Single to Double Sinks - Steel to PVC

Hi! I'm new here and in the beginning of a bathroom remodel where part of the work is to replace a single sink with two sinks.

I found a nice picture of the plumbing and drain on this site, and my problem now is that the drain is Steel Pipe. Can I replace one portion of the steel pipe with PVC?

Currently there is a 3-way connection for the drain:
Up goes the vent pipe
Down goes the drain
Out in the room goes the connection to the sink and P-vent

Since I am changing this to a double sink, I would like to replace this 3 way spit to a 4-way split where one goes left, and the other goes right.

I'm not sure if this makes sense to you as I'm probably not explaining it very well, but the main question is, is it a good solution to only replace the 3-way part of the iron pipe with PVC. I don't want to replace the entire drain becaues that would be too much work and it seems to be in good condition.

Thank you!
Fredrik

Picture of the pipes

Here is a picture of how it looks right now.
This will probably make it easier to give advice!
Thanks again!

cross

You are referring to a cross, but since your pipe is only 1 1/2" I would not do it that way. At least not without making some other modifications to the system.

Why not just tee both sink drains together (like with a double-bowl kitchen sink) and use the existing galvanized steel drain.

Continuous Waste are key words to use to search with. Try that and see if you get the kind of info you are looking for.

david

Reguardless of how you end up piping the sink I would replace as much of that galv. pipe as you can get at while the wall is open.

Does the cold water stubout rest on top of that Hold-Rite?

Thanks for your replies.

No, the cold-water doesn't rest on it. It goes through the pipe holder.

It is strange because most of the galvanized pipes has already been replaced with PVC, but they left this piece. Underneath the drain, there is a PVC that is at least 2 inches, so I guess I could try to connect the drains to that, but it would certainly be much more work.

Is it possible to use a pipe wrench to get the pipe off, or would I have to cut it with a tube-cutter or something similar?

A pipe cutter requires considerable space all the way around the pipe, so I doubt if you can cut it with the. A recip saw or grinder would make more sense. If it was mine, I'd remove the galvanized pipe because everything is open, but realistically, large diameter galvanize drain pipes are not like to rust or corrode shut.

Cass said:

Reguardless of how you end up piping the sink I would replace as much of that galv. pipe as you can get at while the wall is open.

Click to expand...

KUDO'S!!!

One correct answer!!!

I have gutted hundreds of pounds of galvy in the past few years...more often then not any 1-1/2" is a jagged 3/4" when you see it from the side view.
I wouldn't even suggest using it for venting...and using a tubing cutter to cut it is like using a table saw to notch a stud.
Consult a licensed plumber.

GrumpyPlumber said:

Consult a licensed plumber.

Click to expand...

I believe he consulted at least 3 of them on this thread alone.

that was fair, Eric.

it looks to me like this new guy Grumpy is going to be blunt and tactless, perhaps since he figures people need to be blasted into the new dimension where they accept their limitations. Even without any information about their individual situation.

I'm about to open some canned food; should I consult a home economist and hygiene advisor? Did you know that once opened, half eaten canned food should not be put into the fridge in that metal can? It needs to be transfered into another container, for some reason that I cannot remember exactly, having to do with a health hazard, a real threat. I'd like to ask a question about this, but now I'm scared. If I ask a question, will someone blast me to consult a billable-hour expert? Please let me just have a little background information first.

If the best advice is for me to hire a professional, could you please tell me gently first that based on the questions I have been asking and my followup responses that it appears to be beyond me to do all this alone and that a professional must be hired since the level of expertise needed to do this right is quite high... Or, to say this in another voice, tell me something with a little intelligence in it; add a reason to your statement so's as I know you're not a mere ranting copy-paste one trick pony, and so I can get the feeling you did read what i wrote.

David

Verdeboy said:

Why not just tee both sink drains together (like with a double-bowl kitchen sink) and use the existing galvanized steel drain.

Click to expand...

Eric,

I like this idea, but I don't exactly understand how it would work.
I guess I would use one trap for each sink, combine them outside the wall, and then connect both sinks to the existing drain pipe?


Thanks for your other suggestions about replacing the galvanized pipes, and although I would like to do this, I believe it includes a lot more work, and the pipes seem to be in good condition.

Thanks again!
Fredrik

Would something like this work?

The sinks will be a bit further apart than in this picture....probably about 3 feet apart on the center

That's basically what I had in mind. Just leave out the fitting that has the dishwasher adapter. Also, you'll need a trap adapter to convert from the galvanized stub-out to 1 1/2" PVC, and 2 reducing ferrules to convert from your 1 1/4" pop-up drains to 1 1/2" PVC.

I'm not sure if you need separate traps or not for each sink. The Pros will know better about the codes.
__________________
Eric

Unless that T in the middle has a baffle, emptying one sink can shoot the water over to the other one. The baffle turns the water down and prevents that.
__________________
Jim DeBruycker
Important note - I'm not a pro