Troublesome bottle trap problem

[Cabrid]

Hi all, I'm a newbie here and have joined after googling my problem but am unable to find a solution as yet. Our bathroom sink was draining very slowly so yesterday I unscrewed the bottle trap. It was quite gunked up so I gave it a good clean and replaced it, but now the sink won't drain at all beyond the bottle trap. I've dismantled all the fittings under the sink and ensured they aren't blocked, and can run flexible piping through the pipes without getting an obstruction. Running hot water through seems to prove the water isn't getting further than the trap as the pipes beyond it remain cool. If I unscrew the joint just beyond the trap going into the waste and wiggle the washer I can hear air escaping and then the water flows through. That makes me suspect some kind of airlock. I've tried plunging as well to no avail. It's driving me crazy as I feel sure the previous slow draining was down to the bottle trap being full of gunge and can't see why now it's stopped draining altogether. Any suggestions or advice would be much appreciated by this dummy diy'er

 

[diamondgas]

Gravity! Tis all it takes to make this work.

So if it ain't workn' somethings stopping gravity do its stuff! That generally means a blockage down stream! If not the 'bottle trap' then beyond..................!

Check out he waste pipe after the trap. You may find the problem there!

 

[REDSAW]

go and buy a new trap £5, and try that.

 

[kirkgas]

could also be a choke on the vent side stopping the water running away, with the trap out try to pour some water down the waste pipe via a hose if possible as the pipe round about the hose will allow air to enter as well, if it runs away it isnt blocked down the pipe but in the vent side, then refit the trap and try again, it should work for a few seconds till the trap fills and no air is entering the pipe again

 

[leelister6]

Go to B&Q and get a bottle of 'One shot' drain unblocker. Costs about a tenner and usually clears the blockage with a bit of help from a plunger. Make sure you read the instructions and wear gloves and goggles as it is 96% sulphuric acid

 

[Cabrid]

Thanks for your replies, we'd already thought to try a hose down the waste pipe tomorrow so will go with that and will definitely try replacing the trap. It just seems very strange that I can get several feet of tubing down the waste pipe beyond the trap without encountering a blockage, and that the sink was draining albeit slowly until I removed the trap, and also that water doesn't seem to drain beyond the trap. The sink fills as soon as the trap is full, surely if there was a blockage further down the sink wouldn't start to fill until the water had reached the blockage, or am I missing something?

 

[kirkgas]

Thanks for your replies, we'd already thought to try a hose down the waste pipe tomorrow so will go with that and will definitely try replacing the trap. It just seems very strange that I can get several feet of tubing down the waste pipe beyond the trap without encountering a blockage, and that the sink was was draining albeit slowly until I removed the trap, and also that water doesn't seem to drain beyond the trap. The sink fills as soon as the trap is full, surely if there was a blockage further down the sink wouldn't start to fill until the water had reached the blockage, or am I missing something?

have you read my post re the vent?
DONT PUT ACID DOWN A DRAIN THEN PLUNGE IT, remove the trap and take it to another sink and run water through it, if the water runs through it there isnt a problem with it,

 

[Cabrid]

have you read my post re the vent?
DONT PUT ACID DOWN A DRAIN THEN PLUNGE IT, remove the trap and take it to another sink and run water through it, if the water runs through it there isnt a problem with it,

Yes I read it, thank you. Being a bit thick here but do you mean fit the trap to another sink to see if it works, or just run water through it? I have already tried running water through it and it was fine.

 

[kirkgas]

Yes I read it, thank you. Being a bit thick here but do you mean fit the trap to another sink to see if it works, or just run water through it? I have already tried running water through it and it was fine.

you are not thick it is just my poor description!! yes i simply mean run water through it as high a flow as you can to check nothing is stuck in it, dont buy a new trap, your description sounds like a vent problem, you might need to investigate a bit to see where the pipes go, but i would be looking up rather than down, is anything else connected to the same drain, bath or shower? are they working properly?
depending on access it would be interesting to see if you can reconnect the trap to the pipe but not the sink, then get some water doen it via funnel or hose to see if it runs away when disconnected from the sink or whether it fills up and spills over, by allowing air in it might run away, but really depends where the vent is connected, it is difficult without seeing it, but does the pipe run to outside and connect into the gutters as well, i have seen a tennis ball stuck in a gutter blocking the outlet which acts as a vent therefore stopping the sink and bath emptying properly

 

[darrenangel]

I agree with Kirkgas. Could be a faulty durgo. I also think its connected to the venting rather than the trap or blockage.

 

[Cabrid]

Thanks again, from the things I did find on google a vent problem was my worst fear as the descriptions I read of any solutions sounded complicated (at least to me), messy and expensive! There are two vent pipes on the roof, both have wire nets over them. Looking at their positioning I am guessing one is for the main bathroom and the utility, and the other is for the ensuite (where the sink is) and the kitchen. There are no problems elsewhere in the house. Out of all the fixtures the sink is furthest away from the vent, from below I can't see any pipes to the outside running into the gutter, but it's virtually impossible to get to that part of the gutters due to our conservatory. The vent stacks we can access if needed though. I'll report back my findings after running water though later, but can anyone explain why this only happened after cleaning the trap? Is it just a fluke or connected in some way?

 

[fuzzy]

anti vac trap may help

 

[Cabrid]

Right, I disconnected the trap from the sink part, then poured water through and it still blocked, couldn't get the trap off the sink in the main bathroom to test it with that, but got a U bend type one from the downstairs sink and it still blocked, but water travels freely when poured straight into the waste pipe when disconnected from the trap. Still need to get the hospepipe up there somehow and try with that. Just to get this straight in my head as I'm female and never had anything to do with plumbing before, other than connecting a washing machine! Does the vent becomes the vent after the highest branch of waste pipe enters it, and below that becomes the soil stack? If nothing else is affected is it still possible to be a blocked vent? If I can get water to flow through using a hosepipe could it clear the blockage, or as it's running freely when disconnected from the trap is it not going to do anything? So many questions! Just wondering how likely it is I'll be able to fix it myself, or if at this point I should give up, open the vodka and call in a professional?

 

[Cabrid]

Ok, update. Got the hose up there and although at first it did flow through ok it must have hit a blockage as water did start backing up. Rang my local Plumbcentre to ask if they sold snakes and apparently they don't. He suggested a drain cleaner, but as I can't get water beyond the trap when it's all connected up I'm not sure it would work, or would it get though eventually?

 

[GQuigley67]

if you cant get water beyond the trap at all when the trap is in situation that suggests a vent problem to me, if it was a block it would drain away then gradually fill up as it would still be venting to outside.

 

[Cabrid]

Thank you Quigley, would a snake be likely to cure it if it was a vent problem? Also if the vent had a problem could other fixtures on that vent still work ok? The shower and toilet in the ensuite are both working fine.

 

[MickBrown]

Have you checked between the basin waste and the trap. I had a similar problem a few weeks back, cleaned the trap but still draining very slow, as I was removing the trap again I looked up and in the plug hole below the waste but before the trap was a big ball of soap and hair. Removed this and all okay.

 

[Cabrid]

Sorted!! I'd been plunging for all I was worth, and even plunged the shower just in case it helped. Also poured a load of drain cleaner down the waste pipe and let it sit for a while, still blocked. Then I decided if water wasn't getting beyond the trap until I released it by unscrewing the trap from the waste pipe plunging probably wasn't helping a lot. So I filled the trap, left the tap running while unscrewing the trap a little, then when I heard the water start to flow through tightened it again and plunged for all I was worth...and it worked!! I have a bathroom that resembles a swimming pool but it's sorted. Thank you all so much for your help and suggestions. You've stopped a very frustrated woman from going insane and drowning in a bottle of vodka!

 

[darrenangel]

good for you Cadrid. well done. Glad you got it sorted.

 

[Sels1976]

Hi there, new member but having a similar problem.
Sink not draining, have removed the trap and cleaned all the relevant parts but when I come to put everthing back together the joint between the trap and the waste is leaking? If I don't connect the trap the waste doesn't leak/push water back but as soon as its reassembled there is a leak.

Question: should the waste pipe be held firm at the joint with the trap? Even when I screw it as tight as it goes it's possible to pull it away? That doesn't seem right to me? There is a big rubber washer where the waste pipe joins and a fibre washer on the tightening nut. I've checked both and neither appear to be perished or torn.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Plumbstar Tom]

sounds like the washer isn't there?

Probably be quickest and best to replace with a new bottle trap

 

[SJB]

Chewed thread on the trap nut.

 

[helpsy]

If washer etc ok, try some Plumbers Gold available from Toolstation.