Another kitchen sink/dishwasher problem.

[MasterMark]

Hello all. I have a very slow draining/gurgling/smelly kitchen sink - have checked out the forum here but perhaps my set-up is a little different....any help would be much appreciated!

The kitchen sink drains fine if the tap runs slowly. Tap on fast - sink will gradually fill up. It’ll drain, takes a couple of minutes. If you pour a pan of water into the sink, the sink will fill up immediately, it’ll gurgle a little and again eventually drain. There’s loud gurgling for a few secs when the sink has just fully emptied. There is also a pretty foul, sewage type smell that comes up when it's not draining properly - the discharge pipe (not easily accessible, requires ripping out skirting boards) goes outside to a drain which smells terrible (presumably all the grease and other crap from the kitchen), from which water is actually pumped UP and out a different pipe. This is the garden (bottom) level of a Victorian flat conversion, so general plumbing is shoddy.

When the dishwasher runs it runs fine but there is very loud gurgling coming out of the sink.

Have tried all the usual cleaning products/bicarbonate etc. Haven’t tried a snake. Actually cleaned the small pipe sections under the sink (incl the elbow) about a month ago, some incredibly foul smelling gunk there, and it worked better but has reverted back. Had a plumber in doing sthg else and he had a quick look, said the pipes looked fine and just needed cleaning out. Just wondering if it’s something to do with the design – under the sink, after the elbow the pipe goes upwards – is this normal, seems to defy gravity logic?!

Thanks in advance, hope that’s enough info.

 

[pompeyal]

Hi, this sounds as if your system needs a real good clean, also drainage should always travel downwards. Go to a plumbers merchants and get a bottle of One Shot cleaner, and use as per instructions. AS THIS STUFF CONTAINS ACID, ENSURE YOU WEAR PROTECTIVE GOGGLES AND GLOVES. This should remove all the build up of grease etc. and clean the drain for you.

 

[Diyisfun]

Can you attach a picture so we can see what the set up is.
If it is the dishwasher pipe going up hill that should be ok as its pumped (as long as its not a big hill)

 

[MasterMark]

Diyisfun: at work so unfortunately can't get a photo till this evening, but will do so However, I believe that both the dishwasher and sink pipes discharge into the same outside drain, which then pumps upwards. The pump works, but given the smell in this outside drain, I'm assuming the smell I get in the kitchen sink comes from here...

 

[Diyisfun]

So I would I, maybe it just needs a PROPER clean.