Kitchen & Bathroom Drains Are Connected and Causing a Clog in the Bathroom

Clogs

• If water from the kitchen drain backs up into the shower and other plumbing fixtures in the house work normally, the branch of the sewer line that serves only those two rooms holds the clog. Running a sewer auger through the shower drain should clear the line. Sewer augers can pass through S-traps if necessary, but disconnecting the S-trap below the shower allows direct access to the drain pipe. Drain cleaners improve sluggish drains but often cannot remove clogs, according to the University of Florida Extension. Plunging the drain shifts standing water back and forth through drain traps and might not affect the clog.

Vents

• If running water through the kitchen sink drain makes a bathroom drain gurgle, the clog might lie in the vent stack. For drains to work well, the sewer system needs an open airway. Certain drain networks include a large vent stack for the sewer line and a small vent stack for other drains in the house. Both vent stacks run through interior walls and through the roof. When a stack clogs with debris, drains run slowly and draw water and air from other S-traps in the house. Low water levels in S-traps can admit sewer gas into the house.

Clearing Vents

• Sewer augers also work well on vent stacks, pushing the clog into the drain system where waste water carries the debris away. Vent stacks can clog from snow and ice if the stacks become buried by deep snow. Drain stacks rising through attics need protection from freezing. Insulation wrapped around the pipes prevents the inside of the pipe from icing shut. Warm gases venting from the sewer system keep the pipe thawed. If extreme weather freezes the pipe closed, warming the attic section of pipe with electric heating tape often clears the ice clog without the hazards of working on a snowy roof.

Kitchen Problems

• Careless habits in the kitchen can create drain problems elsewhere in the house. Overusing the garbage disposal and dumping waste grease down the kitchen drain can coat drain pipes with a thick layer of congealed fat and garbage. As the drain opening narrows, clogs from hair and soap form more often. Putting garbage down the drain also can overload septic systems and clog drainage fields. Biological treatments can reduce grease buildup, but to keep drains running freely, collect garbage for the trash pickup instead of putting it into the sewer system. Save waste fat in an empty can and double-bag it for disposal.