kitchen sink decided to flood at midnight, what now?

Had something similar happen at one of my rental properties last year - also late at night, because plumbing issues apparently have a sense of humor. Anyway, I initially thought it could wait till morning, but the smell got worse pretty quickly. Turns out the blockage was deeper down in the pipes, and leaving it overnight actually caused some minor water damage under the sink cabinet. Not fun to deal with later, trust me.

Honestly, if you're already noticing a funky smell and plunging isn't helping, I'd bite the bullet and call someone now. Yeah, it'll cost a bit extra for an emergency call-out, but water damage or mold issues down the line will hit your wallet way harder. Better safe than sorry with plumbing stuff - learned that lesson the hard way.

Had a similar issue at my place a few months back - also late night, because of course. Thought plunging would do the trick, but nope. Turned out grease buildup deeper in the pipes was the culprit. Curious, have you noticed slow draining before this happened? Sometimes that's an early sign. Anyway, I'd second getting someone out sooner rather than later...water damage is sneaky and way pricier to fix later on.

Had this happen more times than I'd like to admit, and yeah, midnight plumbing disasters seem to be a universal law or something. Agree with the grease buildup theory, but don't rule out other culprits - had one case where it was actually coffee grounds mixing with grease deeper down. Thought I was being careful, but apparently not careful enough...

If you've got a garbage disposal, might wanna check that too. Sometimes stuff gets stuck in there and creates a blockage further down the line. And yeah, slow draining beforehand is usually your sink's subtle way of saying "hey buddy, trouble's coming." Learned that lesson the hard way.

Either way, getting someone out soon is solid advice. Water damage sneaks up on you fast and can turn into mold issues if you're unlucky. Good luck - hope it's a quick fix and doesn't cost too much.

Midnight plumbing emergencies keep me in business, so no complaints here. Agree with the grease and coffee grounds combo - that stuff's like concrete once it sets. Disposal could def be the culprit too. Quick tip: avoid chemical drain cleaners right now, they'll just sit in there and stink worse. Morning call's probably fine if water stopped rising, but don't wait too long - mold cleanup's pricier than a plumber's late-night fee. Good luck, hope it's an easy fix.

Been there, done that - midnight sink floods are like a homeowner's rite of passage. Couple years back, mine decided to overflow right before Thanksgiving dinner prep (perfect timing, right?). Turned out it was exactly what you mentioned: grease and coffee grounds had teamed up to form some kind of evil plumbing cement. Learned my lesson the hard way.

Quick thoughts:
- Definitely skip the chemical cleaners; they just made my kitchen smell like a science lab gone wrong.
- If you've got standing water, try scooping it out with a bucket or bowl to minimize damage overnight.
- Check under the sink cabinet too - mine leaked down there and warped the wood pretty badly by morning.
- And yeah, mold is no joke. Had a friend who waited too long and ended up paying way more for cleanup than he would've for an emergency plumber.

Good luck getting it sorted...hope your morning coffee doesn't have to wait too long.