Hi,

We have a clogged kitchen air vent. I have climbed up onto the roof and
tried to clear it myself using a hand held snake and one of those hose
balloons, but no luck. If you pour water down the vent then it backs up
completely and drains extremely slowly (takes a few hours to drain). We had
a plumbing company come out today with a power auger, and they couldn't get
through either. The blockage is only about 3 or 4 feet down the vent pipe.
The plumber today also tried to break through the blockage with a copper
pipe, but that didn't help either. They suggest that the only thing we can
do is cut out the pipe from the attic and this will cost approximately $600.

I was hoping someone on this group might have some other suggestions aout
what I could try before I move on to the option of cutting out the pipe.
Maybe I could pour a chemical down there, let it sit over night, and then
try to snake it again in the morning? Will it eat through the pipe if I
leave it that long?

Any suggestions?

Thanks.

wanna sandwich wrote:
Hi,

We have a clogged kitchen air vent. I have climbed up onto the roof and
tried to clear it myself using a hand held snake and one of those hose
balloons, but no luck. If you pour water down the vent then it backs up
completely and drains extremely slowly (takes a few hours to drain). We had
a plumbing company come out today with a power auger, and they couldn't get
through either. The blockage is only about 3 or 4 feet down the vent pipe.
The plumber today also tried to break through the blockage with a copper
pipe, but that didn't help either. They suggest that the only thing we can
do is cut out the pipe from the attic and this will cost approximately $600.

I was hoping someone on this group might have some other suggestions aout
what I could try before I move on to the option of cutting out the pipe.
Maybe I could pour a chemical down there, let it sit over night, and then
try to snake it again in the morning? Will it eat through the pipe if I
leave it that long?

Any suggestions?

Thanks.

You'd better know what the clog is made of before using chemicals to
dissolve it. Some plumbing companies have cameras that they can shove
down pipes to see what is going on. It might be worth it.

"wanna sandwich" wrote in message
The blockage is only about 3 or 4 feet down the vent pipe. The plumber
today also tried to break through the blockage with a copper pipe, but
that didn't help either. They suggest that the only thing we can do is cut
out the pipe from the attic and this will cost approximately $600.

I was hoping someone on this group might have some other suggestions aout
what I could try before I move on to the option of cutting out the pipe.
Maybe I could pour a chemical down there, let it sit over night, and then
try to snake it again in the morning? Will it eat through the pipe if I
leave it that long?

What type of pipe is it? If it is cast iron, it can be difficult to work
with. If it is PVC, it is very easy to work with.

Considering the depth of the clog, have you been able to bring up a piece of
whatever it is on the auger? It could be a lost squirrel that got stuck, or
a bird. They would eventually decay. Chemicals can have nasty side
effects, depending on the material. A strong caustic may work. If it
works, you are in luck, if it does not work, then you have chemicals to deal
with.

If the vent is PVC, I'd consider cutting it out. It can be a diy job.

From the roof, put a stick or a weight on a string down the hole and mark
the depth. If it is say, 36", just measure the protruding part and you know
how far down the clog is on the inside. Now, crawl into the hot attic and
mark the pipe. Before you cut anything, go to the store and buy two
couplings the same size as the pipe, and the proper adhesive for them.

Back to the attic with a saw in hand. Cut a couple of inches above the
clog, then a foot or so below. Remove the pipe section, remove the clog,
then re-assemble. You'll have to cut the section a little smaller so it can
be slid in place using hte connector. Total cost should be less than $20.
..

"wanna sandwich" wrote in message

I was hoping someone on this group might have some other suggestions aout
what I could try before I move on to the option of cutting out the pipe.

After the last post, I had another thought. Get a large drill bit and make
a very long extension. You can weld the bit onto a steel rod. Chuck it up
and drill through for a start. That may loosen things enough for an
auger. Even a long dowel with a point may do the job and it will not flex
like an auger. Lots of ways to make a bit from a piece of 1/2" OD tubing or
rod.

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:

"wanna sandwich" wrote in message

I was hoping someone on this group might have some other suggestions aout
what I could try before I move on to the option of cutting out the pipe.

After the last post, I had another thought. Get a large drill bit and make
a very long extension. You can weld the bit onto a steel rod. Chuck it up
and drill through for a start. That may loosen things enough for an
auger. Even a long dowel with a point may do the job and it will not flex
like an auger. Lots of ways to make a bit from a piece of 1/2" OD tubing or
rod.

You can buy 4" long auger bits in the electrical department. The auger
bit might get a good grip when drilled partway in to allow the
obstruction to be pulled out.

If the vent is PVC or ABS or even copper it is indeed an easy DIY job.
Only cast iron would be a pain and even then it just needs a sawzall.

Pete C.

I have a 4-5 foot drill bit for electrician work, get one, drill a bunch
of holes and try to force it down.

"wanna sandwich" wrote in message
newsguvg.214454$IK3.38047@pd7tw1no...
Hi,

We have a clogged kitchen air vent. I have climbed up onto the roof and
tried to clear it myself using a hand held snake and one of those hose
balloons, but no luck. If you pour water down the vent then it backs up
completely and drains extremely slowly (takes a few hours to drain). We
had a plumbing company come out today with a power auger, and they
couldn't get through either. The blockage is only about 3 or 4 feet down
the vent pipe. The plumber today also tried to break through the blockage
with a copper pipe, but that didn't help either. They suggest that the
only thing we can do is cut out the pipe from the attic and this will cost
approximately $600.

If it's 3 to 4 feet down, couldn't you peep in and see what's in there?
Hard to imagine what it is that even a plumber could not clear.
Try sticking a high pressure washer wand into the pipe. Unless it is a rock,
this should eventually clear the obstacle. If it is a rock, you don't want
to push it deeper into the pipe.

What kind of pipe is it? If it's PVC (black plastic like), you can buy a
long one (10 feet?) from hardware store for less than $20. Then buy a rubber
"sleeve" with hose clamp on both ends for $5. Then add a net or some sort of
filter on the top to prevent large object from falling in. This is probably
the cheapest and safest solution.

When you find out what's blocking the pipe, please post.

Any suggestions?

Whatever it is, if it's located in a section of pipe accessible from an
attic, you don't want to push it down the stack to a point where you
have to tear out a wall to get at it.

Michael Thomas
Paragon home Inspection. LLC
Chicago, IL
mdtATpargoninspectsDOTcom
847-47-5668

m Ransley wrote:

I have a 4-5 foot drill bit for electrician work, get one, drill a bunch
of holes and try to force it down.

Bad idea! Try to pull it up, nor force it down. Forcing it down just
makes a bigger problem as if you get it past any of the inlets it will
catch everything going by and clog up in a day. If it's up near the top
of the vent and you are unable to pull it up then cutting it out in the
attic is relatively easy.

Pete C.

On Wed, 19 Jul 2006 17:49:23 GMT, "wanna sandwich"
wrote:

Hi,

We have a clogged kitchen air vent. I have climbed up onto the roof and
tried to clear it myself using a hand held snake and one of those hose
balloons, but no luck. If you pour water down the vent then it backs up
completely and drains extremely slowly (takes a few hours to drain). We had

Can you see the clog? Can you tell or guess what it is made of?

I don't know how big the augure was, but how about a quarter inch or
so drill? You can buy long drills and you can buy one foot
extensions, especially for 1/4 inch bits,

or a spade bit on a series of three extensions. Tighten them well so
they don't fall in. But you can probably get them out with a
magnet if they do.

and you can get 3 and 6 foot bits at home depot. The 6 foot one's are
flexible but i don't think the 3 foot could be very flexble. Drill a
few holes and maybe that will be enough to to make the drain work
right. Maybe you can enlarge them later, or use some corkscrew type
thing to grab the clog and pull it up. Or a toggle arrangement on a
string to lower a weight through the hole that you can somehow use to
pulll the clog up with, .

a plumbing company come out today with a power auger, and they couldn't get
through either. The blockage is only about 3 or 4 feet down the vent pipe.
The plumber today also tried to break through the blockage with a copper
pipe, but that didn't help either. They suggest that the only thing we can

Maybe it wasn't pointed enough.

do is cut out the pipe from the attic and this will cost approximately $600.

I was hoping someone on this group might have some other suggestions aout
what I could try before I move on to the option of cutting out the pipe.
Maybe I could pour a chemical down there, let it sit over night, and then
try to snake it again in the morning? Will it eat through the pipe if I
leave it that long?

Any suggestions?

Thanks.

wanna sandwich wrote:
Hi,

We have a clogged kitchen air vent. I have climbed up onto the roof and
tried to clear it myself using a hand held snake and one of those hose
balloons, but no luck. If you pour water down the vent then it backs up
completely and drains extremely slowly (takes a few hours to drain). We had
a plumbing company come out today with a power auger, and they couldn't get
through either. The blockage is only about 3 or 4 feet down the vent pipe.
The plumber today also tried to break through the blockage with a copper
pipe, but that didn't help either. They suggest that the only thing we can
do is cut out the pipe from the attic and this will cost approximately $600.

I was hoping someone on this group might have some other suggestions aout
what I could try before I move on to the option of cutting out the pipe.
Maybe I could pour a chemical down there, let it sit over night, and then
try to snake it again in the morning? Will it eat through the pipe if I
leave it that long?

Any suggestions?

Thanks.

Make sure the vent doesn't have a bend in the attic where the blockage
is. If it doesn't get the long drill bit in the electrical department
of the Borg and try drilling through and pulling it out. You have to
post what it is when you get it out. My money is its a baseball.

Why $600 to cut off a pipe and drop in a new one if you have attic access?
Should take about 15 minutes.

--
Steve Barker


"wanna sandwich" wrote in message
newsguvg.214454$IK3.38047@pd7tw1no...
Hi,

We have a clogged kitchen air vent. I have climbed up onto the roof and
tried to clear it myself using a hand held snake and one of those hose
balloons, but no luck. If you pour water down the vent then it backs up
completely and drains extremely slowly (takes a few hours to drain). We
had a plumbing company come out today with a power auger, and they
couldn't get through either. The blockage is only about 3 or 4 feet down
the vent pipe. The plumber today also tried to break through the blockage
with a copper pipe, but that didn't help either. They suggest that the
only thing we can do is cut out the pipe from the attic and this will cost
approximately $600.

I was hoping someone on this group might have some other suggestions aout
what I could try before I move on to the option of cutting out the pipe.
Maybe I could pour a chemical down there, let it sit over night, and then
try to snake it again in the morning? Will it eat through the pipe if I
leave it that long?

Any suggestions?

Thanks.

Thanks to everyone for their replies. I'm still undecided about what to do.
I'm pretty sure that I will want to pull it up, not push it down and I won't
use chemicals.

I don't know if it's PVC or or not. Probably not. Our home was built in 1949
and it looks like the original vent.

I'm also not sure if the blockage is above or below the attic. Hopefully
above, but I'll have to do take some proper measurements.

I really need some kind of sharp barbed spike thing that I can push down
there through the blockage and then the barbs would catch and I will pull it
up. Maybe a harpoon! just kidding, but something along those lines sounds
like what I need.

I will post back when I have had a chance to investigate further. Probably
won't be for a few days. I really appreciate all the advice!

Darren

"wanna sandwich" wrote in message
newsguvg.214454$IK3.38047@pd7tw1no...
Hi,

We have a clogged kitchen air vent. I have climbed up onto the roof and
tried to clear it myself using a hand held snake and one of those hose
balloons, but no luck. If you pour water down the vent then it backs up
completely and drains extremely slowly (takes a few hours to drain). We
had a plumbing company come out today with a power auger, and they
couldn't get through either. The blockage is only about 3 or 4 feet down
the vent pipe. The plumber today also tried to break through the blockage
with a copper pipe, but that didn't help either. They suggest that the
only thing we can do is cut out the pipe from the attic and this will cost
approximately $600.

I was hoping someone on this group might have some other suggestions aout
what I could try before I move on to the option of cutting out the pipe.
Maybe I could pour a chemical down there, let it sit over night, and then
try to snake it again in the morning? Will it eat through the pipe if I
leave it that long?

Any suggestions?

Thanks.

wanna sandwich wrote:

Thanks to everyone for their replies. I'm still undecided about what to do.
I'm pretty sure that I will want to pull it up, not push it down and I won't
use chemicals.

I don't know if it's PVC or or not. Probably not. Our home was built in 1949
and it looks like the original vent.

I'm also not sure if the blockage is above or below the attic. Hopefully
above, but I'll have to do take some proper measurements.

I really need some kind of sharp barbed spike thing that I can push down
there through the blockage and then the barbs would catch and I will pull it
up. Maybe a harpoon! just kidding, but something along those lines sounds
like what I need.

I will post back when I have had a chance to investigate further. Probably
won't be for a few days. I really appreciate all the advice!

Darren

"wanna sandwich" wrote in message
newsguvg.214454$IK3.38047@pd7tw1no...

Hi,

We have a clogged kitchen air vent. I have climbed up onto the roof and
tried to clear it myself using a hand held snake and one of those hose
balloons, but no luck. If you pour water down the vent then it backs up
completely and drains extremely slowly (takes a few hours to drain). We
had a plumbing company come out today with a power auger, and they
couldn't get through either. The blockage is only about 3 or 4 feet down
the vent pipe. The plumber today also tried to break through the blockage
with a copper pipe, but that didn't help either. They suggest that the
only thing we can do is cut out the pipe from the attic and this will cost
approximately $600.

I was hoping someone on this group might have some other suggestions aout
what I could try before I move on to the option of cutting out the pipe.
Maybe I could pour a chemical down there, let it sit over night, and then
try to snake it again in the morning? Will it eat through the pipe if I
leave it that long?

Any suggestions?

Thanks.




Hi,
Can you tell what is blocking the vent? Like solid object or birds nest
or? I had such an incident and I made sort of a spear tying a razor
sharp pointed knife securely at the end of fiberglass paint roller brush
handle(telescopic type). Then I started poking and jabbing at it until
little by little they broke loose. Took some time but persistence paid
off. Good luck.

"wanna sandwich" wrote in message
news:PlFvg.216297$IK3.48241@pd7tw1no...
Thanks to everyone for their replies. I'm still undecided about what to
do. I'm pretty sure that I will want to pull it up, not push it down and I
won't use chemicals.

I don't know if it's PVC or or not. Probably not. Our home was built in
1949 and it looks like the original vent.

I'm also not sure if the blockage is above or below the attic. Hopefully
above, but I'll have to do take some proper measurements.

I really need some kind of sharp barbed spike thing that I can push down
there through the blockage and then the barbs would catch and I will pull
it up. Maybe a harpoon! just kidding, but something along those lines
sounds like what I need.

I will post back when I have had a chance to investigate further. Probably
won't be for a few days. I really appreciate all the advice!

If it's a hard object like a rock or golf ball then poking it is just going
to make it go down further.

wrote in message

Before you get too aggressive make sure there isn't a dogleg in the
pipe.

Much as he says it is blocked, could be a whole puppy in there.

"wanna sandwich" wrote in message

I really need some kind of sharp barbed spike thing that I can push down
there through the blockage and then the barbs would catch and I will pull
it up. Maybe a harpoon! just kidding, but something along those lines
sounds like what I need.

Someone mentioned a ball. Take a long rod or dowel and put a long screw on
the end. See if you can drive the screw into it and pull it up.

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
news:NzPvg.273$Wf.97@trndny01...

"wanna sandwich" wrote in message

I really need some kind of sharp barbed spike thing that I can push down
there through the blockage and then the barbs would catch and I will pull
it up. Maybe a harpoon! just kidding, but something along those lines
sounds like what I need.

Someone mentioned a ball. Take a long rod or dowel and put a long screw
on the end. See if you can drive the screw into it and pull it up.

This is a really interesting idea! I think that could work. Thanks. I will
definitely find out what it is before I attempt this though. I'm going to
call around and get quotes on "video line inspection".

On Wed, 19 Jul 2006 17:49:23 GMT, "wanna sandwich"
wrote:

Hi,

We have a clogged kitchen air vent. I have climbed up onto the roof and
tried to clear it myself using a hand held snake and one of those hose
balloons, but no luck. If you pour water down the vent then it backs up
completely and drains extremely slowly (takes a few hours to drain). We had
a plumbing company come out today with a power auger, and they couldn't get
through either. The blockage is only about 3 or 4 feet down the vent pipe.
The plumber today also tried to break through the blockage with a copper
pipe, but that didn't help either. They suggest that the only thing we can
do is cut out the pipe from the attic and this will cost approximately $600.

I was hoping someone on this group might have some other suggestions aout
what I could try before I move on to the option of cutting out the pipe.
Maybe I could pour a chemical down there, let it sit over night, and then
try to snake it again in the morning? Will it eat through the pipe if I
leave it that long?

Any suggestions?

Thanks.


A GOOD shop vac might pull it out. If you can't get the hose in, tape
it to a piece of pvc that will fit into the vent pipe. I wouldn't take
a chance on losing the wand.

--Andy Asberry recommends NewsGuy--

On 20 Jul 2006 13:35:10 -0700, wrote:



One other thing: You mentioned you used a hose "balloon". While I
like those and they typically work well, they expand and would keep any
debris trapped if the clog doesn' t dislodge.

To get the surface junk out, put a regular garden hose down the pipe
until it stops and then turn on the hose full blast and wait as junk
flows out the top with the water flow. Even if it doesn't dislodge or
erode away the entire blockage, it'll help a camera see what the
underlying problem is.

BTW, it doesn't hurt to put a small nozzle at the end when doing this
for greater erosive effect.


This might work with slip-fit rubber flashing. But if he has lead
flashing tucked down into the vent pipe, any water that rises will go
into the attic.

--Andy Asberry recommends NewsGuy--

On 20 Jul 2006 13:35:10 -0700, wrote:


BTW, it doesn't hurt to put a small nozzle at the end when doing this
for greater erosive effect.

They make nozzles for garden hoses that are designed to maximize the
force of the stream. Brass, cost about 2 dollars.

Another idea would be to drill a half inch hole below the clog and
push a 3/8" rod up the push the clog up. Don't know about tile
pipes, if one could do this.

If you can get close enough to the clog, you can use a spade bit from
the bottom, or conceivable from the side.