Our kitchen sink drains very slowly. It eventually drains, but it can take hours before we can see no water in the drain. After days of non-use I can fill the sink half full, and that will drain mostly. I think it's filling the pipe before backing up in the sink. That makes me think that whatever the problem is, it's way down the pipe.I've run a long wire down the rooftop vent, and I was able to feed 9+ feet of wire down the vent. The wire came back wet. I don't think the vent is plugged.I've tried a plunger with no success. But if the obstruction is past the vent, a plunger wouldn't work.I'm stumped. Is there a drain cleaner that's safe for these things?thx

I would put some bleach in it and let it set overnight

Just curious? Do you wash dishes in your sink? More important, do you wash your pots and pans and skillets in the sink? Even more important, if those pots and pans have grease on them, do you let that grease go down the drain? If so, your pipes could be clogged due to grease. Don't know about you, but we use our sink mostly for just water and wash dishes outside. But between trips, there's no water going down the drain. This allows food particles (and especially grease) to dry, get hard, and stick to the sides and bottom of the pipes. I suggest you go to Lowe's or Home Depot or your local Hardware store and get a drain emzine eater. It's usually in a powder form, you mix with warm water and pour down your drains. This is the same type of stuff used on cruise ships, high rise apartments, and in your home.If the clog or slow drain is due to any bio-degradable object, the emzine eaters will dissolve whatever the problem is (organic objects). It will not eat up plastic or metal, or non-organic items). It will dissolve hair.And No! This will not hurt your pipes. If it would, then every pipe in my house would be destroyed, as everything is PVC. Your camper is also PVC. This is what we use. We've purchased it through our plumber, but Lowes,etc also sells other brands (a lot cheaper) that do the same thing. Click here.It's important to keep the drain wet. So once you make up a cup of the solution, pour it down your drain and let it sit for the specified time (12 hours), then run water down the drain. In order for the emzines to continue working, they have to be kept wet. Unlike your home where you use water all the time, you'll need to keep putting a little bit of water down your sink often for a few days. Once ,the emzines have eaten everything, the pipes are clean and the emzine die because there's nothing left to feed on. Also, they will get in your gray water tank and clean it up too! So you've got nothing to loose.Try it. See if that works!Edit! We never put grease or food particles down our trailer sink drain. When we do have to wash inside, we wipe the greasy dishes with paper towel first and toss the paper out. This greatly reduces the amount of grease going down the drain, and for that small amount, normal dishwashing soap will keep it broken down and flushed out. We do the same thing at home, especially since we are on a septic tank. We use the Bio-Clean once a month, one cap full for 1 glass of warm water, 1 for every drain in the house. We've never had a clog. I started using it in the camper too now, especially since our camper is still less than 1 year old. I figure, it won't hurt to start prevention! Worst case scenario! Those emzines float into the gray tank. It's always a little wet!

I use baking soda and white vinegar.About a half cup baking soda poured in and on top of the drain.Pour about 2 cups of vinegar down the drain slowly washing the vineager down.Let set for a few minutes and flush with water . Repeat if necessary.Done this for years in the S.& B and in the RV.

Remove 'P' trap under sink..clean it out

Old-Biscuit wrote:Remove 'P' trap under sink..clean it outThis would be my recommendation. It's that goose neck shaped pipe under the sink. Pull it off and check if it is plugged up. They are designed to be taken off. However, It sometimes is a bit difficult to get to in you camper, but I bet you will find in full of something.

Kitchen sink -- very slow drain | Good Sam Community

17 Replies

Gjac
Explorer III
Aug 13, 2014
beemerphile1 wrote:
Gjac wrote:
I made an adapter for a garden hose by wrapping a section of bicycle tire inner tube to the dia of the drain hole. When my drain begins to drain slow I insert the adapter into the drain and open faucet to full force this will blast the drain clean.

You can also buy a device for blasting out pipe blockages. I don't recommend it because many have blown the pipes apart using one. Keeps the plumbers employed.
My drain pipes are thicker than the FW water pipes which are rated for 80 psi so I am not worried about 50 psi splitting 1/8 in wall plastic drain pipes. Besides when you open the faucet you don't see the full pressure at first, even when fully open if your drain is slow you won't see the full pressure.
Ron3rd
Explorer III
Aug 12, 2014
First thing I would do is pull the trap off as noted above to check there first to see if there is any blockage. If clean, I would re-install to the drain pipe only and then swivel it around and pour some water down it, or even use a garden hose and a very low setting and see if it still backs up.
beemerphile1
Explorer
Aug 12, 2014
Gjac wrote:
I made an adapter for a garden hose by wrapping a section of bicycle tire inner tube to the dia of the drain hole. When my drain begins to drain slow I insert the adapter into the drain and open faucet to full force this will blast the drain clean.

You can also buy a device for blasting out pipe blockages. I don't recommend it because many have blown the pipes apart using one. Keeps the plumbers employed.
Gjac
Explorer III
Aug 12, 2014
I made an adapter for a garden hose by wrapping a section of bicycle tire inner tube to the dia of the drain hole. When my drain begins to drain slow I insert the adapter into the drain and open faucet to full force this will blast the drain clean.
ECones
Explorer
Aug 10, 2014
Pop-Pop C wrote:
I use baking soda and white vinegar.
About a half cup baking soda poured in and on top of the drain.
Pour about 2 cups of vinegar down the drain slowly washing the vineager down.
Let set for a few minutes and flush with water . Repeat if necessary.
Done this for years in the S.& B and in the RV.

We owe you a beer, Mr. C ;)

We applied the above treatment, and waited a few minutes, and all is well. We live in the sticks, so I opened gally drain valve, and we can pour water through it, and it runs out the drain hose about as fast as we can pour it in.

Many thanks.
old_guy
Explorer
Aug 10, 2014
they sell a powder drain cleaning agent on QVC that will work on your pipes in your RV
ECones
Explorer
Aug 10, 2014
Bobbo wrote:
Take the "P" trap off and run a plumbers snake down toward the holding tank.

I've run a coated cable down it a couple of feet, but I've hit 90 degree corners. I do have a snake at home, but I doubt it'll get past the corners either. We're headed for home tomorrow. I'll have more options there.

It'd be nice if the treatments suggested would clear it. I just wanted to be sure they wouldn't be harmful.
Bobbo
Explorer II
Aug 10, 2014
Take the "P" trap off and run a plumbers snake down toward the holding tank.
powderman426
Explorer
Aug 09, 2014
Old-Biscuit wrote:
Remove 'P' trap under sink..clean it out

Exactly. They have hand tightened fittings for a reason.
ECones
Explorer
Aug 09, 2014
MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Have noted all of these answers and appreciate them for my own selfish use :)
Hey!! Not fair! :B

Not the P-trap. After it's stood for a few hours, I can pour nearly a gallon down it before it fills the pipes enough to back up into the sink.

We're careful what we put down it, but we bought it used, and this is only our second trip out with it. Who knows what the previous owners did. Thx for the suggestions.