Easy, I think: Can a regular elbow trainsition from a vertical to horizontal drain?

kmuddzy

kmuddzy

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Regardless of pipe size, can a regular elbow be used to transition from a vertical drain to a horizontal drain or is a long sweep elbow required?

In my specific situation: I have a 1.5" drain pipe from a 2nd floor bathroom sink dropping vertically down through the floor. The floor below is finished so I need to trainsition to horizontal using an elbow and run between the floor joists. Space is very tight so a regular elbow will get me the proper slope but the bigger dimensions of a long sweep elbow will drop my run below the 1/4" per foot. I know I can't use a vent elbow but since this is vertical, can I use a regular elbow?

THANKS!
 
Ahhh...so not good for me. I am going vertical to horizontal and I don't have the room for a long sweep. This has just made a simple solution very difficult....

But, thanks for your quick reply!!!
 
check with your inspector

I thought I would close this thread with some common sense advice for any newbies that might search this thread in the future.

Always call your Township inspector if you have a difficult situation.

I called my township's inspector and he will allow me to transition from a vertical drain to a horizontal drain using a regular elbow if there is only 1 fixture "loading" that transition. He would prefer a long sweep elbow but wouldn't reject the regular. Due to a lack of space, this saves me a ton of work, and maybe I am wrong but I don't believe a regular elbow in the vertical position will be prone to clog.
 
Terry said:
The medium sweep will transition between horizontal to vertical.

From vertical to horizontal is where the long turn is needed.
Or horizontal to horizontal
Click to expand...

Is this correct? Different areas, different things I suppose. That one doesn't make sense to me. Do they make you put a long sweep under every water closet?

Anyway, a "medium" sweep may be used here when transitioning from vertical to horizontal, or horizontal to vertical last I checked. Long sweep for horizontal to horizontal.

Check out page two of this link
Helpful Plumbing Hints for Residential Construction by Bert Polk Plumbing Inspector Lincoln County
Click to expand...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Using a long turn on a vertical as it turns horizontal has always been done on the West Coast.
Nothing anymore surprises me about the East Coast. Nothing.

A closet bend has always been a tighter bend though. It has to fit between the floor joist. But then you also have a 2" outlet on a toilet dropping into either a 3" or a 4" bend. And if you look at the outlet of a toilet bowl, it's sometimes at a right angle.

At the bottom of a plumbing stack, you will see a long turn 90.

Check out page two of this link
Helpful Plumbing Hints for Residential Construction by Bert Polk Plumbing Inspector Lincoln County
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Code in NC and SC a 1/4 bend (short sweep 90) can be used horizontal to horizontal if its the FIRST fitting in the wall behind a lavatory Also a 1/4 bend can be used if its the FIRST fitting under the toilet. 1/4 bend can be used anytime going from horizontal to vertical. Every other case must be long sweep. Obviously vent 90's are for dry venting only
 
Burt sure made his two story sink stack complicated. But, maybe since he does not install cleanouts in the stack, he probably does it that way so he can snake the line from the roof.
 
Last edited:
The closet elbow has always been an exception. Someone who was around when indoor plumbing was first coming in to play probably knows the reason for that ; perhaps hj!
 
Terry said:
Using a long turn on a vertical as it turns horizontal has always been done on the West Coast.
Nothing anymore surprises me about the East Coast. Nothing.

A closet bend has always been a tighter bend though. It has to fit between the floor joist. But then you also have a 2" outlet on a toilet dropping into either a 3" or a 4" bend. And if you look at the outlet of a toilet bowl, it's sometimes at a right angle.

At the bottom of a plumbing stack, you will see a long turn 90.
Click to expand...

Nothing surprises me about the West Coast anymore. Nothing. Or any other area for that matter.

Multiple codes, interpretations, distances etc.

All for the same fixtures. Dumbest thing ever.

Thanks for the diagram/guide.
 
quote; Nothing surprises me about the West Coast anymore

Get used to it, because more and more areas are using the IPC which is basically a "do whatever you want to as long as it is cheaper" code.
 
Plumber111 said:
Nothing surprises me about the West Coast anymore. Nothing. Or any other area for that matter.

Multiple codes, interpretations, distances etc.

All for the same fixtures. Dumbest thing ever.

Thanks for the diagram/guide.
Click to expand...

Over the years I have had inspectors that will give special approval for almost anything if you have a valid reason and can show where it is allowed by a code from just about anywhere. If the intent of the code is maintained then it would be approved. Nit-picking is not why the code was written.
 
jimbo said:
The closet elbow has always been an exception. Someone who was around when indoor plumbing was first coming in to play probably knows the reason for that ; perhaps hj!
Click to expand...


Have not been around quite as long as HJ but I suspect that nobody made an elbow in cast iron that would fit between the ceiling and the floor. Naturally the first floor or a slab would not need that close a bend.
 
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