Now kitchen sink doesn't drain well

It could be almost anything. If the sink is not draining well something has partially plugged up the drain. Perhaps the plumber dropped something in the drain when installing the faucet.
 
Does the sink have a food disposal unit attached to the drain? If it does then if you haven't used it there may be food particles built up in it.
 

bowmore said:
It could be almost anything. If the sink is not draining well something has partially plugged up the drain. Perhaps the plumber dropped something in the drain when installing the faucet.
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I agree. Changing the spiget wouldn't have anything to do with how it drains, something probably got dropped into the drain. Pull the trap off and have a look.

Something else occurred to be. If you just installed a high flow type fawcett it's possible a larger volume of water is going into the sink so it appears to be draining slow but is the same as before. Your old fawcett could have had less flow or been partially clogged so was delivering less water.
 
C50 said:
I agree. Changing the spiget wouldn't have anything to do with how it drains, something probably got dropped into the drain. Pull the trap off and have a look.

Something else occurred to be. If you just installed a high flow type fawcett it's possible a larger volume of water is going into the sink so it appears to be draining slow but is the same as before. Your old fawcett could have had less flow or been partially clogged so was delivering less water.
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Yes, this ^

Something probly came loose and fell into the pipe, or the new faucet flows faster than the old.
 
When my drains run slow I boil two kettles of water on the stove.

I squirt some Dawn into the drain and pour in the first kettle, wait five minutes, and pour in the second kettle.

The first kettle of hot water melts any fat that may have accumulated in the J bend and the second kettle flushes it out.

This method could be your undoing if the pipe joints aren't strong enough to stand the hot water.

Good luck.
 
This is what it looks like under the sink.

under sink.jpg

Someone suggested to me that there might be a problem with the AAV (that black thing). I took it out an looked, but didn't see anything obviously wrong. There are no moving parts - it's just a black cap with some long holes in it.

aav.jpg
 
Chet said:
Try Liquid Plumber or Draino.
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Before I had my house re-piped & drain lines replaced, I used both products. My plumber showed me the damage they cause. I told him it says "Won't Harm Pipes" on the bottles & he just laughed & said, "Most plumbers hope you believe that; it's good for their business."
 
Aunt Bea said:
That may mean that it’s a simple clog or obstruction in the J bend on the right side.
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Yes, loosen the slip joint nuts for the "trap" for that side, clean out.

j-trap.png
 
@debodun - If you have a shop vacuum, you can try using that to unclog the drain. Three years ago, after a few hours of trying everything (except Draino, because of what Winn said), an auger (snake), and baking soda + vinegar + hot water several times, nothing worked to unclog my kitchen sink.

Then I unclogged it using my shop vac. The hose wouldn't go down from the top of the drain, not only because it's too narrow, but there's a cross piece that prevents it. So I had to undo the pipes underneath, which had me worried because there's one that's like an accordion that's been installed at an angle. I figured I'd give it a shot to avoid the expen$e of having to call the plumber. If I screwed it up and couldn't get it unclogged or the pipes re-hooked up properly so that it didn't leak, I'd call him.

After I unscrewed the pipes, I inserted the shop vac hose into the pipe. In less than five seconds, I felt the clog coming through the hose! Somehow, by the grace of God, I managed to hook everything back up properly and nothing leaked.

If the shop vac hose will fit down the top of your drain, I'd try that first before taking anything apart underneath. Just do a YouTube search and you'll find several videos using a shop vac to unclog kitchen and bathroom sinks. If you do have to take apart the pipes underneath, follow Nathan's and Aunt Bee's instructions.

Also, be very careful as to what you let go down your drain. Never ever dump cooking oil down there, not even a little bit, or anything else that could solidify.

You can also try this: Take four Alka-Seltzer tablets and drop them into the drain, followed by a cup of white vinegar. Let the citric acid from the tablets and the vinegar fizz and foam for 10 minutes to loosen the muck stuck inside. Meanwhile, boil a pot of water, then pour it down the drain. Repeat if necessary. I'm not saying it will work, but it's worth a try.

Good luck, debs.

Bella ✌️
 
Bella said:
You can also try this: Take four Alka-Seltzer tablets and drop them into the drain, followed by a cup of white vinegar. Let the citric acid from the tablets and the vinegar fizz and foam for 10 minutes to loosen the muck stuck inside. Meanwhile, boil a pot of water, then pour it down the drain. Repeat if necessary. I'm not saying it will work, but it's worth a try.
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That’s a new tip. Would be worth trying.

Deb, do you keep the stoppers resting in your sink so no bits and pieces go down. In my family, they were always set on the edge of the basin. When my husband explained that they’re designed like strainers for a reason, I quit that bad habit.
 
You solve the problem step by step. First step needs to be pull the traps and check for an obstruction. Do it after all the water has drained out of the sinks, that way there shouldn't be to much water in the drain pipe.

Traps serve two functions. One is to catch any large objects that may slip past your drain. The second is to create a water plug so stinky drain smells don't back up into the room.

Checking the trap is a five minute job, start there.
 
It is not uncommon for the plumber to partially reduce the drain flow because they have used teflon tape and some of it is out of place. ie; slowing the flow. So, it is the simplest thing to disconnect the P-trap and check it out. Good directions above. If you have a double P-trap disconnect and check them BOTH.
Do you also have a garbage disposal ? Make sure it is not partially plugged up.
 
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