Plumbing- using a dirty arm how far can you vent from the drain?

Question

I began snaking my kitchen sink. It picks up two apartments below on the way to the stack. The downstairs apartments are draining well and as I have now exposed the pipe I can SEE the snake inside the drain pipe all the way to the stack. The clog seems to be between my apartment and the one beneath but why can I see the snake yet water will still not drain? I also snaked the vent. I'm at a loss

Answer 1

Here's a tip.. When you call Roto Rooter, what do they show up with?  A bottle of liquid plumber?  No!  They show up with a very large machine.  Do not use liquid plumber.

Answer 2

i recommend a larger diameter snake with longer distance and a larger head.  

i DO NOT recommend:

1) chemicals

2) garden hose because you may flood unseen dirty arms or your neighbor.

use a larger drop head on your sink machine and go further WORKING YOUR SNAKE BACK AND FORTH.  

you may have a "soft" stoppage that your snake punches through which closes back up.  

my intuition is that you just haven't gone far enough.

good luck!

Answer 3

Go to Home Depot and get some mild, hair dissolving,drain cleaner and put it down the vent-straight shot-their pee traps shouldn't concern you, as your downstairs neighbor may have a woolly bush ( sort of Mediterranean looking?),I don't even want to go there. If this doesn't work and your not a plumber four foot dirty vent is the norm,I believe.

Answer 4

If your drain is open up to the stack, take a water hose on the roof and put a pressure nozzle on full force and slide the hose down the vent.

If possible to put rags around a hose from the sink outlet, turn it on full force, kink the hose and when the pressure builds up release the kink and the water should open it up.

Southern Building Code requires a vent (stack or loop) within 6 feet of each drain.