We have a double vanity sink in the master bedroom. They were both a little slow to drain. Today I was running water on my side and my wife’s side started filling up with water, now both sides are holding water and neither one will drain. What’s the best way to remedy the situation. Thank you.

When this happened to my kitchen sink at my old house, I grabbed two plungers and went to town. If you have a second person available to help it’ll make it much easier. Be warned though...it likely will get the whole area wet but it should help clear the clog. Try to make sure you go in unison.

Draino Urgent Clear.

Otherwise, subtle application of high explosives.

If both sinks drain into a common trap, take the trap apart and take out all of the junk.

I'm assuming both sinks drain into a common J trap under the sink, or perhaps a separate trap for each sink before entering the wall plumbing...

What you have it sounds like, is the typical bathroom type clog composed of primarily hair wrapped around the movable sink stopper assy, along with toothpast detritus/hair/bobby pins, etc in the trap(s).

Put on your oldest clothes, get under the sink and find and remove the J trap(s), first placing a bucket under the low point before disconnecting. Remove the obvious clog, then clean thoroughly with a cleaner such as 409 or Simple Green until the trap is clean and free flowing.

As they like to say in written instructions: "Assemble in reverse order and test for leaks."

If you happen to have plastic drain pipes under there, do NOT go crazy with the over-tightening of the flimsy gasket/nut... Hand Tighten ONLY! You'll thank me later!

Don

If you use the plungers you will need 4 hands, yo gotta cover the overflow drains also. First, take pictures if everything under the sink, it’s likely pvc. Gently remove it ALL. Got to a plumbing supply store and get replacement parts for about 15 bucks. Reinstall using pics for reference. Put a catch pan under it all (I use a cheap litter box) and test it. If it doesn’t leak, leave the pan there a week anyway.

IMHO, once you pull an under sink drain component, you’re better off replacing all the pieces. Same goes for toilets, you take tank guts out, get the kit and replace all the parts.

Zip It!

Zip-It Bath and Sink Hair Snare

Helps clear clogged and slow-running tub, shower and sink drains
Clear drains without chemicals
Durable polymer construction

$2.48 /each

Another vote for removing the J-trap. You will likely find some nasty, stinky stuff in there, but it will fix the problem very quickly.

As others have noted, get under the sink and pull it all apart. You'll likely find your problem, and years of yuk. Clean it all up, put it back together, and you should hopefully be good to go.

Put a bucket or old dish pan under the trap before you take it apart.

quote:

Originally posted by chellim1:
Zip It!

Zip-It Bath and Sink Hair Snare

Helps clear clogged and slow-running tub, shower and sink drains
Clear drains without chemicals
Durable polymer construction

$2.48 /each

Another vote for Zip-it. Was advised about this product a few months back on this very subforum and have used these successfully since.

Sink likely clogged with organic material. Bleach is the enemy of all things organic. Pour a gallon of bleach in both sinks and let it work over-night.

Warning: Does not work on Lego.

Just take the p trap off and clean it.
Don't want to clean that nasty thing buy a new one for a couple buck at home depot.

quote:

Originally posted by MitchbSC:
Draino Urgent Clear.

Otherwise, subtle application of high explosives.

I never use chemicals. Cause they never work, and then you're still stuck manually cleaning the drain, only now you also have to deal with that crap getting on your skin.

Just had this happen to me last month and as stated above took the Ptrap out and cleaned it.
In my case the junk was also cought on the drain stopped valve which can also be easily taken apart and cleaned.
Took all of 10 minutes...

I would try the ‘Zip-It’ unclogger 1st, if it will reach. If that doesn’t work, go on to the next method.

Home Depot usually has the zip-It.

If your clog is further down the drain, somewhere in the plumbing past the P trap, you have fewer options, either a snake, or something that has worked for me. I have a second-floor sink that every few years develops a hair clog about 12' down the drainpipe. I think it is where it joins the main sewer with a Y fitting that is just a little tighter than the pipe itself. For many years I (and my dad before me) used a plumber's snake to clear this condition, a dirty job if ever there was one.

Then I hit on the idea of using air pressure. I found one of these little bladders that swells to seal themselves on the inside of a pipe before delivering pressure past the seal. Remove the trap, insert the bladder into the drain stub out, pressure up, climb on the roof (or call up to your helper) and seal the associated vent with a rag, voila! The air pressure easily pushes the clog past the tight spot in the drain. Having been the man on the roof, it is easy to feel the pressure rise, and then suddenly drop when the clog is gone.

Resist the temptation to pressurize from the roof vent. The result will be a big mess inside the house.

It doesn't seem to require a lot of pressure, perhaps 20 PSI, but it does need a considerable volume of air. You need a fairly substantial compressor, I don't think a hand pump would work. The bladder I use was marketed to go onto the end of a garden hose, an arrangement I felt was too fraught with risk to attempt indoors. I made up a quick disconnect to hose bib adapter (including a shutoff valve) to affix it to the air hose. Obviously, if there is any chance that there are leaks or weak spots in the drain pipe, this procedure will remove all uncertainty. Also, if the vent serves multiple drains, this technique will not work as you will never get a pressure rise in the pipe (and potentially a mess in other drains served by the vent).

Anyway, it has worked for me to clear perhaps a half-dozen blockages over two decades.

If water flows between the sinks, don't bother pulling the traps. Plug the drain and overflow of one sink with wet rags (tightly). Plug the overflow on the second sink, and remove the stopper.

Now your ready to plunge, go easy on the push, but vigorous on the pull. You ask why? Because your trying to loosen up the stoppage, a vigorous push just may plug it even tighter!

If vented properly, the plunger won't do much good. If that's the case, call a plumber, or buy an electric snake.

definitely Zip It first!!!!

Your best options:
burn the place down
move
rent and move
sell and move
stop using the sinks