Author Topic: Our sink trap overflows under our sink when we pour too much water in  (Read 12191 times)

shelivesthedream

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Imagine you've just boiled a pan of pasta. You want to just hold it over the colander and pour it down the drain in one big swoosh. Nuh uh. Our sink trap overflows if you pour more than a carefully-managed steady flow and the water floods our under-sink cupboard. God forbid you should ever want to fill a whole washing up bowl full of water and then drain it. It takes as long to empty the wretched thing as it does to fill it.

Is this because our sink trap is broken somehow? Or is this to be expected and we have just been lucky with being able to pour whatever we wanted down the sink at previous houses?

When we moved in there was a grim smell and I took apart the u-bend under the sink and cleaned a load of gunk out of it - probably minerals settled from hard water sitting in a house that was unoccupied for a few months. I believe I cleaned the trap too. I am absolutely certain I put it back just how it was. However, it may have been installed incorrectly. But it looks kind of OK to me. I can't imagine how else it would be put together or oriented.

Rocket

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Re: Our sink trap overflows under our sink when we pour too much water in
« Reply #1 on: November 12, 2017, 09:10:44 AM »
I'd put a bucket under the trap and pour water in the sink and see which part of the trap is leaking.  Is it leaking at the top or in the middle where the threads probably are depending on what kinda trap you have. 

paddedhat

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Re: Our sink trap overflows under our sink when we pour too much water in
« Reply #2 on: November 12, 2017, 09:33:10 AM »
My parents complained of this problem, so I started with the trap and found nothing. I followed the line to the basement, then cut a 1-1/2" cast iron drain line, that ran horizontally for about 15 ft. in the cellar. I then discovered that the line had accumulated a rather artistic looking mineral build-up, that left a passage a bit bigger than a pencil for drainage to flow. Seems that 100 years of service draining hard water was about the end for that run. I replaced the line with PVC and the sink issue was gone.

shelivesthedream

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Re: Our sink trap overflows under our sink when we pour too much water in
« Reply #3 on: November 12, 2017, 09:36:51 AM »
It's not LEAKING, it's OVERFLOWING. As in, the first time I did it, I poured the pan of water down the sink and boiling water instantly rushed into the cupboard, across the shelf, and out onto my feet.

I know absolutely zip about plumbing (other than how to clean a u-bend!) so I may well be using the wrong words. Underneath the sink, it looks sort of like this thing, and the water comes up and out of the bit on the left: https://www.screwfix.com/p/mcalpine-wm15-appliance-trap-white-40mm/5849V?tc=IA1&ds_rl=1245250&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwIOS5rq51wIVoRXTCh3B6QPoEAQYAiABEgI09_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CMGW2uq6udcCFVeF7QodS-8A3A

BlueHouse

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Re: Our sink trap overflows under our sink when we pour too much water in
« Reply #4 on: November 12, 2017, 11:11:40 AM »
It's not LEAKING, it's OVERFLOWING. As in, the first time I did it, I poured the pan of water down the sink and boiling water instantly rushed into the cupboard, across the shelf, and out onto my feet.

I know absolutely zip about plumbing (other than how to clean a u-bend!) so I may well be using the wrong words. Underneath the sink, it looks sort of like this thing, and the water comes up and out of the bit on the left: https://www.screwfix.com/p/mcalpine-wm15-appliance-trap-white-40mm/5849V?tc=IA1&ds_rl=1245250&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwIOS5rq51wIVoRXTCh3B6QPoEAQYAiABEgI09_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CMGW2uq6udcCFVeF7QodS-8A3A

Is the thing on the left that it leaks out of attached to something else?  You may need to tighten that bit and use plumbers putty or tape to make sure the connection is tight enough.

katscratch

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Re: Our sink trap overflows under our sink when we pour too much water in
« Reply #5 on: November 12, 2017, 11:39:13 AM »
My parents complained of this problem, so I started with the trap and found nothing. I followed the line to the basement, then cut a 1-1/2" cast iron drain line, that ran horizontally for about 15 ft. in the cellar. I then discovered that the line had accumulated a rather artistic looking mineral build-up, that left a passage a bit bigger than a pencil for drainage to flow. Seems that 100 years of service draining hard water was about the end for that run. I replaced the line with PVC and the sink issue was gone.

For overflowing issues my guess is you have this same problem. Especially if you had a lot of deposit in your U-bend. My house still has the original galvanized steel pipes and a couple of years ago my kitchen sink started draining really slowly. We cleaned out the pipes with a rented auger and they've flowed well since.



Ooohhh I take that all back after reading down thread.

How FRUSTRATING for you!
« Last Edit: November 12, 2017, 12:22:01 PM by katscratch »

mre

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Re: Our sink trap overflows under our sink when we pour too much water in
« Reply #6 on: November 12, 2017, 11:56:51 AM »
It's not LEAKING, it's OVERFLOWING. As in, the first time I did it, I poured the pan of water down the sink and boiling water instantly rushed into the cupboard, across the shelf, and out onto my feet.

I know absolutely zip about plumbing (other than how to clean a u-bend!) so I may well be using the wrong words. Underneath the sink, it looks sort of like this thing, and the water comes up and out of the bit on the left: https://www.screwfix.com/p/mcalpine-wm15-appliance-trap-white-40mm/5849V?tc=IA1&ds_rl=1245250&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwIOS5rq51wIVoRXTCh3B6QPoEAQYAiABEgI09_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CMGW2uq6udcCFVeF7QodS-8A3A

The bit on the left is a fitting to connect the drain of another appliance, usually a dishwasher, into the sink drain.  If you do not have a hose from another appliance connected here, it should be capped and sealed to prevent water coming out.  If you do have a hose connected here from another appliance, you have a problem with the seal or a cracked piece which is letting water out.

No water should be able to escape from this point under any circumstances.

shelivesthedream

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Re: Our sink trap overflows under our sink when we pour too much water in
« Reply #7 on: November 12, 2017, 12:13:30 PM »
It's not LEAKING, it's OVERFLOWING. As in, the first time I did it, I poured the pan of water down the sink and boiling water instantly rushed into the cupboard, across the shelf, and out onto my feet.

I know absolutely zip about plumbing (other than how to clean a u-bend!) so I may well be using the wrong words. Underneath the sink, it looks sort of like this thing, and the water comes up and out of the bit on the left: https://www.screwfix.com/p/mcalpine-wm15-appliance-trap-white-40mm/5849V?tc=IA1&ds_rl=1245250&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwIOS5rq51wIVoRXTCh3B6QPoEAQYAiABEgI09_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CMGW2uq6udcCFVeF7QodS-8A3A

The bit on the left is a fitting to connect the drain of another appliance, usually a dishwasher, into the sink drain.  If you do not have a hose from another appliance connected here, it should be capped and sealed to prevent water coming out.  If you do have a hose connected here from another appliance, you have a problem with the seal or a cracked piece which is letting water out.

No water should be able to escape from this point under any circumstances.

Fuck this house! Have googled appliance drain hoses and can confirm it is one which has just been left open with nothing plumbed in. I told you I didn't know shit about plumbing. I assumed it was some kind of... air vent or something... for some reason... Argh! I am so cross with this stupid house!

What do I need to look for to seal it? Is there a whatnot I can buy that screws onto the end?

Lulee

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Re: Our sink trap overflows under our sink when we pour too much water in
« Reply #8 on: November 12, 2017, 12:25:42 PM »
Your trap may not be the problem , especially after the clean out.  It may be other parts of the drain system that are either split or rusted out where you can't easily see or simply not tightly secured to each other.  If you and your SO can dry things out, light the system up front and back for good visibility, and then one of you pour in a pan of water while the other watches, you two should be able to pinpoint which spot or spots the water is coming out from.

In the first place I ever rented, the pipes under the kitchen sink would overflow/flood ONLY when large quantities of water were sent down the drain.  Someone did a botch job on the plumbing which my Dad spotted when he came to help me sort things out.  The straight pipe coming down from the single sink into the trap was not a single pipe secured into the trap.  It was two pipes with nothing actually joining them and the pipe from the sink simply rested inside a straight bit of pipe that was secured into the top of the trap.  The two were snug enough and there was enough overlap that they could handle small amounts of water.  But fill the sink up as when doing dishes and let it drain, the water in the drain weighed enough to cause the lower part of the system to sag which pulled the two pipes apart and caused a flood under the sink.  Dad fixed it enough to live with by using some metal strapping to add support to the drain pipe so it wouldn't sag enough to pull the two bits apart.  If it were my actual house, I'd have fixed the piss poor plumbing job AND added the support to the drain to keep it from straining the system under a full load.

The problem could be right below the sink and the water just pouring down onto the trap then to the cabinet floor, making you think it's coming out of the trap.  I recently learned from an "Ask This Old House" episode (a US TV show that helps people fix issues around their house) that the strainer in the sink is made up a nested set of bowls or baskets and that the lower one under the sink can rust away and let water leaking out of the sink make it into the cabinet.  https://www.pinterest.com/pin/449374869047978699/ has some good illustrations so you can see how that all fits together and why, if it fails, it'd make a mess.

You may just need a new gasket in a place or two or maybe some plumbers tape in joints to get a better seal.  Or you may end up needing to replace a few bits of pipe.  If you post a picture or two and can point out exactly where in the plumbing water is coming from, people here can give you really specific advice on what needs fixing.

mre

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Re: Our sink trap overflows under our sink when we pour too much water in
« Reply #9 on: November 12, 2017, 12:32:26 PM »
What do I need to look for to seal it? Is there a whatnot I can buy that screws onto the end?

I would think you could get a plug for the end.

I would take a photo of the fitting under your sink, and one of the whole trap and take them to the local hardware store and ask for help finding a plug.

If they don't have a plug that would fit, you should be able to buy and swap out that piece of the trap for one without the appliance connection.

Good luck.
« Last Edit: November 12, 2017, 12:37:36 PM by mre »

paddedhat

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Re: Our sink trap overflows under our sink when we pour too much water in
« Reply #10 on: November 12, 2017, 02:21:19 PM »
In the states, the dishwasher drain would be attached to the tailpiece, which is a vertical plastic piece located between the bottom of the sink and the trap.  If this is the case under your sink, it a pretty cheap and easy fix to replace the tailpiece with a new one without the DW drain set-up.

Dishwasher tailpiece:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Keeney-1-1-2-in-Plastic-Sink-Tailpiece/1088263

Non-dishwasher tailpiece:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Keeney-1-1-2-in-Plastic-Sink-Tailpiece/1070103

Five minute fix, maybe even tool free, hands only. Once you swap them, hand tighten, then run hot water down the drain for a few minutes, and re-tighten them while they are hot. Check for small drips with a bright flashlight.

geekette

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Re: Our sink trap overflows under our sink when we pour too much water in
« Reply #11 on: November 12, 2017, 06:27:05 PM »
It's not LEAKING, it's OVERFLOWING. As in, the first time I did it, I poured the pan of water down the sink and boiling water instantly rushed into the cupboard, across the shelf, and out onto my feet.

I know absolutely zip about plumbing (other than how to clean a u-bend!) so I may well be using the wrong words. Underneath the sink, it looks sort of like this thing, and the water comes up and out of the bit on the left: https://www.screwfix.com/p/mcalpine-wm15-appliance-trap-white-40mm/5849V?tc=IA1&ds_rl=1245250&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwIOS5rq51wIVoRXTCh3B6QPoEAQYAiABEgI09_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CMGW2uq6udcCFVeF7QodS-8A3A

The bit on the left is a fitting to connect the drain of another appliance, usually a dishwasher, into the sink drain.  If you do not have a hose from another appliance connected here, it should be capped and sealed to prevent water coming out.  If you do have a hose connected here from another appliance, you have a problem with the seal or a cracked piece which is letting water out.

No water should be able to escape from this point under any circumstances.

Fuck this house! Have googled appliance drain hoses and can confirm it is one which has just been left open with nothing plumbed in. I told you I didn't know shit about plumbing. I assumed it was some kind of... air vent or something... for some reason... Argh! I am so cross with this stupid house!

What do I need to look for to seal it? Is there a whatnot I can buy that screws onto the end?

From that same site you linked, I think this would do as a substitute - P trap.  Assuming you took it apart before, it looks like you could just swap it out for the one with the dishwasher/washer discharge.

paddedhat

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Re: Our sink trap overflows under our sink when we pour too much water in
« Reply #12 on: November 13, 2017, 04:43:51 AM »
Sorry I failed to open your link before my last reply.  If everything is the white plastic shown in the illustration, you just need to swap the tailpiece for a plain one, no need to replace the trap. Easy fix. Good luck.

shelivesthedream

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Re: Our sink trap overflows under our sink when we pour too much water in
« Reply #13 on: November 13, 2017, 04:49:02 AM »
Thanks all! I'm hoping to get to B&Q at the end of the week.