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Triple master contractor Ed Del Grande
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By Ed Del Grande
Q: Ed, I'm a young plumber and I have a customer with a stopped kitchen-sink drain problem whenever it rains. The house is older and uses a cesspool in the back yard, but no other drain in the house is slow. It's just the kitchen sink. Why does this happen only when it rains, and why only the kitchen sink? Any advice would be welcome! John (New Jersey)
A: Thanks for all the info, John. We may be able to solve this problem because you included the information about the older home and the cesspool. Years ago many homes that used cesspools also had a separate cistern or gravel pit installed in the back yard for things like the kitchen sinks or washing machines. This stopped excessive water from draining into the cesspool.
Of course, nowadays most codes will not allow such underground drain pits and young plumbers like yourself may not even know they are there! Once the drain pit fails and can no longer absorb the water, you will get a back-up, especially when it rains. I'm not saying that this is your problem, and you may need to get some local help with this job. But first trace the kitchen-sink drain line and see where it goes. You may be surprised that "Old Ed the Plumber" was correct. Then you will have to re-pipe the drain into the house system as per your local codes.
Ed Del Grande was born and raised in a family-owned plumbing business. With more than 25 years of experience in every aspect of construction, he holds current Master licenses in pipefitting, fire protection and plumbing. If you have a question for Ed, send him an e-mail at eddelgrande@hgtvpro.com.
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