Kitchen Sink Issues

[Whitney Rich]

Help! so i have a 1957 Ranch house which is bound to have some degree of issues, and right now it is my kitchen sink. The issues seem to have come out of nowhere. I've never had any issues with drainage and would like to fix it myself if at all possible. I have a garbage disposal on the left and a larger, general sink on the right side. I try to only ever use the left side with the disposal when rinsing off dishes as to not cause any problems. (Also, i try to wash down minimal amounts of grease, etc.). As of the past 2 days, I've had a clog. I tried snaking twice. The second round I went a least 35 feet. I pulled out nothing significant. I have flushed the drain with hot water several times while plunging both with the left garbage disposal side plugged, and unplugged to increase level of pressure. The stream has increased from zero with standing water to a trickle. The water level seems to be draining at an almost immeasurable trickle. However, I can only fit about 1.5L of water in the drain before it comes up the drain, so I imagine the clog cannot be too far down the drain.
Note: I have PVC pipes. I have used baking soda and Vinegar, I've tried to avoid using Draino since it is very caustic to the pipes. I've already cracked a plunger from plunging so hard. Also, I appreciate any insight you all can give me! Thank you in advance

 

[Geofd]

Sounds like grease if the hot water made it better its probably melting it a little is there another place to snake from sounds like the kitchen branch is full of water I would make access under your sink and just before it enters the main that way you can snake both ways
You can cut he pvc and glue in dandy clean outs

 

[Jeff Handy]

The clog can be far away, and it keeps sealing itself back up after you snake through it.
The clog can be farther than you have snaked so far.
Or, the grease and gunk upstream just flow into the hole you punched, and that corks it back up.
Try snaking again, advance very slowly with lots more twisting.
Go a few inches forwards, then pull back while twisting.
Repeat, repeat, repeat.
If your pipes are pvc, drain cleaner won’t corrode them.
Not great for your disposer, but if you gotta do it you gotta do it.
Just use with caution in the sink, if it is metal you need to clean it up after you are unclogged.
And never plunge after using drain cleaner, unless you want to go to the ER for a face full of burning slop water.

 

[Jeff Handy]

Once you get this clog taken care of, start using an enzyme treatment such as Drain Care on a weekly basis.
You do it at bedtime, when the sink will be idle overnight.
Run a few gallons of bath temp water down the drain.
Then mix a few scoops of Drain Care in about a quart of warm, not hot, water.
Dump it down the drain.
Do not run any water until morning.
Put up a sign on the faucet DO NOT USE UNTIL MORNING.
In the morning, run about ten gallons of straight hot water, to flush out whatever gunk got softened up overnight.
The Drain Care has enzymes that gradually break down the grease and food scraps that are coating your drain pipes.
Some other types also have bacteria that do the same thing.
Don’t use too much at once, or lots of gunk will loosen up and might cause a clog.