Replacing tub - Need drain help please

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ablumny

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I am right now in the middle of a brutal bath remodel (I bet they all are though). Im having trouble figuring out how to re-plumb the tub drain.

I have access to the tub drain from the first floor. A 1 1/2" pipe travels from the main drain stack through a floor joist and into a series of 45's (or 22.5's) and 90's then into a trap. None of these joints un-sweat with mapp gas, I suspect I need more heat or they are not soldered.

My local Home Depot guy suggested I cut the pipe, solder on a threaded end, then PVC back to the tub which also has a 1 1/2" pipe for the drain. He suggeted I solder on a threaded connector on that as well to mate up to the PVC. I dont think any of this makes sense.

Any suggestions to make this easier? The drain isnt leaking, Id prefer to make a connection somehow to this existing mess unless there is an easier path.

Thank in advance, I promise not to be too much trouble !

P7010849.JPG


P7010850.JPG
 
Actually, the Home Depot guy makes sense to me. He probably wants you to cut out every bend, and replace with glued in PVC or ABS, which is easy to work with.

Your only other choice I believe would be to torch the heck out of the first pipe fitting, closest to the tub, and get a big old pipe wrench or vice grips and turn it as you are torching it. It looks soldered to me, but sealed up with years of calcium and sediment.

Also, it there is any water in that drain line at all, you will not be able to get enough heat to remove the fitting. Make sure there is no water in the "P" trap when you put heat to it.
 
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Actually, the Home Depot guy makes sense to me. He probably wants you to cut out every bend, and replace with glued in PVC or ABS, which is easy to work with.

Your only other choice I believe would be to torch the heck out of the first pipe fitting, closest to the tub, and get a big old pipe wrench or vice grips and turn it as you are torching it. It looks soldered to me, but sealed up with years of calcium and sediment.

"O"! So he'd have me hack off the whole mess, sweat on a fitting that woudl leave me with a threaded end. to that a threaded PVC end and pvc all teh way up to tub drain which now I believe is brass, not copper. Cant sweat a fitting on that I bet?

I did get the water out of the trap.

Compression fittings?
Fernco rubber boots?

thx
 
I'd stay away from the boot if at all possible. Many cities prohibit their usage, and I believe is a "band aid" approach. With ABS, you could use a compression fitting to secure the new brass into it.
 
I'd stay away from the boot if at all possible. Many cities prohibit their usage, and I believe is a "band aid" approach. With ABS, you could use a compression fitting to secure the new brass into it.

Thank you for the advice. So perhaps I hack off the trap just after the pipe passes through the joist, solder on the threaded adapter, move into PVC and use a compression fitting from the brass drain into the PVC.?

Sounds like it may work but I still cant see how the threaded copper to pvc connection is a good thing!

Im also getting feedback that this S Trap is not to code. Might be true but I dont have a choice it appears, at least not without major changes to main drain/vent stack.
 
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What problems were you told about with the "s" trap? You sound like you have lots of knowledge...why don't you consider building the "p" trap back using all brass? I know you are concerned about the plastics, so just build it all brand new from your joist up? That would be the correct way to do it!
 
What problems were you told about with the "s" trap? You sound like you have lots of knowledge...why don't you consider building the "p" trap back using all brass? I know you are concerned about the plastics, so just build it all brand new from your joist up? That would be the correct way to do it!

:) Im a handy guy but not a pro. My knowledge comes from the patience and kindness of people like you who take time to help out ! (and thx)

Ive received many replies on a few forums that this set-up is not to code. No one says why: Because it resembles an S-Trap and that's no longer acceptable or is it because its not directly vented behind the tub?.....I dont know.

Meanwhile, cutting back the pipe and starting over would be my plan. PLastic is ok by me now. Its the connection the copper I was concerned about but Im over it:). In a perfect world I'd run right into a P-trap but that'll put the trap into my kitchen (cant do it). I cant raise the horizontal run into the 3" main either so I may have to rebuild it the same way it is now. I can put in a vent behind the tub but im not looking to hack into the 3" main drain stack.

I can go over the joist if that was acceptable:
Drawing1.gif


but I am told I need to vent this :
Drawing2a.gif


Meanwhile I cant get a plumber over here fast enough (pesky holiday weekend) so Im on my own for now.

thx for the help!
andrew
 
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I would leave it in the joist as it was found. I'm assuming the "s" was installed to allow exact fitting to the tub, but if possible, could you lift the horizontal pipe to the top of the hole in the joist enough to eliminate the "s"? We have some waste venting experts here as well, but due to the holidays, they have not signed on and hopefully they will chime in for their expert opinions as well. Since I am leaving in about 1/2 hour for a 500 mile visit with friends, I won't be back on this forum until next Tuesday (unless I have service on my Droid) so I wish you the best of luck!
 
I would leave it in the joist as it was found. I'm assuming the "s" was installed to allow exact fitting to the tub, but if possible, could you lift the horizontal pipe to the top of the hole in the joist enough to eliminate the "s"? We have some waste venting experts here as well, but due to the holidays, they have not signed on and hopefully they will chime in for their expert opinions as well. Since I am leaving in about 1/2 hour for a 500 mile visit with friends, I won't be back on this forum until next Tuesday (unless I have service on my Droid) so I wish you the best of luck!

Thanks. Not enough room in the hole to raise the pipe enough and eliminate the S. Ive gotten a lot of good advice here and will think about a solution or BEG a plumber to come over today!

Thx again
 
Well after many MANY replies here and on other forums, Im done with the drain and vent issue. I decided to do it right with a P-trap and new vent correctly located. The trap will extend into my kitchen a bit but I'll deal with that in the future.

Thank you all for the help.
 

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