DWV forced into place! I just want everyone's opinion on this!

[JCar915]

So I am doing a job for a relative, older and to my surprise very stubborn about listening on how to do things correctly. He is 100% certain that there is absolutely nothing wrong with this mess and adamant that it will never leak, refuses to listen. I am conflicted on packing my shit and leaving but my Aunt is such a sweetheart that I don't want to let it be finished by him.

Bought a new tub, center of the drain is over to the right by 1.5". The p trap is "glued" so it can not be adjusted. The height is also at a very awkward height that the drain and overflow assembly is too short to go into the trap. If you add an extension and cut it as low as you possibly can it is too tall for the trap and the tub drain will not reach the bottom of the tub. His solution is to force it into place to the right and up by prying the pipe and putting wedges in to make it work. From the front to back of the 45 elbow, it has a half inch drop!! It used to be touching the bottom of the cut out. So my last resort is to let him see it from plumbers who do this every damn day. How long before this shits the bed and leaks everywhere?

 

[Tuttles Revenge]

The only time I've seen ABS pipe and fittings fail are when they're stressed.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[JCar915]

The only time I've seen ABS pipe and fittings fail are when they're stressed.

To say that these are forced into place is an understatement. On a scale of 1-10 how stressed are these fittings and how much longer before they fail?

 

[Tuttles Revenge]

Its not really possible for me to say how forced they are. Deflection over a short span vs a long span is very different.

The amount of effort it would take to rebuild it with fittings placed in the correct orientation is 100% justified when you're dealing with installing a tub.

 

[JCar915]

Its not really possible for me to say how forced they are. Deflection over a short span vs a long span is very different.

The amount of effort it would take to rebuild it with fittings placed in the correct orientation is 100% justified when you're dealing

I get it. It is hard to say when you aren't able to see it in person. The only thing I can say is that a pry bar had to be used to get the wedges in.

 

[Reelbusy]

not a pro but torn into bunch of crap, entertaining i've gutted a 70 year old place and it's entertaining at this history of hack jobs i run across in there...electric plumbing you name it. Makes me wonder if we're over engineering everything.

Can say everything i've ever forced knowing good well that was a bad idea always leaked immediately or soon after.

That said, the stuff that didn't ...always bugged the crap out of me years later knowing i had done it that way.

 

[JCar915]

not a pro but torn into bunch of crap, entertaining i've gutted a 70 year old place and it's entertaining at this history of hack jobs i run across in there...electric plumbing you name it. Makes me wonder if we're over engineering everything.

Can say everything i've ever forced knowing good well that was a bad idea always leaked immediately or soon after.

That said, the stuff that didn't ...always bugged the crap out of me years later knowing i had done it that way.

That's my dilemma right now. I can set the tub and walk away because this is what he wanted, however I know it is going to leak, that's what will bother me. There is no convincing him to do it the other way unless it is an argument that could become bad blood. It's amazing that people think this kind of shit is acceptable!

 

[JohnCT]

So I am doing a job for a relative, older and to my surprise very stubborn about listening on how to do things correctly. He is 100% certain that there is absolutely nothing wrong with this mess and adamant that it will never leak, refuses to listen. I am conflicted on packing my shit and leaving but my Aunt is such a sweetheart that I don't want to let it be finished by him.

Bought a new tub, center of the drain is over to the right by 1.5". The p trap is "glued" so it can not be adjusted. The height is also at a very awkward height that the drain and overflow assembly is too short to go into the trap. If you add an extension and cut it as low as you possibly can it is too tall for the trap and the tub drain will not reach the bottom of the tub. His solution is to force it into place to the right and up by prying the pipe and putting wedges in to make it work. From the front to back of the 45 elbow, it has a half inch drop!! It used to be touching the bottom of the cut out. So my last resort is to let him see it from plumbers who do this every damn day. How long before this shits the bed and leaks everywhere?

If there is no finished ceiling and/or flooring below that abomination, let him have his way. His house, his rules even if it wouldn't pass a home inspection (did you try that angle?).

Otherwise, get him a 96 Gallon garbage pail to put below the "plumbing" for the inevitable leak. Yes, if it needed to be forced and wedged, it will fail at some point.

John

 

[WorthFlorida]

ABS can be amazing. Because it is a bathtub there is no pressure behind the water to force a leak or cause a fitting to fail. If it does leak one day, it would be a drip drip type.

A few years ago my brother-in-law and I were doing some repair and maintenance work at one of my parents condo's on Maui, HI. We had to change the rubber splashguard/baffle for the disposal and t was the type where the disposal had to be dismounted.

Around 1999 my father had the kitchen remodeled and the kitchen sink was relocated but the drain location at the wall remained. One of the worker my father hired did the work. There was about 30" of ABS from the drain to the corner cabinet, then a 90º long sweep and about another 30" to the sink itself. As I dismounted the disposal, the 90º elbow just came apart. For 20 years this fitting was never cemented, and never leaked or a problem.

 

[Tuttles Revenge]

ABS can be amazing. Because it is a bathtub there is no pressure behind the water to force a leak or cause a fitting to fail. If it does leak one day, it would be a drip drip type.

A few years ago my brother-in-law and I were doing some repair and maintenance work at one of my parents condo's on Maui, HI. We had to change the rubber splashguard/baffle for the disposal and t was the type where the disposal had to be dismounted.

Around 1999 my father had the kitchen remodeled and the kitchen sink was relocated but the drain location at the wall remained. One of the worker my father hired did the work. There was about 30" of ABS from the drain to the corner cabinet, then a 90º long sweep and about another 30" to the sink itself. As I dismounted the disposal, the 90º elbow just came apart. For 20 years this fitting was never cemented, and never leaked or a problem.

I remember having an unglued 90 on a house we plumbed. Went to set trim and cut the stubout and the vibration caused the 90 in the wall to come off the trap arm! We were able to glue it on inside the wall! Phew. But it sat under 10psi of head pressure test just dry fit.