Concern #1....by "auger" I'm assuming you mean a drain-snake........

From your description, I'd say you obviously have an obstruction in your drain line further down than you're going or of a nature that the device you're using isn't up to clearing. Time to call the pros....roto-rooter, etc.

In my neighborhood, these folks are also regular licensed plumbers. If that's how it is where you live, I'd have them also deal with item #2....which is your shut-off valves which are, doubtless, the same kind of worthless, el-cheapo, one-time-only pieces of dung that they use everywhere I look. They cost next to nothing and are worth every penny the contractor doesn't spend to do the job correctly. Strongly suggest you have these replaced en-toto with 1/4-turn ball valves. Since they're going to be there anyway, have them replace these things everywhere else they may be in your house....kitchen sink; toilet-supply; etc. Sooner or later every single one of those cheap valves like the one that's leaking now is going to bite you. Put it in the bank.

Any time our elusive administrators want to show up and deal with this annoying pop-up/pop-over from inrichmedia.com that more or less queers the whole site and makes meaningful utilization more or less impossible, that would be swell.

Check the drain pop-up mechanism arm immediately below the sink.

There seems to be an influx of poorly designed pop up drains that do not allow removal of the pop-up.
They also have places that can catch hair and slowly clog the drain.

asolo,

thank you. where can I find the replacement and directions on how to replace the item?

brickeyee,thank you for responding.

I removed the pop up from above the sink -- since I can remember it has always been detached from the metal rod under the sink. In other words, to remove the pop up all I know is to slide it out from the pin from above -- there never seemed to be any screw that I needed to remove. BUT - I guess the rest of the unit - (all PVC) is still attached from below -- that is then connected to the pvc tail pipe, the pvc trap, then curved pvc then copper drain in wall.

thanks.

1/4-turn ball valve replacements...........What to replace them with and how to replace them will depend on configuration of your existing supply-lines....the size and type of lines and existing connections. There are 1/4-turn ball valves available for literally any configuration. Plumbers have seen them all so it's easy for them to figure it out and replace them. One-timer do-it-yourselfers like me generally have to learn from scratch.....which is why I'm suggesting the plumber.....unless you're really, really interested in learning about it. It's one of those things that's easy and quick if you have experience and kind of a frustrating pain if you don't.

For DIY, I would suggest shutting your water off, removing the existing valve and taking it complete to the hardware store to obtain equiv. 1/4-turn ball for your configuration. I suspect every one you have will be the same so upon figuring the first one out, you'll likely be all set to handle all the others as well. I would be surprised to learn things are otherwise at your house -- unless you have an older house that had replacements done already. In that case, you may have to examine them one-at-a-time.

That's why I grump about the original contractors using the stupid el-cheapo valves in the first place. For an extra couple of bucks, they could use a decent fitting that would operate flawlessly and last for decades. As it is, many, many people like you and me have the annoyance and frustration of dealing with the inevitable failures of the inferior valves.

In any event, if you're faced with a replacement....as you clearly are....my advice would be to replace with 1/4-turn ball-valve whether you choose to do it yourself or have someone else do it for you.