Visiting home, and hear water trickling under the kitchen sink. It appears to be from the under sink vent (see picture). Not sure how long it has been going on. I think there was a backup in the disposer that I cleared with some water and a few whirls, and it appears to be not backing up through the vent anymore.

Question is, what do you recommend? Doesn't look like that's how it is supposed to be set up. There is only one hole in the sink, and that's used for the washing hose.

Any brackets to screw that vent more vertical?
Should I run some sort of cleaner or draino through the disposer?
Or just make sure mom whirls the disposer every so often?



https://imgur.com/a/6RvMKMz

Not sure why the image won't insert. Sorry

That isn't supposed to be a vent.

It is a dishwasher hookup. When installing without a dishwasher, the seal on that connection is never supposed to be broken.

I would cap it off. When the disposer gets clogged it should back up into the sink.

So there is a dishwasher connected to it, along with the disposer. If you see the accordian type pipe in the background, that goes to the dishwasher, and the black pipe is from the disposer in the foreground. Someone did a Y connector to it.

Is it ok to cap it off if the dishwasher is connected to it? Should I disconnect the disposer? Or should I connect the dishwasher to the disposer?

Was the disposer installed recently?

Looks like the dishwasher was once connected directly to the sink drain at the disposer location.

I would remove the black hose and wye connection and connect the dishwasher directly to the disposer.



If the dishwasher hose is a different diameter that the disposer connection, Home Depot carries adapters for this.


Garbage Disposal & Dishwasher Connector Kit

Yeah, I think it must've been installed like that previously. Someone replaced it almost a year ago, and apparently told my mom it wasn't installed right previously. But talking to my mom, water hasn't backed up into the disposer from the dishwasher since it was installed.

I suspect they were trying to do this setup



I'll switch it back to the diagram you posted. But for now I have to figure out how to get all the water and old rotten stuff out from under the sink. Also all the bugs that have been enjoying the pool.

It's possible that open pipe was tucked up behind the sink and it would back up into the sink first. Once is started slipping it was below the bottom of the sink and then it starts backing up out of the vent first.

To me, it looks like they couldn't get the hose to fit the disposer and are using the wye connection as an adapter.

Also looks like they tied it to the spray hose, so every time you use that, it moves the vent around.

It may not have been right before, but it certainly isn't right now.

TexAg1987 said:

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Was the disposer installed recently?

Looks like the dishwasher was once connected directly to the sink drain at the disposer location.

I would remove the black hose and wye connection and connect the dishwasher directly to the disposer.



If the dishwasher hose is a different diameter that the disposer connection, Home Depot carries adapters for this.


Garbage Disposal & Dishwasher Connector Kit

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Ditto this.

interesting diagram. looks old.

I do believe dishwashers need a loop in the hose to prevent sucking stuff out of disposer, I don't think a vent is required like that. at least not on any I have seen.


****edit to add






maybe that was code at one time?

Looks like it is the air gap connection to prevent the drain backing up into the dishwasher. Looks like the picture above, but it needs to be installed through the sink/counter to be above it with a decorative cap.

Water drains from the dishwasher through that into the disposal. With is sideways like that you are just draining the dishwasher into the cabinet as it will discharge out the end of the white pipe.

Yeah, but I would have to drill out a new hole in the sink for that vent. Or remove the little water hose. No decorative cap available.

I think I'll just connect directly to the disposal.

Rerouted it upwards and secured it in a different position with the current set up. A good 8 inches higher and more vertical than where it was at previously.

Wondering if its better like this, or attached to the disposer? Any thoughts?

https://imgur.com/a/5KDop55

look up the manual for your dishwasher.

it should say how high the top of the loop should be.

pic not loading

What is a Dishwasher Air Gap? | Whirlpool https://share.google/tVAD3r8VQZDHQuf0w

available at Lowes under $20

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Design-House-Dishwasher-Air-Gap-in-Satin-Nickel/5001729197

https://imgur.com/a/fI7czek
https://imgur.com/a/fI7czek
[url=https://imgur.com/a/fI7czek][/url]

Try this

Gotta be something wrong with imgur right now. Tried on my phone and my computer. Will try again in a few hours.

says "requested page cannot be found"

Bottom line, it appears that the air vent may be code in some places. If not required by code, a high loop should be sufficient.

Loop should come up high enough under the cabinet to be above the water level of a full sink.

The dishwasher should have internal check valves, etc. to prevent sucking in dirty dish water.

Yeah, looks like one. But that would still require me to drill a hole in the sink or remove the water spray hose and put this in place.

Yeah, the dishwasher pipe is pretty high under the sink.

Still not sure why imgur isn't working. But uploaded to Google.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OQP1Rhpc3R6xv87l4oIRrlwrMNIT-Xcd/view?usp=sharing

Always a potential point of failure. I would pipe directly to the disposer with a high loop under the cabinet.

That way, if it backs up, it backs up into the sink.

Not an ideal setup, but I'd leave it the way you have it as long at the air gap piece is vertical. A blockage in the hose to the disposal or downstream of that will flood your cabinet, but you should already know there is a blockage since the sink would not drain. Small chance of failure, but possible. Without the air gap a clog would send nasty water to the diswahser