Basement Plumbing Issues

[stubits]

A month or so ago I posted a question on the site regarding waste from my kitchen sink(located on the first floor of the home) backing up into the sink in my basement bathroom. We have found that if we avoid filling our kitchen sink (very deep) full of water, we don't have problems with the basement bathroom.

We are in the process of adding a kitchenette to our basement and are planning to locate a small (13") sink on a wall immediately adjacent to our laundry closet, with the sink draining into the washing machine drain.

For the purposes of the project, I took the drywall down in the laundry closet and am concerned with what I found. The drain for the washing machine is just one piece of PVC that runs down into the concrete slab below. It does not appear to be vented (the PVC pipe doesn't run up the wall at all) and I am not sure there is a trap

Obviously the basement is a concrete slab and the contractor who remodeled the house before we bought it indicated that he had to cut a trench in the concrete to install the laundry room and basement bathroom. We have never had trouble with the washing machine draining and the sink, toilet and shower in the basement bathroom operate just fine. The only plumbing problem we've had is the one I mentioned previously. We also do not have any trouble with odor or anything.

So, I am concerned about the quality of the work that was done prior to our purchasing the home. Any thoughts on the situation would be much appreciated. Particularly, 1) does this sound like a major problem? 2) Is there anyway to tell if the washing machine drain is trapped, perhaps below the concrete slab? 3) Should I plan on adding a studor valve to the washing machine? what about to the kitchenette sink?

I will be having all work done by a plumber, but I wanted to understand the problem first before calling anyone in. Would pictures help at all? Basically it would show a white PVC tube running from about midway up the all, straight into the cement slab, not much else.

Thanks!

[JERRYMAC]

:thisthreadisworthle
WE NEED TO SEE AS MUCH OF THE PLUMBING AS YOU CAN EXPOSE TO GET IDEAL OF THE WAY
IT "MIGHT" BE TIED TOGETHER ?
OF COURSE ONE WAY FOR SURE WOULD BE TO HAVE A PLUMBER COME OUT AND CAMERA THE DRAINS AND DO LOCATING ON THE TIE-INS

[stubits]

Jerry,

Thanks so much. I will post some photos tonight when I get home, but seriously, you can't see much at all, just a PVC pipe running straight down into a concrete slab. The pipe starts at one of those washing machine wall boxes (that come with the water hookups and a place for the drain). I am sure if I tore apart the walls of the bathroom it would get MUCH more interesting, but I'd prefer not to do that at this point.

It looks like, under the cement, it ties into the shower drain, but at this point I am not even sure if that is properly vented/trapped. I am now seriously suspect of the work done by the previous owner of the home.

[Ace Sewer]

Regerding your original problem; as I understand it, if a large volume of water is let out through the kitchen sink it backs up into the sink downstairs. If this is correct, and it was not always this way, I'd recommend having the line jetted.

Washing machine drains are typically trapped in the wall before they go into the slab. If you have one, it should be obvious if you have the wall removed. It should be trapped. There may be a trap in the slab, though this is unusual in my experience. You can tell by calling someone and having it cameraed. Alternatively, if there is no trap you sould be able to hear the noise of a toilet flush in the washer drain; remove the drain hose, lean your ear over the top of the pipe, and have someone flush.

A vent is likely required. A studor vent may or may not satisfy the requirement. I have yet to see a lack of venting cause a problem in function of a drain, though I won't say it can't happen. I have seen several failed studor vents cause smell problems.

You should verify the existance/non-existance of a trap in the slab if you intend to tie the kitchenette sink into the washer drain. If there is a trap in the slab, you will end up double trapping the sink, which I believe will cause problems as well as being out of code. Need for a studor or other vent will be determined by your code. If possible, find another venting solution than studor vents; they fail and let stink out.

[stubits]

Thanks guys!

We just moved into the house about 2 months ago. The house had been vacant for 5 years and then remodeled/flipped, before it was put on the market. We had it inspected by two different inspectors and they were pleased with the work that had been done, but clearly did not check everything. Running a proper vent in this instance just isn't possible as it is a two story rowhouse with a basement, so the vent would need to be run from the basement up through the roof and the laundry closet is against a brick wall we share with the neighbor.

I have heard that you can check for a trap by putting a wooden stick/dowel down the drain to see if there is standing water? Has anyone ever head of this?

Let's assume the washer is not trapped below the cement slab, I imagine a plumber can add a trap in pretty easily, right? In that case, would we simply be able to run the sink drain in below the washer trap? Then we'd avoid having the double trap, right?


If the washer is trapped below the cement slab, what options do we have for the kitchenette sink? Can we do the sink without a trap, given that the drain itself is trapped?

I know that studor vents are less than optimal, but it is the only option we have here, I would be sure to install an access panel by the vent in case we need to replace it in the future. Do studor vents get installed before or after the trap? I am just trying to plan this out in my mind.

Has anyone ever worked with "hygienic self sealing waste valves" like this one? http://www.tomraperrvparts.com/parts/product.php?productid=5878
Would this be helpful in this situation?

The laundry closet is immediately adjacent to a full basement bathroom (tub/shower, toilet, sink). When the tub drains, I can absolutely hear it in the laundry closet (they sound connected). Is it possible that the washer is on the same drain and or vent as the bathroom and that the whole bathroom is vented together?

Thanks to all for everything!

[plumberscrack]

I will be having all work done by a plumber, but I wanted to understand the problem first before calling anyone in. Would pictures help at all? Basically it would show a white PVC tube running from about midway up the all, straight into the cement slab, not much else.

Thanks!

I may know a great plumber in your area :rolleyes:

If you are serious about having a plumber bid on the work let me know

What part of DC are you in?
Northeast?:)
Northwest?:thumbup2:
Southwest?:wink:
Southeast:wink2:
East of the River :shocked2: :help: :nono: :ThumbsDown:



Has anyone ever worked with "hygienic self sealing waste valves" like this one? http://www.tomraperrvparts.com/parts/product.php?productid=5878
Would this be helpful in this situation?

I don't know what that thing is but I'm sure it's not legal here.:eek: Leave it in the RV

The laundry closet is immediately adjacent to a full basement bathroom (tub/shower, toilet, sink). When the tub drains, I can absolutely hear it in the laundry closet (they sound connected). Is it possible that the washer is on the same drain and or vent as the bathroom and that the whole bathroom is vented together?

Thanks to all for everything!

Sounds like no trap on the laundry. Most likely boot legged plumbing during the flip. Pretty common in some areas of the DC. Don't open up any more walls than you have to. If the inspector sees some Fly-by-Night plumbing he may make you take it all down and start over.

[stubits]

We are in Northwest, Petworth area.

Thanks for the advice, I am framing the walls this weekend, but will be looking for a bit after that, but it is a really small job I think. We'd just need hot and cold water, brought from about 1' away and connect up a drain to the sink.

What are your thoughts on it? I am VERY confident that the washer is neither trapped nor vented. Would you recommend adding in a trap? How about a Studor valve?

Thanks!

[NHMaster3015]

Entire towns have been wiped off the face of the map due to the use of a Studor Vent :mad:

Ok, that's a lie, but if you worked for me and installed one, you'd be looking for a job the next day. We are plumbers. We find solutions to problems.

[plumberjr]

i dont think id jet it yet--have a plumber snake it first--i dont jet unless its grease--like commercial grease,but i have jetted some kitchen lines also--9 times out of 10 a plumber can snake it and the problem is gone---jetting costs alot more than snaking--also if that house was vacant long, you could have serious hard buildup in that pipe--especially if there is a belly or trap--have a plumber snake it--he will know what to do when he sees the place--

[stubits]

Thanks everyone!

Let's bring this back to where we started.

I have a untrapped, unvented drain for my washer. I didn't know it was untrapped and unvented until I opened up the wall. I'd like to correct the problem of it being unvented and untrapped as well as tie in a very small bar size sink to the washer standpipe.

What does everyone suggest? I do not think adding in a traditional roof vented vent is feasible, as the washer is against a solid brick wall that we share with neighbord(we are in a DC rowhouse) AND we are in the basement and would have to run the pipe up three stories of the house. Any suggestions?

As for a trap, I suppose we can just install a p trap into the standpipe, no?

Thanks!

[plumberjr]

if absolutely necessary, use an oatey auto air vent--they do work--that solves the vent issue

[stubits]

PlumberJR-

Thanks. Do you prefer the Oatey vents to the Studor vent? Any reason? And I can just add a p trap into the washer drain line, right?

[CCusson]

I've got the same situation with a vent- how do the studor or oatey vents hold-up? Is there any maintenance required for them?

Thanks!
-Chris

[NHMaster3015]

So there is absolutly no way to get an 1 1/2" vent pipe to tie back into the vent system? If I was to come to your house, I could find no possible way?
I only ask because we always managed to find a way long before studor vents hit the market. But I suppose this is the world we live in now. Where time and money matter more than quality and longevity.
If I decided not to do all those things that are difficult or a pain in the *** I'd spend most of my time on the couch watching Opra.

[stubits]

NHMaster:

I appreciate your position, and would absolutely prefer to do it the "right" way, but money does matter. I have a certain amount that I can afford for this project and not a lot of flexibility in my budget. We just purchased the home for a small fortune(at least for us) and we are getting it ready so that my mother-in-law, ill with cancer, can move in with us. She is unable to go up and down the stairs, so the kitchenette is necessary.

The nearest vent is approximately 25 feet from the washing machine. How close does an appliance need to be to the vent for it to be effective? Can the vent run horizontally (ie through the ceiling) or must it run vertically or with some sort of slope.

Thanks!

[NHMaster3015]

Well I guess your financial situation justifies it then.

The vent can run horizontal and in your case for 60' or more.

[stubits]

NHMaster:

I am attaching a very poor drawing of our basement setup, to give you an idea of what I am dealing with. It is not to scale of course.

Can I really just run a piece of 1.5" PVC through the ceiling to join into the vent pipe in the bathroom, again, it is about 25" or so.

Do you think I could run the pipe myself and just have the plumber connect it? Or would it be possible to do the connection myself. I am sure the vent pipe is OLD (house is 75 years old).

[NHMaster3015]

Yes you can run it throught the ceiling. It would be nice if it had a little pitch to it but it does not have to be 1/4 ipf. If you feel up to it, it is something you can do. Make sure to hang it every 4' and use the proper hangers.

[boillerman]

You know, in Michigan everyone is using the AAV's even in new construction. They're everywhere now. I've had to replace a couple of them but all in all they seem to hold up. When putting them in, don't screw them in until the glue has had a couple hours to set. Something about the fumes causes failure. I don't think brand is as important as making sure you size it right.

[NHMaster3015]

You will all take note of the incredible restraint I am engaging in. But I could pop at any minute:D

[plumberscrack]

In these old homes in D.C. we are pretty much forced to use AAV's on occasion. If sized and installed properly they meet current code IPC here so no worries using one.

I would be less concerned about using the AAV than tying the washing machine guide box and kitchen drain together. Especially not knowing how things are piped under the floor.

[NHMaster3015]

I'm probably going senile in my old age so I'm having a hard time remembering what we did 20 years ago before aav's and sharkbites:D

Oh, now I remember, we resorted to old school plumbing.:D You know, when you didn't expect to have every job done in under 3 hrs.

Ok, so there goes the restraint, but I'm trying, really I am.:joyful:

[plumberscrack]

You really should have a doctor take a look at that bulging vein on your forehead :scratchhead:

:killingme:

[NHMaster3015]

BP 185 over 130 normal :mad:

[DuckButter]

I fail to see how he's going to tell the plumber he's hiring how he wants it done.

Are things different in DC?

Where I come from, the plumber goes in, evaluates the job and informs the homeowner how he'll do it.
If it's not agreeable, he calls other plumbers.

I get wack jobs calling me almost daily that tell me how I'm going to do my job...on occasion I'll commend them if they guess correctly, more often than not I avoid wasting my time.

Is this guy really hiring a plumber?

[DuckButter]

BP 185 over 130 normal :mad:
:smash::rotflmao1::rotflmao1::rotflmao1:

[JCsPlumbing]

I make a real effort to not use AAV's as it feels like "plumbing cheating".

Maybe they used to say the same thing when going from the majority of CI to PVC. :rolleyes:

One reason I think you see more AAV's is owners/builders refuse to build chases etc. to accommadate proper venting.

Plus there are stricting framing inspections (GOOD) from what I've seen. I think we've all have been to more than our share of remodels where the original plumber just butchered the wood without reinforcement to allow for it. I know I have.

A positive to some AAV's is you can remove one and cable the line through it sometimes while running water with no additional setup.

On the sharkbite note, I wish they would ban the use of anything but copper water piping unless there was a test submitted to local inspection stating alternate material needed to be used.

J.C.

[Ace Sewer]

NHMaster:

Can I really just run a piece of 1.5" PVC through the ceiling to join into the vent pipe in the bathroom, again, it is about 25" or so.



I think we've all have been to more than our share of remodels where the original plumber just butchered the wood without reinforcement to allow for it.

J.C.

I may be stating the obvious, but don't cut out your floor joists to make room for the vent. There are many pitfalls, some less obvious than this one.

Call some plumbers (p-crack), get some bids, understand the work included in the bids; if one is dramatically cheaper you are likely getting what you pay for. Accept that once the wall is opened up some things that ought to be addressed will come to light and will cost extra to put right. Have them done. Take the hit up front; it will be less expensive than doing it two or three times. Understand that if you are calling for bids and using their expertise to design a system you do not intend to hire them to install, you will create enemies, and rightly so.

You may not have a better option, but understand that kitchen sink=grease, washer=lint, and grease + lint = clog. It will be prone to clogging, you will likely have to have it cleaned once in a while.

[plumberscrack]

BP 185 over 130 normal :mad:

Before you stroke out I just like to say how much I appreciate your contributions to this Forum

Been nice knowing you

[JERRYMAC]

NO OF COURSE HE'S NOT HAVING A PLUMBER DO IT, HE'S TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO IT HIMSELF LOOK AT THE QUESTIONS HE'S ASKING ! ! IF HE'S SAYS HE IS HIRING A PLUMBER HE THINKS HE WILL GET BETTER ANSWERS TO HIS QUESTIONS :mcrider:

IF HE HAS A PLUMBER HAVE THE PLUMBER POST HIS CO. NAME AND LIC. NUMBER HERE ! !

[plumberjr]

funny how he hasnt posted yet---just when he thought he was pullin a fast one and foolin those STUPID plumbers----busted---there is nothing more satisfying than going to a home of a diy'er and ripping apart his hack job and telling him his plumber that did this is terrible and shouldnt be plumbing, then noticing the diy'er wont make eye contact and suddenly starts agreeing with me and telling me he's gonna get his $ back from this hack plumber he hired.
then as i go make the bill, the wife pulls in the drive and says "did u fix it????"
and i explain and she says she told her husband not to do it and to call me---so then i make him understand why he shouldnt have when i give him a healthy bill and his eyes suddenly bulge----betcha he wont even plunge his toilets anymore:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

[Dairylander]

How do studors fail?
Do they get clogged with bugs?
Does a gasket dry out or something?

[stubits]

Wow, you guys are rough, aren't you?

I haven't posted anything recently because I had a busy weekend working on framing the kitchenette.

I am hiring a plumber to do the work, you can choose to believe me or not. No, I do not intend to list his name, address, phone number, license number, social security number or waste size here on the forum, and I frankly can't understand why you care that much anyway.

Why am I asking questions? I'd like to get a feel for the scope of the job, understand potential pitfalls and problem areas, know what questions I should ask when I have different vendors in to bid on the project and well, just out of curiosity. I don't think an informed consumer is a bad thing at all, but then again, I am not a shady plumber trying to get over on a customer, right?

As for hack jobs, unfortunately the work done previously is just that. The house was flipped, we thought they did a good job, but after tearing apart the walls, we have found some problems, including the plumbing. We'll have whoever we hire fix it all.

As for Studor Vents, I know they are suboptimal, but I think we are going to end up using one here anyway. Why? Because it is a 75 year old home and sometimes things are just suboptimal as you try and fit modern day conveniences in an older home. Just out of curiosity, which would cost me more in labor, the installation of studor vent or having one of you guys runs a traditional vent? Any chance this might bias your opinion? Hey, we all have to put food on the table, right?

To those who answered sincerely, thanks a ton, you've helped me to understand the situation and I'll be able to make a much more informed decision with who I hire. P-Crack, how do I go about getting in touch with you outside of this, would love to have you over for an estimate. To the rest of you, not really sure why you hang out on this thing, isn't there a bar somewhere for disgruntled tradesmen to go and complain about their customers?

[NHMaster3015]

do your ever get that feeling of Deja Vu?

Anyway I hope you do follow through and get an experianced plumber. I also recommend you get a few prices and check references. As for the AAV, it's going to be up to who ever you hire so I won't bother offering my opinion again.

Just so Everyone knows where I am coming from and why I seem to be a crotchity old bat, I'm gonna post this from another thread. And though some may find it hard to believe, I and many other plumbers do care about you, your family and your neighborhood. We don't want to see anybody get hurt, sick, ripped off or sued.

Who are we?

Well a good deal on this part of the forum are mostly licensed plumbers but I'm sure some no pro's read here also and that's great.
We don't take any kind of oath to uphold public trust or safety. No hand on the bible. No swearing to god. We answer only to ourselves and the public we serve. We have had a motto for about a hundred years now. Plumbers Protect the Health of the Nation. It's a good motto, short and to the point. It doesn't say we give the public a good deal or great service. It doesn't say we give the public quality products or free advice either. It just says we protect their health. In my opinion, giving certain plumbing advice to people that do not have the schooling, license or experiance to to the job correctly and thouroughly is irresponsible as best and dangerous at worst. So who decides the level of experiance and knowledge? In our state the Plumbers Board does. If you are qualified, you get a license. A man who judges himself is always qualified in his own mind. I want all of you to really think about the dilemma next time a homeowner wants to know how to pipe the water or dwv for his new addition or bath remodel. Is this guy going to follow the code? Will the piping be properly supported and protected. Will he know how to recognize a potential cross connection or backflow situation that could effect the entire neighborhood? Does he really know enough about proper trhreading and assembly procedures as well as testing of gas piping? Worse and most likley of all, will he pull a permit and have the job inspected. Pleas do not assume that he will just because he assured you that he would on the forum. I don't know about you, but if I spend several days replying to him and advising and fine tuning and then he screwed it up and blew the house and his family up in the process I would feel somewhat responsible.

[stubits]

NHMaster:

I found your comments to be helpful, but you'll admit that some of your peers seem more intent on being incendiary, than illuminating. Rampant and frankly mean spirited accusations are not particularly helpful in my opinion and are certainly not indicative of people who care.

You know, better than I do, that there are good plumbers, mediocre plumbers and bad plumbers out there, all with licenses, nice vans and tool belts. It is VERY easy for an uninformed homeowner to get completely screwed by a tradesman, either with unfair pricing, poor workmanship or some combination thereof. The easiest way, at least in my opinion, to avoid that is for the homeowner to take charge a little, get to know his/her home and get to know, even just a little, about the various issues involved.

I think this discussion will make me a more informed consumer, better able to choose the right plumber, but able to make sure his work is what it should be.

Again,thank you for your help.

[plumberscrack]

I sent you a private message Stubits

[Service Guy]

Wow, stubits, nice replies.

I apologize for the rough way in which this thread was handled. You seem to know what you are talking about when it comes to the fact that the previous home-flippers messed some stuff up and now you'll get it fixed right.

There have been many previous questions on this forum from people who were simply looking to do illegal plumbing, not pull permits and get free information from us Pro plumbers. One poster recently "navysuit" was extremely rude, argumentative, insulting and deceptive while asking questions about installing his own water heater even though all of us recommended he have a licensed plumber do it.

That kind of thing has gotten so common, that many of us are defensive and cynical when strangers ask plumbing questions...especially on large projects which they shouldn't be doing anyway.

Hopefully plumberscrack can help you out, he's a great plumber and I would bet he would give you a good deal on the work, while doing it all right!
Good luck.:)

[NHMaster3015]

Without a doubt an uninformed home owner has a target on his back. That's why 3 estimates are good and so is a good reference. Ask around, you will soon find out who the hacks and the pro's are.

[plumberjr]

So who's the mean spirited jerk your talking about, stubs????????????

[stubits]

Ok, so I finally selected a plumber (PC, sorry for not calling you in, the guy I selected came well recommended and is the husband of a woman I work with). He has done a great job so far of adding a trap and a AAV to our washer stack. He also seems to have done a great job with the kitchenette rough in.

So, I started to tear apart the basement bathroom a bit, just to get his opinion on the plumbing and it doesn't look good at all. He is coming back on Wednesday to fix those problems, but I was hoping to get the opinions of you folks on what you would do in this instance. Here are the myriad of problems...

1) The kitchen sink basically drains into the basement lavatory sink train by way if an S-trap. Please see the picture below. Effectively, after what you see in the photo, it drops down a couple of feet, connects to a horizontal pipe with a 90, runs a couple of feet more and then heads down vertically by way of another 90, ultimately connecting into the drain line of the basement lavatory sink. It is not vented.

2) In the right corner of the basement bathroom, there are two cast iron pipes going into the cement slab, one is the vent stack that goes up through the roof, it is a dry vent as there are no fixtures draining into it above and a small "stub," perhaps 4"-6" high. The drain line running from the lavatory sink (and connected to the drain from the kitchen sink) connect into this stub. At the point where the PVC joins up with the cast iron, there is some wetness at the connection/joint. This whole deal is ONLY connected to the drain stub, not to the vent stack.

3) Finally, the tub. I cut an access panel out from behind the tub and it is evident that there is no trap. It looks like what they did was run 3" PVC from the washer stack, tied it into the tub drain and then onto the main drain. The plumber plans to rip up the concrete enough to replace the 3" running from the washer stack to the tub with 2", thereby making room for him to add in an appropriate trap to the tub. This does not appear to be directly vented, but the drain does likely tie into either the stub where the lavatory sink drains, or perhaps the toilet drain (which is more likely? does it matter?).

So, not really sure what to make of all of this. I am sure my plumber is coming up with a plan of attack right now, but as I stated earlier, I would really appreciate your collective wisdom, as this seems relatively complicated. I am including a couple of photos/diagrams that might be helpful.

1) Photo of kitchen sink drain, looks like an S-trap, no?

2) Photo of where kitchen sink drain connects to lavatory sink drain (lavatory sink is to the left, drain is to the right). My plumber is planning to replace the connector with one that directs water in the proper direction.

3)Rudimentary diagram of basement plumbing. The black square in the right corner is the vent stack, the red square is the cast iron stub and the little yellow piece is where the kitchen drain connects into everything.

4) Finally, here is my musings on how to repair the venting problem. Would it be sufficient just to add the one vent pipe (light blue) to vent both the kitchen sink and the lavatory sink? Is it necessary to add two vents, the light blue and the green in order to vent both the kitchen sink and the lavatory sink? Am I totally off base? What about the tub, assuming it ties into the toilet drain, is it therefore properly wet vented already? If it ties into the same drain as the stub for the lavatory sink, will it be properly wet vented as soon as we properly vent the sink?

Again, to quell any nastiness, I have indeed hired a licensed plumber and he has begun working on the job. He will be returning tomorrow and I just want to have some idea of what needs to be done in my head before he arrives.

Thanks everyone!

[plumberscrack]

Looks pretty bad, Stu :(

Actually glad I'm not involved in that mess :ignore:

The best thing to do would be open all plumbing walls and camera any piping under the floor. My guess is the more you expose the more you will find not to code. So far looks like a complete repipe of the waste and vent system.

It's always easier to do it right than do it halfass.

Good luck

[DuckButter]

I've got the same situation with a vent- how do the studor or oatey vents hold-up? Is there any maintenance required for them?

Thanks!
-Chris

Missed this post.

Chris, here in MA you CANNOT use AAV's, they're illegal.

It'll come back to bite you when you try to sell the home.

[DuckButter]

Stubits...
I hate to tell ya, but those diagrams won't float, the vents (I think they're vents) are no good.

This is what I was referring to when customers outline the way I should do my job.

Save yourself and him some time, let him walk through and outline what he thinks is best.
It might come off as a little insulting if you put those in front of him, this guy is a "friendly" plumber, trust him..I do work for my wives co-workers on occasion, I go well out of my way to keep it reasonable on price and do as good a job as possible.
She has to work with them.

[toolaholic]

A plumber would be out of His Mind to get involved with this mess!

[plumberjr]

too many hacks have hit this house--you need a plumber to start over--if you just bought home, did this pass a inspection-????i guess if it was all covered up, no home inspector would camera it, anyway. because of hack and wack, recently we have been doing video and piping inspections before homes closeto let buyer know how much they are or are not going to spend to get things correct. nothing against home inspectors, but i have seen these guys tell someone the house is excellent and plumbing is perfect and i found multiple major issues---u own the house now so u have to deal with it, but if u ever move, be cautious

[stubits]

Yes, we just bought the house and yeah, it passed inspection, all this mess was nicely covered by the walls and well, everything worked just fine. The sink and tub drained well, and the toilet flushed without incident, we've had people stay down there and no sewer gas odors, etc. There is really nothing that would have made the inspector think otherwise.

Toolaholic, thanks for the commentary, but if that is the case, what should a homeowner do? Just raze the structure entirely?

Duckbutter, thanks for the insight, would you be willing to explain why the diagrams won't work, just for my own edification?

PC, thanks, we unfortunately are not in a position to do a full repipe of the waste and vent system, having just bought our first home, we are pretty much at our limit. And if you're glad not to be involved, then we are super glad not to have involved you.

We have contacted an attorney to look into suing the company that renovated the property. Effectively it was a "flip" and a bad one, or so it seems, at that. That being said, my mother-in-law shows up on August 29th and the bathroom has to be put back together and the kitchenette finished, so we will figure out a solution.

Thanks everyone!

[toolaholic]

Glad You are getting an attorney. I see way too much of this on TV and homes I remodel.
From 47 years of remodeling experience, this is why I'd pass on Your work.
I only go where there is Money and a win win. Customers need to be happy with the project
looking forward to the new bath addition ,Deck,new kitchen. That can't happen in a situation like Yours. Sorry , glad You found a good plumber. Good luck

[drtyhands]

Your up.....DUCK!!!
Sounds like a good Bugs Bunny phrase.

[DuckButter]

Your up.....DUCK!!!
Sounds like a good Bugs Bunny phrase.

"I dare ya to cross dis line...oh yeah, well I dare ya to cross DIS one.....DIS one.....DIS one....."

[DuckButter]

Stubits, it appears the general concensus here is that no one is going to offer specific details on how or what needs to be done.

You have a plumber...I guess we're not up to babysitting him or offering potential information that might encourage further perpetuation of the same mistake again.

Aside from that, I don't work in your code, the one guy here that does seems to have lost interest.

IF you're able to go after the "flipper" I am 100% behind the idea.

I think THIS will be an upcoming persuit for many new homeowners in coming years with the recent influx of HGTV fanatics that have underestimated the reality of trades & experience over the almighty buck.

[drtyhands]

"I dare ya to cross dis line...oh yeah, well I dare ya to cross DIS one.....DIS one.....DIS one....."

Ahhh,
Bugs and Yosemite Sam.Some of the best alltime adversaries.

[Ace Sewer]

How do studors fail?
Do they get clogged with bugs?
Does a gasket dry out or something?

I dont really know whats failing; Ive never bothered to take one apart and look at it. I just know I've found them to be the source of mystery smells, and have found them leaking water under a plugged up sink that is full.

[where am i]

I dont really know whats failing; Ive never bothered to take one apart and look at it. I just know I've found them to be the source of mystery smells, and have found them leaking water under a plugged up sink that is full.


I believe the spring wears out

[boillerman]

Per instructions, you're supposed to wait two hours after gluing before putting the AAV into the threads. Who waits? Supposedly the fumes from the glue deteriorate the rubber parts.

[toolaholic]

" Leaking water under a plugged up sink " That can't be code!!

[gear junkie]

" Leaking water under a plugged up sink " That can't be code!!
It falls under the ID-ten-T code. This is the universal code for the the Home Flipper Association.