My 2 cents
adrianmariano said:
So do the plastic tubular PVC drain pipes come in different gauges?
I don't think anyone attempted to answer this question after this thread went off on a few side tangents. Plastic (PVC or polypropylene) tubular PVC traps and connected waste components do
not come in different gauges, only their chrome plated brass counterparts do. If you want heavier plastic, you have to use schedule 40 PVC and glue (I've seen slip joint schedule 40 tub waste & overflows and sump pump check valves, but not traps or connected wastes) If someone did make slip joint schedule 40 fittings, I would try them. I believe it might solve the bowing and bending problem I've seen on tubular PVC traps that drain very hot dishwasher water.
If it's not too late, I would like to put in my two cents on this thread's original subject: slip joint reliability and Ferncos.
As a Philadelphia area master plumber for 32 years, I have used tubular plastic traps (S & P) and connected wastes (preferably end outlet, not center outlet) connected to basket strainers and waste pipes with grey
PVC (not rubber or neoprene) Fernco 2-clamp connectors for more than 20 years. I came to this forum for the first time today searching for better quality PVC tubular products than the crap I've been finding lately at local and mail-order suppliers. The number of comebacks we've had for defective and poor quality plastic traps over the last year have forced me to re-think how we do traps and wastes. We've also had our share of clogs in baffle tees for customers whose "disposer abuse" never clogged their drains before we installed the tee.
I refuse to go back to the expensive and corrosion-prone brass tubular I used 30 or so years ago. Unless I find something as good as the Sanitary-Dash double-seal traps and baffle-less wastes I used with few problems for years, I will soon start using schedule 40 traps and sanitary wye (if space allows) or tee fittings for connected wastes.
By the way, the problems we've had have nothing to do with our use of Fernco couplings or fittings. I have never had a leak from a Fernco connection, including the connection to threaded basket strainers. (We slide a grey 1 1/2" x tubular Fernco over a tubular PVC tailpiece to connect to the strainer, thereby eliminating the leak-prone and flow restricting plastic tailpiece washer) I've also never seen a "sagged" Fernco, or one that "cut off the flow". The bare connector between the clamps actually acts as a shock absorber for garbage disposer vibrations.
The Cauldwell drain arrangement actually makes alot of sense to me, since the 24" sink cabinet in my own kitchen holds a fullsize garbage disposer, a hot water dispenser, a two-cartridge water filtration system, a soap dispenser, and a small commercial slicer in a roll out basket.
(Yes, it's a bit of a pain replacing the faucets) Since S-traps have been legal in Philly and it's burbs and vent fine as long as the vented line in the basement isn't too far away, I wouldn't even bother with the "AAV", unless you notice odors right from the start. If you do, take off the handy test plug from the Fernco tee and install the AAV on as long a piece of PVC pipe as you can fit in the sink cabinet, preferably higher than the bottom of the sink bowl. Cauldwell's use of wyes to join the two drains should prevent backup from one bowl to the other as long as the drain from the cabinet floor to the stack or main drain in the basement is new or very clear. (2" PVC works well here for drainage and venting reasons)
Time for some shut-eye.