Help! DWV is outside of sheetrock. What to do?

Andrew21 · Apr 8, 2012

Hey all,

Need your advice. Pulled out the old kitchen cabinets and there it was. The DWV pipe is outside the sheetrock!! WTF? The height of the new cabinets are 34 inches and the pipe is 34 inches. What needs to be done?

I thought the pipe was supposed to be inside the wall? The drain is outside the sheetrock also.

What to do? Thanks!

Dlarrivee · Apr 8, 2012

Exterior walls are structural 99% of the time, and it is wise to NOT have your drain inside the exterior wall if temps below are freezing.

Please don't go hacking up the studs holding up the header over that window.

If you want a simple fix, get a deeper countertop and shim or fur UP the cabinet to avoid the pipe, maybe you'll like the extra few inches anyways?

Sponsor · 2022-01-29T12:20:58-0800

Cacher_Chick · Apr 8, 2012

If you are going to do the job right, you have some work to do.

The easiest thing to do would be to notch the backs of the cabinets. If you need to raise the cabinet a couple more inches above the floor, that could be done without a problem as far as countertop height is concerned.

To do it right would be more of a job as the plumbing would need to be brought up to current code, which means the horizontal vent pipe must be at least 6" over the flood rim of the sink. To do this, a new drain and vent stack can be placed to the right of the window, and the trap arm from the sink will need to run to the stack. Is there a basement or crawlspace below to facilitate moving the drain?

To put everything in the wall, I would take down all the drywall on that wall, pull the old insulation, and start over. In the end you should have a wall that is better insulated and a wallboard that is new, which is really what you want when you remodel anyway. Since you are in a cold climate, you would be well served by having the outside wall spray-foamed, or furring out the wall out so you can get a full R-21 batt insulation in the cavity.

Andrew21 · Apr 8, 2012

thanks all.

I was going to pull more sheetrock off and the entire insulation but I didn't have time. Just took the pic and was exhausted after.

Cacher: yes, there is room downstairs but not much to move the drain. Its complicated but I think my plumber can do it. They are a well respected plumber in the neighborhood. I was planning to put in new insulation when everything was sorted out. I'll let you know what happens.

Thank you

Cacher_Chick · Apr 8, 2012

If your plumber cuts out all that old copper, make sure he "pays" you for it.
It's worth a fair sum of money as scrap metal.

Dlarrivee · Apr 8, 2012

Good luck on that one.

hj · Apr 9, 2012

quote;

If your plumber cuts out all that old copper, make sure he "pays" you for it.
It's worth a fair sum of money as scrap metal.

That will be the day. I take it out, I scrap it as part of the job, after all, it takes time and fuel to take it to the scrap yard.

MikePlummer · Apr 9, 2012

hj said:
quote;
If your plumber cuts out all that old copper, make sure he "pays" you for it.
It's worth a fair sum of money as scrap metal.

That will be the day. I take it out, I scrap it as part of the job, after all, it takes time and fuel to take it to the scrap yard.

precisely!

Hackney plumbing · Apr 9, 2012

cacher_chick said:
If your plumber cuts out all that old copper, make sure he "pays" you for it.
It's worth a fair sum of money as scrap metal.

If a customer asked me to pay him for some scrap copper he would be the one paying in the long run. Thats whats up.

Cacher_Chick · Apr 9, 2012

My point was not to let him take it at all without understanding that it would be the same thing as giving him more money.

Hackney plumbing · Apr 9, 2012

cacher_chick said:
My point was not to let him take it at all without understanding that it would be the same thing as giving him more money.

It is not the same thing as giving him more money. I have never tried to buy a gallon of milk or a loaf of bread with scrap copper but I dont think the store would take it.

LOL you get the point. If the O.P wants the pipe he should keep the pipe. Never try to sell it to the plumber.....just my opinion.

I did just cash my scrap in tho.....370.00 worth. I had to haul it to the shop,sort it,store it,haul it to the scrap yard. I'm usually expected to haul away my garbage from a job as I do alot of residential repair.

I removed about 2,000 worth of copper at an old hotel. I cut and stacked it in the corner of the laundry area. The manager walked through and told me not to leave without taking that pipe. LOL No problem.

Dlarrivee · Apr 9, 2012

cacher_chick said:
My point was not to let him take it at all without understanding that it would be the same thing as giving him more money.

You're nuts, I think you're living in a different world than we are sometimes.

Cacher_Chick · Apr 9, 2012

So if you had a bunch of copper pipe being removed from your plumbing, you would let your plumber take it with no regard to it's value?

What I see happening here is the "helper" in line at the scrapyard cashing in on what rightfully belongs to the owner of the business. We just had one get busted after he scrapped $3K worth. He's going to jail.

Dlarrivee · Apr 9, 2012

If you want to scrap the copper yourself, remove it before the plumber comes. SIMPLE.

You don't need a ticket to chop chop.

hj · Apr 9, 2012

quote; If you want to scrap the copper yourself, remove it before the plumber comes. SIMPLE

Just don't remove more than the plumber expected to replace or HE WILL charge you more money.

Cacher_Chick · Apr 9, 2012

There is nothing wrong with that either.

In my opinion, it's no different than if I have new wheels put on my car.
What has been removed is my property until I make the decision to give it away.

My apologies to the OP for dragging the post off topic.

Andrew21 · Apr 9, 2012

cacher_chick said:
There is nothing wrong with that either.

In my opinion, it's no different than if I have new wheels put on my car.
What has been removed is my property until I make the decision to give it away.

My apologies to the OP for dragging the post off topic.

Its ok. I tell the plumber I'm taking all the copper to the yard. He doesn't care. They cut out so much copper when they did my new boiler/hot water tank that I kept it all. They had a staff of like 8 people there. They didn't care.

But no problem on dragging this OT. Seems that it gathers more attention

Andrew21 · Apr 10, 2012

This pipe is currently at 34". Is it possible to move this down to 21"?

hj · Apr 10, 2012

34" is marginally illegal, 21" would be completely so.

Andrew21 · Apr 15, 2012

I called the plumber and spoke to him. Let me take a picture of the drywall completely out and tell you guys what he wanted to do. OMG..you guys are gonna kill him. lol I told him I would think about it.

Help! DWV is outside of sheetrock. What to do?

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