Is my neighbor clogging up my kitchen sink?

[Omegachi]

About two nights ago when I was doing the dishes, I noticed my double bowl sink was clogging up. The dish water wouldn't drain and with the facet running the sink was quickly filling up. I turned on the disposal and it would just drain the water from the disposal side of the bowl and push it out from the other. I let the water sit there and it took approximately 30 minutes to completely drain out. I ran water in the sink after and the sink would collect water again. I don't think I am the cause of the clog because I don't dump any food down the drain. I would always dump out the food collected in the mesh screen I installed over the drain in the trash. Also, I don't flush oils or that sort down the drain either.

This occurance has happened before couple of months ago, but it was not as bad. I just let it sit for about an hour or so and for some reason the drain cleared itself out without me doing anything. Unfortunately, the occurance this time doesn't seem like it will go away by itself.

I live on the 6th floor of a 7 story appartment. my kitchen is adjacent to my next door neighbor's kitchen, and my upstairs neighbor has a bathroom directly above my kitchen. Seems like this clog is somewhere downstream of the common piping and most likely caused by one of my neighbor. What I worry about is, me calling a plumber and having to pay for it for something I didn't cause. Or worse, plumber shows up, can't clear the clog because its not from my unit, and I will have to pay him for showing up.

Any suggestions on how I can resolve this?

BTW, I don't like to talk to my neighbors because they are not friendly and I have used a liquid plumber and it didn't work.

 

[Drako]

Call your landlord.

 

[blackdogdeek]

I don't think I am the cause of the clog because I don't dump any food down the drain. I would always dump out the food collected in the mesh screen I installed over the drain in the trash. Also, I don't flush oils or that sort down the drain either.

This has occurance has happened before couple of months ago, but it was not as bad. I just let it sit for about an hour or so and for some reason the drain cleared itself out without me doing anything. Unfortunately, the occurance this time doesn't seem like it will go away by itself.

if you don't dump food or oils down the drain then what caused your original clog? seems to me if you have gotten clogs or slow drains before that it could happen again and could get worse.

if you don't want to spend the money on a plumber you could see if some liquid plumb'r helps. you could also open up the drain pipe yourself and see if it's full of stuff.

 

[Omegachi]

Call your landlord.

I am the landlord... I own the unit.

blackdogdeek, I updated the post and said I have tried liquid plumber and failed.

 

[heymrdj]

Sounds like the landlords responsibility.

Own the unit as in the building? Or you rent a unit. Renting the unit does not count as being a landlord.

 

[Juddog]

Call your landlord.

^^ This. Don't get involved.

 

[blackdogdeek]

blackdogdeek, I updated the post and said I have tried liquid plumber and failed.

if you have an adjustable or monkey wrench you should be able to remove the u-section of the drain pipe and see if there's stuff in there.

note: it will look and smell nasty.

 

[NetWareHead]

What I worry about is, me calling a plumber and having to pay for it for something I didn't cause. Or worse, plumber shows up, can't clear the clog because its not from my unit, and I will have to pay him for showing up.

You are the landlord and you need to pay. Who else will?

Any suggestions on how I can resolve this?

BTW, I don't like to talk to my neighbors because they are not friendly and I have used a liquid plumber and it didn't work.

You march upstairs and ask the neighbor if he has been throwing/depositing any prohibited items in the trash. If he says no, you inform him that someone has damaged the plumbing and a plumber is being called to determine the cause of the problem as well as fix it. Plumber's diagnosis of problem will determine who pays.

Of course it helps to have something like this in your lease:

"Tenant shall Keep all lavatories, sinks, toilets, and all other water and plumbing apparatus in good order and repair and shall use same only for the purposes for which they were constructed. Tenant shall not allow any sweepings, rubbish, sand, rags, ashes or other substances to be thrown or deposited therein. Any damage to any such apparatus and the cost of clearing stopped plumbing resulting from misuse shall be borne by Tenant"

 

[NetWareHead]

Sounds like the landlords responsibility.

Own the unit as in the building? Or you rent a unit. Renting the unit does not count as being a landlord.

Good question which would determine your course of action and response to other tenants.

 

[Humpy]

Sounds like you are totally screwed and will have to live without a sink.

Or, get a snake and clear the drain.

 

[DayLaPaul]

Have you tried using a toilet plunger? Since you have a double sink, two might be more helpful (use one to plunge, use the other to seal off the 2nd drain).

If you don't have a second plunger, seal off the other drain as best as possible using towels, garbage bag, whatever. Then just go to town with the other plunger. Hopefully that will jar the obstruction.

 

[Omegachi]

Sounds like the landlords responsibility.

Own the unit as in the building? Or you rent a unit. Renting the unit does not count as being a landlord.

I think you mean a property manager? yea, i'll give her a call.

 

[TwiceOver]

I think he is saying "Condo" as in "I bought an apartment".

My plumber friends love garbage disposals. They get so much business from people that own them.

 

[heymrdj]

I think you mean a property manager? yea, i'll give her a call.

Sure, my contract regards it in both terms because while there is a property manager, they are not the ones responsible for repairs, their maintenance contractual is. In either case from what you described you are not the landlord in any instance, just a tenant. You own no land, the unit that you rent does not belong to you nor do you own any part of it.

 

[DaveSimmons]

> Is my neighbor clogging up my kitchen sink?

That's why you cremate instead of using a hacksaw. Otherwise the garbage disposal just can't handle it

 

[Juddog]

If you own the unit, then just go to the hardware store and rent a snake.

 

[blackdogdeek]

> Is my neighbor clogging up my kitchen sink?

That's why you cremate instead of using a hacksaw. Otherwise the garbage disposal just can't handle it

too difficult to hide the smell. better to use an acid bath.

 

[BoomerD]

too difficult to hide the smell. better to use an acid bath.

Too messy. Cultivate a friendship with a pig farmer.

 

[lokiju]

Had a similar issue when I was renting an apartment. Turned out to be the bend in the drain that the dishwasher shares was packed with what looked to be mostly potatoes someone put down the disposal that was renting the unit before me.

I just took the u bend off with a buck under it and cleaned out the blockage. Was never an issue after that.

You could try a pressurized solution but then you risk blowing out a pipe and causing more issues.

Maybe a simple snake would be worth trying?

 

[Omegachi]

Okay, I don't know whats wrong with the pipes. I tried snaking the damn thing and it didn't fix the problem and now I have a slow leak at the plastic to metal pipe joint. Checked with my neighbors and they don't have any problems with their plumbing, and I don't think they are lying.

I gave up and called Roto Rotor and made an appointment for tomorrow.

 

[iGas]

It is possible that the clog is down stream on the main 3"-4" building drain (could be broken/tree roots), but it is likely the OP p-trap under the kitchen sink is clogged up, because the user doesn't run water during and for 30 seconds after the waste are macerated and ejected from the garburator.

Use a pipe wrench, strap wrench, water pump pliers, or towel and undo the nuts by the p-trap and clear the blockage.

 

[Bignate603]

I am the landlord... I own the unit.

blackdogdeek, I updated the post and said I have tried liquid plumber and failed.

Unless you own the building you don't own the shared piping. I assume that you pay some sort of fee for them to take care of the shared parts of the building. If you can show this is not a problem with your unit then its their problem.

 

[DrPizza]

I doubt the clog is from the main drains where everyone's plumbing goes into. If that were the case, then it would back up to the next floor above you - and that means it would be overflowing your sink.

When you said you snaked it out, do you mean 10 inches? Or 15 feet?

 

[Omegachi]

my snake is about 5 feet long. Not sure if that is long enough, but I assume that would be long enough to get to the main drainage pipe since the opening I stuck the snake in was pretty much right against the wall.

 

[Lifted]

How large is the building you live in? Regardless of whether you own or rent (which you haven't made clear), isn't there a super on site, or at least on call, to handle situations such as this? It's not your responsibility to do work on the shared plumbing of the building. In fact I'd think it would make you liable if the plumber you hired were to do any damage, and even if he doesn't, it could come back to bite you in the ass down the road.