down the line... Grease or what not... Especially fibrous things such as celery and the like...

You could get a new disposal but IMO it may be a waste of money...

IMO they are more a pain then good and I do not believe in taxing the sewer systems.. If your on a septic then that is bad news period. I always suggest on removing them...

In the end if you need one go with an unjammable model.

 

What parts would I need? I feel like we barely run the disposal as it is and it wouldn't take much of a lifestyle change to adjust to not having one.

 

You would replace the GD drain with a regular drain and use a 1-1/2" drain tube with a dishwasher connection to replace the GD. If you post a picture of what you have we can give more detail. http://www.doityourself.com/forum/li...-pictures.html


Image source: finlandforum.org

Actual parts may vary depending on sink drain configuration and if single or double.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]14391[/ATTACH]
Dishwasher Branch WYE Image Source: plumbingsupply.com

[ATTACH=CONFIG]14392[/ATTACH]
Image source: airlase.com

 

Here are a few photos:





Thank you so much for your help.

 

Is it just a single sink? If a double sink give us a wide enough shot to see both.

 

Everyone who has ever looked under the sink who has any knowledge of plumbing says that it's terrible. I have had a few drainage issues since I bought the house about three years ago. I'm guessing that the prior homeowners did a DIY on it rather than hiring a professional. The particle board on the cabinet bottom has suffered from when the pipes spouted out water some years ago. It did that a couple more times over the years. The plumber who helped us last month also commented on it, and he added a vent since it didn't have one. I'm under the impression that will help avoid the spouting thing happening again.

Here is a close-up of the right side and a wider shot to include both sinks.

 

Much better. That clarifies what you have. I even removed my opinion in my previous post.

After removing the GD and replacing the GD drain with a regular sink drain (AKA basket strainer) you would swing the trap so it lines up with the sink drain and install a dishwasher branch "y" between the sink drain and the trap. You may need to use a longer extension extension tube if the dishwasher "y" isn't long enough. (The extension tube is the piece coming out of the top of the trap.)

 

Uggg... Oye vey!!!!

That is far from code as I know it....

Two traps are not allowed. Plus you are not vented properly... Studor vent but still have an s trap of sorts I think....

Is there a crawl? Basement?

 

So Mike, you are saying I shouldn't have deleted my remark, "That is the crapiest install I ever saw" or censored my original thought of "grab a Sawzall...".

 

You know that may be the best you can do having no vent... That t or cross t needs to be specific type if that is the case.....

But typically dual traps are not allowed. They may have tried to pipe that as a dual vanity set up and after reading the code it may ba allowed, so I retract my previous statement....

The tee needs to be like this. It has a different bend. Its a double fixture fitting. Ask the plumber if this is whats there. Not a double sanitary tee.... ( Cant tell by your pics)



If so then the plumber did so correctly and I may take back what about him too....LOL

So this is what he had in mind but with a studor vent.

 

Mike, I'm no plumber but my first thought was to cut out what is there to within a few inches of the floor and using 45° ells go to the back wall of the cabinet and then up putting in a sanitary tee for the trap at the usual height and then continue up the surface of the wall of the cabinet to the AAV. Certainly look a lot cleaner, not clutter up the space underneath as much and allow you to easily use one trap. Probably would need a couple of pipe straps to the cabinet back.

 

The right way to do it is with a side waste.. get the studor as high as you can.

Like this more or less.





Home | HandymanHowto.comHandymanHowto.com

 

Lawrosa, the pic you posted isn't showing up for me. Could you repost it?

The plumber was a personal acquaintance who we've had an indirect falling out with. I wouldn't be comfortable calling him back to take another look at the pipes.

I tried to let this go for a few days, since we are working on some other projects at the house, but it just keeps on not draining properly, so I need to go ahead and address it.

I noticed the draining process got more noisy after the plumber came by. It makes these gulping sort of sounds pretty regularly now. It did a bit of this before his visit, but it is louder now. I assumed it was because of the vent he added, creating a suctioning sound.

I'm reading some conflicting opinions. I really don't know anything about plumbing, and neither does my husband. Is this a more complicated fix than we should tackle?

We live in Florida. Definitely no basement here!

Thank you all again for your feedback. If we can fix it... I just want to know what to buy and if you're willing to baby me through the steps, I sure would appreciate it.

 

Here is the picture Mike posted:



And this is a rough sketch of what yours will look like:


Ignore the Xed out pipe at the bottom. Not needed for you installation. The second port where your garbage disposal discharge connects would be capped off.

 

Im confused... Is he getting rid of the disposal???

Your pic is fine ray if hew is getting rid of the disposal...

Otherwise the DW will connect to F....

 

I just assumed he was taking our advice now look where assume has gotten me.

 

We're planning to take your advice and remove the disposal without replacing it.

I brought my phone to both Home Depot (totally unhelpful there) and Lowe's (semi-helpful) to show the workers in the plumbing section the photos you'd posted, along with the current configuration of our sink. In the end, we got the new drain (in the wrong finish, but seriously... $40 for the satin finish drain? We'll just be mis-matched for now with the $9 chrome finish option) and just a plain pipe the guy chose for me. He said with the disposal out, I'll just use the new pipe to attach to the new drain, and attach that to the existing pipes -- cutting the one that's currently horizontal so that they line up properly. It seemed more dumbed down than what I'd read here, but I guess it's basically the same idea.
Edit: ** Actually I knew that Lowe's guy had it wrong. He didn't give me a Y Branch; he just gave me the plain, straight pipe. I understand now. Thank goodness!

PS: I'm a girl!

 

Please send us a picture of your finished project. We who help always like to see the results.

 

I took a stab at doing this tonight, but I reached a dead-end, and my husband will be home from work soon so I don't want to take another trip out to Lowe's tonight.

I've removed the disposal and have put in the basket strainer & the Y branch to connect to the dishwasher. What I thought I was supposed to do was basically just connect that to the existing P-trap setup that is there, and shortening the pipe that goes to the tee. I stopped because the angles won't line up. The other sink is connected with some fitting that angles the pipe that connects the P-trap and the tee together. I thought I'd just need to go buy one of those, but I came here to double check I was on the right track with the last picture posted.

Then I realized that your mock-up doesn't have a P-trap under the left sink.

So I'm going to post some photos of what I have under there right now... please let me know if I should just find the fitting to angle the pipes together, or if I should connect the left sink's pipes to the right side and remove this P-trap setup happening there now.

Sorry I didn't use the right terminology.

Also - the wiring from the disposal - do I just leave that there? I have no idea what to do with it.

 

Mike had suggested you use only one trap and cap off the left side of the drain. You would use a double sink connector to connect them.





You can screw a box to the wall under the cabinet with one of the back knockouts centered over where the cable exits the wall. Cut the cable to about 10 inches, cap the black and white wires and connect the ground to the box. Fold the cable in to the box and install a blank cover plate. Use a push in cable clamp in the knockouts in the back of the box.

 

I gee.... I dont know what to say... You may have mis-understood all we were telling you...

You really need to remove that double tee and start over... That double tee is not allowed...

Easier to use a center or side waste... You still need to incorporate a studor vent... remeber...one trap only...

Center waste



Or side waste

 

It is best I leave this to Mike but one major problem is your pipe does not come up as close to the back as it should in my opinion. Is this on a slab or do you have access underneath?

 

It's on a slab. No access underneath.

Well I will give it another shot tomorrow.
So I need to rebuild the center part and connect the left sink drains to the right. The right will have the p trap and will connect to the center. I understand the basic idea... just hope that I can find all the right parts and put them together so that our sink will work properly.

Thanks, guys.

 

If you can cap the tee where the trap arms ar you can possibly use that clean out above... Install a trap adapter and get a center waste...

Me... I would cut it out just below the tee and start over... I can draw you something tomorrow... bed time soon.....LOL...1 am

 

I think this is what Mike means but wait for his approval. Note your existing pipe looks like 2" so I included a reducer. If not 2" no reducer just a coupling.

 

Just as Ray shows is correct... If you use a center waste the tee would turn to the center and a piece of pipe it added to the tee where the trap adapter is..

The trick is to hook up either to the sink first, then pipe to the drain...

 

Sorry for my poor drawing skills. Hopfully this will give you an idea of a center wate arm.