hehe, thank you!
last night got to play with a
sink drain auger!
problem solved, but an hour on my knees under the kitchen sink didn't get the reaction I was expecting from Wifey (meaning, a big thank you for saving us from hiring the plumber for this same job again)
luckily, last time, the plumber installed a "clean-out" access under the sink, making the job easier
the push button lock on the auger doesn't hold well, so I had to tape it when using it with the drill
afterwards, I discovered we have an additional "clean out" access further down the line, DOH!
I resorted to using some liquid plumber gel after using the auger, because the auger alone didn't do the trick
if I had known about the 2nd "clean-out" access point, I probably wouldn't have needed it, but not entirely sure (because of it's location)
anyway Wifey promises to put less food down the drain & to use more water to flush it all down (we have a garbage disposal in this location)
our family (except me) is so concerned with conserving water, that they don't use enough water when using the sink
I tried to explain (several times) that water (unfortunately) is used to carry waster along in the pipes. and
the kitchen sink drain has a very gentle slope before reaching the vertical main house drain. it's practically horizontal!