Unclog kitchen slow drain past the vent


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Old 01-01-20, 11:41 AM
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Unclog kitchen slow drain past the vent

We're having a slow drain issue in the kitchen sink. The clog is probably at an angle in the drain that's about ~15ft away.

(I'm guessing this because of two observations: 1. If I don't use the drain for a while, it takes a couple of minutes before the drain starts to back up. 2. The last time I had a plumber come out to clear the drain, he said the angle fitting there is wrong and should be replaced if I wanted to solve the problem once and for all.)

Anyway, if the clog causing the slow drain is that far away, it would be past the vent. Does this mean that:

1. Plunging won't work (I tried and it didn't)
2. Drain cleaning water bladder won't work (considering this, hence why I'm asking)

and the only options would be:

3. chemical (tried some mild stuff like enzymes)
4. mechanical snaking (i.e. call the plumber)?

(I also wonder, if I wanted to make #1 and #2 work, can I go to the roof and plug the vent, or is the vent too long/leaky?)

Thanks in advance and happy new year!
 
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Old 01-01-20, 02:39 PM
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"Anyway, if the clog causing the slow drain is that far away, it would be past the vent."
Need more info.
By vent do you mean the main stack?
It would be strange that the drain would go past the stack as usually that is where everything drains into.
So need info on how your plumbing is put together.

Odds are that it will be another call a plumber or snake it yourself.
 
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Old 01-01-20, 03:08 PM
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By vent do you mean the main stack?
Not sure if this house is just unusual or what, but every drain in this house has a separate vent pipe which goes up all the way through the roof. The vent is quite close to the drain.

This kitchen sink drain has a similar vent. The drain then goes down into the crawl space, travels about 15ft horizontally (with the slight downward slope) then bends down 90-degrees, and goes down to join some main drain.

I believe it's that 90-degree downward bend which is causing the slow drain. Because it's down in the crawl space, access is limited and remedying the problem there would be a huge project, so I'm hoping to find an easier fix.
 
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Old 01-02-20, 03:17 AM
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Plunging will not work, at least I doubt it would.

Sealing the vent will not do anything because the water will just rise up in the vent pipe so you will not get any real force at the clog.
 
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Old 01-02-20, 10:50 AM
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3. chemical (tried some mild stuff like enzymes)

What kind did you try? I believe a good enzyme cleaner used monthly is the solution, I use Plumb Clean and love it. Not had a problem at home in 30 years with monthly preventive maintenance use and before that I had a backup from the kitchen drain every 3 months.

https://plumb-clean.com/product/plumb-clean/
 
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Old 01-03-20, 11:33 AM
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I tried everything for my slow drain. Diy snake. Chemical. Enzyme.

Finally called a hydro jet guy. Even he couldn’t clear the jam. The clog of fat and kitchen waste had actually solidified into a solid, almost rock like matter.

You could hear the hydro jet spinning cutter grinding up against it, but it wouldn’t go through.

Finally called a plumber who used a cutter (smaller than the size of the pipe, so didn’t achieve 100% cleaning) and cleared the drain in an hour. Best $200 I spent after everything I tried.

I’d happily pay $200 again if it re-occurs. The enzyme cleaner I was using cost me around$70 and did nothing. Considering buying a different brand for maintenance but I’m giving it a year to see what happens without it. I did remove a garbage disposal unit. My kitchen drain is a 25 foot run....there is a slight slope, but two elbows at the start of the run appears to slow the drain velocity and it builds up just past the elbows in the main run.
 
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Old 01-03-20, 06:07 PM
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The enzyme cleaner I was using cost me around$70 and did nothing.
It was either an inferior product or you weren't following the instructions. What brand was it? Maintenance use is where enzyme cleaners work best.
 
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Old 01-03-20, 11:26 PM
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It was called bioclean. Powder formula. I doubled the dose after contacting the company for suggestions. Ended up returning it and getting a full refund after daily use. Tried it for a month.
 
 

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