When you notice a clog in your pipes and call Al Coronado Plumbing for professional plumbing services in Sahuarita, AZ, one of your first questions might be, “Is my kitchen sink connected to my bathroom sewage pipe?” It’s easy to see why you might suspect this, especially if you notice a foul odor coming from drains or, even worse, a sewage backup.
Your home’s plumbing is a complex network of pipes and drains. Modern building codes stipulate how plumbers should install these pipes to ensure you have clean water and that all the wastewater safely drains into the sewer. If you have a problem preventing either of those things from happening, call us at (520) 834-8400 and have one of our experienced team members find a solution.
An Overview of Household Plumbing
To return to the question, “Is my kitchen sink connected to my bathroom sewage pipe?” the answer is, most likely, no. Most homes built within the last 100 years have separate drain lines in the kitchen and bathroom, as the standard plumbing code prohibits combining them.
Although the kitchen and the bathroom have separate pipes to carry waste to the sewer, both connect to the sewer line. All wastewater converges in this pipe, which takes it to the local treatment facility via municipal lines.
The Difference Between Kitchen and Bathroom Drains
The kitchen sink drainage system has a horizontal waste pipe that connects to a waste stack. Water flows into the pipe, which connects to a vertical waste stack. The waste gasses vent through the roof, and wastewater flows into the main sewer line.
The bathroom drains work similarly, but the vent stack is about twice the size of the kitchen pipe; the typical bathroom drainage pipe is four inches in diameter compared to two inches for the kitchen. That’s because the kitchen drain only needs to be big enough for food scraps, while the bathroom drainpipe must accommodate toilet waste. Like the kitchen drain, the sewer gasses vent through the roof, and the solid waste and water travel down to the sewer.
Only in very old homes is the kitchen sink connected to the same vent stack as the bathroom. This arrangement is outdated and not compliant with modern codes, so plumbers will recommend rerouting the pipes to separate them.
Why the Kitchen and Bathroom Cannot Share Drain Lines
A plumbing design that uses a shared drain for the kitchen and bathroom is a recipe for trouble. There’s a greater chance of clogs in these lines since the vent cannot handle all the waste. If a clog does form, it can cause a backup into every drain in the house, which is both messy and dangerous.
Get Help with Plumbing Problems
Even if the answer to “Is my kitchen sink connected to my bathroom sewage pipe?” is no, you can still have connection problems to the main sewer line due to clogs or incorrect installation. If you notice foul odors, slow drainage, backups, or strange noises, call Al Coronado Plumbing at (520) 834-8400 for help. Our team of Sahuarita plumbers is ready to solve any issue.