Can this sink drain be moved to come up through the floor (or, what can I do)?

[avidworks]

Long story short, the wife and I ordered a custom bathroom vanity with the drawers on the right side, failing to realize the drain also comes in through the right side. Absolute bonehead move on my part, can't believe I overlooked it. At this point we'd rather modify the plumbing if possible rather than order another $1,000 vanity.

I'm fairly comfortable assembling new ABS piping, but I'm not entirely sure what options I have for keeping it code compliant (we live in MA). I have three possible solutions in my head, with #1 being the preference as it seems like it'd be the "path of least resistance" as far as moving the drain pipe.

1. Remove the drain from the vertical stack in the wall, and run it out from the fitting where the cleanout is in the basement (shown in the picture). It's almost a straight shot to cut a hole through the floor/bottom plate between the two water feed lines and up through into the center of the alcove in the bathroom (shown in the picture). I'd replace the fitting and run another tee with a cleanout in it off of the new drain pipe if I needed to. Just not sure if it's "legal" to remove the drain from the vertical portion of the vent.

2. Rotate the sanitary tee in the stack 90*, and try to get a long sweep 90 through the two corner studs, then come out with another long sweep 90 that ends just to the right of the water line. This would be really tight, as there's not much room between the stud and the start of the drawers.

3. Rotate the sanity tee in the stack, then try to either get a long sweep 90 or a 45 to come out right before the first corner stud, and feed in the drain from the right side like it is now. Essentially, just move the drain pipe "back" to clear the drawers. I'm not sure there's enough clearance for this option with the stud in the way.

I did consult a plumber on this, and he suggested running 45's and notching studs... but this would protrude outside the drywall, so I'd either have to notch the corner of the vanity or pull the vanity out from the wall a couple inches. Not ideal, but I'll do it if none of my ideas will work.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

 

[James Henry]

You can't just stub up a piece of of pipe with a 90 on it through the floor because when you attach the p-trap you will create an s-trap and that is against code, look it up. Figure out where you want to stub the drain out of the wall and reroute the drain through the studs while utilizing the existing drain and vent.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Master Plumber Mark]

You can't just stub up a piece of of pipe with a 90 on it through the floor because when you attach the p-trap you will create an s-trap and that is against code, look it up. Figure out where you want to stub the drain out of the wall and reroute the drain through the studs while utilizing the existing drain and vent.

Yes he can come up from the back---- dont worry about a silly s trap issue
All he has to do is stub up the pipe from the back and install an auto air vent on the line and it will work for a few hundred years.....

 

[James Henry]

Your right.

 

[John Gayewski]

I don't think aav's are allowed in Massachusetts. Massachusetts is very controlling with its laws, something that'll work, but isn't allowed could be a problem down the line.

Your problem isn't the drain it's the vent which is the pipe that goes up. You need to reconnect to it. If you can find a way to do that you can reroute the drain.

Can you notch the wall and just run the drain partially inset? Shorten the drawers on the vanity? Build a small bump out for the vanity to rest against?

 

[Master Plumber Mark]

I don't think aav's are allowed in Massachusetts. Massachusetts is very controlling with its laws, something that'll work, but isn't allowed could be a problem down the line.

Your problem isn't the drain it's the vent which is the pipe that goes up. You need to reconnect to it. If you can find a way to do that you can reroute the drain.

Can you notch the wall and just run thy drain partially inset? Shorten the drawers on the vanity? Build a small bump out for the vanity to rest against?

Well lots of things are not allowed around the USA... Permits are not taken out for water heaters, and other plumbing installations even though in the code book they are supposed to be... Auto air vents are being used all over our town to the point that it is waaaaay past hack work ..... and I have stood looking at some of the work I have stumbled upon gawking with my mouth open,,// and this crap in these flipped homes was inspected and passed in our city!!!

This is just a little pissey vanity sink,, you can cap off the arm in the wall and cut into the same exact pvc line in the crawl space and go up behind the sink like you want to do and the drain line will still be tied into the same vent anyway... Putting an auto air vent on it under the cabinet just looks better.....

It will work... it has to work, its got to work..... its gonna work.... it cannot not work..... get it??

 

[John Gayewski]

Well lots of things are not allowed around the USA... Permits are not taken out for water heaters, and other plumbing installations even though in the code book they are supposed to be... Auto air vents are being used all over our town to the point that it is waaaaay past hack work ..... and I have stood looking at some of the work I have stumbled upon gawking with my mouth open,,// and this crap in these flipped homes was inspected and passed in our city!!!

This is just a little pissey vanity sink,, you can cap off the arm in the wall and cut into the same exact pvc line in the crawl space and go up behind the sink like you want to do and the drain line will still be tied into the same vent anyway... Putting an auto air vent on it under the cabinet just looks better.....

It will work... it has to work, its got to work..... its gonna work.... it cannot not work..... get it??

No, offense but a lowly home inspector could easily identify the code violation after the work is done. This could stop the sale of a house or condemn it in a place like Massachusetts. No one cares if it'll work they just care that it gets corrected. In which case your trying to move and sell your home and tearing into walls to fix it, sounds like a great experience. Why do that? Since we don't live there and there's no real reason to give someone advice that could come back on them in a bad way, why not give them bullet proof advise that will work and need not changed?

 

[Master Plumber Mark]

No, offense but a lowly home inspector could easily identify the code violation after the work is done. This could stop the sale of a house or condemn it in a place like . No one cares if it'll work they just care that it gets corrected. In which case your trying to move and sell your home and tearing into walls to fix it, sounds like a great experience. Why do that? Since we don't live there and there's no real reason to give someone advice that could come back on them in a bad way, why not give them bullet proof advise that will work and need not changed?

You know that you can make a mountain out of a hill of beans if you want to
and stay up nights worrying about things like this... Auto air vent versus an "S" trap
and in actuality both will work. Their are many S traps still out there in older homes that
I would not upgrade for all the work involved to do it...

I am willing to bet that if you go to the nearest lowes in a town near this fellow
that you will find the AAVs available in probably a few different brands and they
are probably available at the local plumbing supply houses too.... (so what does this tell you?)

I really dont care , if he wants to take a chain saw and chop up the studs and run it around
the back wall that will work too but then you have a "dirty arm" drain
which also is considered a violation too... lol

so what are we gonnna worry about next???

 

[John Gayewski]

You know that you can make a mountain out of a hill of beans if you want to
and stay up nights worrying about things like this... Auto air vent versus an "S" trap
and in actuality both will work. Their are many S traps still out there in older homes that
I would not upgrade for all the work involved to do it...

I am willing to bet that if you go to the nearest lowes in a town near this fellow
that you will find the AAVs available in probably a few different brands and they
are probably available at the local plumbing supply houses too.... (so what does this tell you?)

I really dont care , if he wants to take a chain saw and chop up the studs and run it around
the back wall that will work too but then you have a "dirty arm" drain
which also is considered a violation too... lol

so what are we gonnna worry about next???

It tells me Lowes sells things for money. You can find all kinds of things at Lowes. It doesn't mean it should be in your house if you want to pass inspections.

 

[John Gayewski]

You know that you can make a mountain out of a hill of beans if you want to
and stay up nights worrying about things like this... Auto air vent versus an "S" trap
and in actuality both will work. Their are many S traps still out there in older homes that
I would not upgrade for all the work involved to do it...

I am willing to bet that if you go to the nearest lowes in a town near this fellow
that you will find the AAVs available in probably a few different brands and they
are probably available at the local plumbing supply houses too.... (so what does this tell you?)

I really dont care , if he wants to take a chain saw and chop up the studs and run it around
the back wall that will work too but then you have a "dirty arm" drain
which also is considered a violation too... lol

so what are we gonnna worry about next???

Massachusetts won't let you pour a concrete driveway without a storm water retention plan which in most cases requires an elaborate system of holding tanks and leach fields with gravel and what not. Unless you have some reason to give someone advise that isn't in their best interest I think we should stick to compliant solutions. Unless the fact that they sell concrete in Massachusetts means that you can pour it wherever I don't think there's really and logic to "they have it at the store so it must be right".

 

[Master Plumber Mark]

Massachusetts won't let you pour a concrete driveway without a storm water retention plan which in most cases requires an elaborate system of holding tanks and leach fields with gravel and what not. Unless you have some reason to give someone advise that isn't in their best interest I think we should stick to compliant solutions. Unless the fact that they sell concrete in Massachusetts means that you can pour it wherever I don't think there's really and logic to "they have it at the store so it must be right".

Let them do what they want to.....

if they want to turn a simple job into a project,,,

instead of just using common sense its ok with me......

 

[avidworks]

Had a plumber come out to assess the project and he said there wasn't much he could do. But now I'm thinking I can just cut and raise the drain about 2" in the stack and cut the drawer short. I don't see why that would be an issue, the current drain is only 16.75" off the floor to center of pipe.

Am I wrong to think that the shielded Fernco couplers you can buy at HD are rated for in-wall use? Or is there a better way to make the connection when I can't raise the pipe out of the way to get a glued coupler in?

 

[John Gayewski]

Had a plumber come out to assess the project and he said there wasn't much he could do. But now I'm thinking I can just cut and raise the drain about 2" in the stack and cut the drawer short. I don't see why that would be an issue, the current drain is only 16.75" off the floor to center of pipe.

Am I wrong to think that the shielded Fernco couplers you can buy at HD are rated for in-wall use? Or is there a better way to make the connection when I can't raise the pipe out of the way to get a glued coupler in?

Shielded couplings are fine for inside of walls.

 

[Master Plumber Mark]

Had a plumber come out to assess the project and he said there wasn't much he could do. But now I'm thinking I can just cut and raise the drain about 2" in the stack and cut the drawer short. I don't see why that would be an issue, the current drain is only 16.75" off the floor to center of pipe.

Am I wrong to think that the shielded Fernco couplers you can buy at HD are rated for in-wall use? Or is there a better way to make the connection when I can't raise the pipe out of the way to get a glued coupler in?

They will work.... they have to work.....lol

 

[avidworks]

Got it all sorted out. Couldn't be happier with how it turned out for my first plumbing project outside of replacing a fiberglass shower kit.

Cut off the old crusty multiturn valve, replaced them with compression KTCR19X ball valves, raised the drain up 2", cut the drawer short to fit and plumbed everything up.

 

[Master Plumber Mark]

Looks good to me....