Clogged drain attached to a garbage disposal?

Question

After disposing of food waste down garbage disposal water began to back up into sink. The disposal is clear but drain will not work, water still sits in sink. Can I clear this myself or do I need to call a plumber? How hard is it to detach the drain pipe and clean a trap? The pipe is pvc.

Answer 1

Look under your sink. If the piping has big nuts at the joints of the pipes they are a tubular pipe. Follow the pipe coming out of the disposal to a t that turns downward. Place a bucket under the pipes your going to undo. Undo the nuts that hold together the t. There is usually a baffle in the t that keeps the food and liquid going in the right direction. This is usually where it clogs up first. Be sure to check the line going to the t also. it may be clogged to. Then clean it out and replace it like you found it. If its still clogged undo the p trap nuts and again clean it and replace it. Very simple and easy. No need for a plumber.

Answer 2

Drano and the like will usually work, but you seem to want to get into it. A word of warning: if you have put something in the drain to clear it (like Drano or other chemical) use extreme caution when removing the pipes to clean them. Wear eye protection, preferably a face shield or goggles, eye glasses provide very little protection and chemical resistant gloves. All the pipes up to the wall are easily removed and cleaned. Putting them back together can be frustrating. Rule 1: always use new gaskets, either the rubber o ring type for brass (metal) pipes or the plastic compression type for PVC. Rule 2: put the whole system together without tightening. Then check to be sure that all the pipes are aligned and not being forced in any way. Then turn the nuts only until contact is made. Check alignment again. Then from the wall to the basin/disposer, tighten each joint snugly and check for leaks.

If all the pipes are clear to the wall, call a router guy/gal to clear the clog.

Have fun!!!

Answer 3

If you have to ask this question, then you can't do it. No insult intended. You do need some special tools and some knowledge of the drain system and, how things work.
You should be able to get to the trap from the other side if it's a double sink, if not, you'll have to disconnect the disposal.

You can try something like "plumbers helper" first, get the contractors grade from Home Depot. Drano might work but remember, if you or someone is going to have to work on these lines later if you can't clear them, your going to have to clean this stuff out. I got some bad burns once when a lady didn't tell me she used something on the lines first.

Answer 4

it won't harm to run drain-o down it. yet while the %pipe is leaking it needs to be tighten. is the disposal working? if no longer then it is not a clog that's the disposal. you ought to use the tip of a broom cope with interior the disposel while it is off and notice if the cutter heads turn freely. if no longer push on them until they are. and then run the disposel. For the leak i could call upkeep

Answer 5

The problem may be at the stack. Are any of the other drains effected.
rodding from where pvc connects to main stack to end. Could be big job. Not that expense of a plumbing job.

Answer 6

I just had this same problem the other day.......I used liquid plumber foaming and put it into the garbage disposal after about 10 minutes clog was gone haven't had a problem since....

Answer 7

if the clog is too deep down for you to reach, use DRANO