Kitchen Double Sink Suds Problem

I recently purchased a house with a double sink in the kitchen. The smaller sink is a couple of inches higher than the larger sink. My problem is when I wash dishes in either sink, the soap suds come out the drain of the other sink. It's not a big deal, more of an annoyance, but I figure this type of setup has been around for years and I'm sure it's not designed to work this way. I took apart all of the plumbing underneath the sink and it's clear, including the trap. I don't have any drainage problems either. Is there something I can do this fix this. I only use the larger sink to wash and rinse. I'd rather have a single sink, but it's too costly to change now. TIA.

Reply to
Robert
Loading thread data ...

Generally this is an indication of a partial blockage in the waste line going from the sink to the main sewer line. This is typically a run of 1

1/2" pipe going from behind the sink down into the basement (if you have one), where it will somehow join the main building drain (3" or 4" pipe). You say you "don't have any drainage problems", but what exactly does that mean? I would guess that if you get stuff coming up in the other drain, then the water is not running out of the sink any too fast.

You could consider running a snake through this 1 1/2 inch pipe. There should be a cleanout in the basement, and that is a place to start. If that doesn't fix it, snake from the sink down to the cleanout as well.

Reply to
donald girod

That's a common problem when lots of dish detergent is used. Just put the drain stopper in the small sink. If you don't have one, they are available at any hardware or home center.

Tom J

Reply to
Tom J

When I say I have no drainage problems I mean I can run any of the sinks in the house wide open and there is no backup at all, the drain handles all the water. The only thing that doesn't drain properly is the tub, and only when I run the water out of the faucet. It kind of backs up but does drain. When I take a shower it doesn't backup at all. My father said it's because the 3" drainage pipe can't handle the quantity of water when it's running wide open thru the faucet. The only thing that doesn't make sense is, isn't the same amount of water coming out of the shower head, or is it being restricted in some way. I'll investigate the drain problem you mention. The inside of the PVC pipe under the kitchen sink does have a coating of junk, but maybe this is normal with the amount of crap most people put down the sink.

Another responder mentioned using too much soap. This is a possibilty, I do tend to do this. I realize suds don't actually clean, but it's more of a mental thing thinking I'm doing a better cleaning job. :=) Maybe I should just use the dishwasher...

Thanks to both of you for taking the time to respond.

Reply to
Robert

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.