moving and extending shower drain pipe

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tcarter

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Ok, so I am re doing my bathroom, and Installing a new acrylic shower pan in place of the old shower and the drain of course needs to be repositioned. It have to extend further by an additional 4 inches or so and also needs to move over about the same distance. I have included a diagram to clarify. The existing plumbing is copper, including the P trap with a PVC going vertically to the shower drain. The extension would be simple enough, just cut the pipe behind the P trap, and add a pipe length, but moving it over , or back or whatever, is where I'm not sure.

Untitled-1-1.jpg


so questions

1. Is it okay to install an elbow there to redirect it?

2. should i just redo a new P trap with Pvc and tie it into the copper with the rubber sleeve and install an elbow behind the P trap to redirect it or leave the copper P trap and extend with new copper?

3. Is there a flexible pipe/tubing I can use instead?
 
easyest thing to do would be to chop the copper downstgream of the p trap and extend with pvc and install a new pvc p trap.

make sure you use the correct mj for the job
 
I was planning on having the line be directly from the drain to the trap, where the fittings would come in to place, is downstream of the p trap to reconnect it to the copper pipe. (see new picture, I am sorry it is not to scale) At that point, what should I use? elbows or one of these offset fittings, which I admit i am ignorant of. Also I do not know what the correct mj for the job means. And the vertical "rise" from the ptrap to the floor above is about 7 or 8 inches or so, if that makes any difference.

Untitled-1-1-1.jpg
 
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Uh, I actually don't know why I didn't think about this before, duh. All I have to do is twist the new P trap in the direction of the new hole. I only need 3-4" no elbow is needed.
 
You of course can do that but I don't like that fernco coupling between the trap and the shower. You would be better off cutting the copper before the trap and using a PVC trap.
Just my opinion.:)

John
 
Okay here's a better picture of what I had in mind. Is this cool? The previous illustration showing the coupling between the tail piece and the P trap is what is there now, which I will be replacing.
pipes.jpg
 
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I didn't realize that the copper line was 1-1/2". Is there anyway to change it to 2"? Reducing the line on the downhill side is against code. For obvious reasons, it will cause stoppages at the point of the reducing fitting.

John
 
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I suppose anything is possible, but that's not in the plan or budget. We're talking about a shower. nothing but water is going down there. it;ll be fine right? I'll have to reduce it somewhere anyway because it's 1 1/2" copper all the way to the bigger waste pipe. I could reduce it before the p trap, like it already is, and put in a new 1 1/2" p trap into the 1 1/2" copper pipe, but that's supposed to be not good either.

pipes2.jpg
 
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If you can't replace the copper then increasing above the trap would be better. Just use a banded coupling were you have the rubber fernco coupling. They make them to go from copper to PVC.

John
 
so do you mean to go ahead with the first picture with the 2" pvc trap or second one with the 1 1/2"?
 
Use 1 1/2" pipe and trap, and increase to 2" on the riser to the shower drain. The reduction in pipe size on the horizontal will cause clogs, and will be very difficult to clean with a drain snake properly.
 
I will echo what john said about making sure to use a copper to pvc MJ ( no hub coupling ) otherwise you will have problems.
 
sorry i forgot to change the illustration to the proflex coupling. Now it's there. I will be better off with the 1 1/2" trap and pipe also in that I can get the 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" coupling at Home Depot, but no one around has the 2 X 1 1/2". Thanks for all the help guys.
 
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