Wife's new whirlpool tub in bedroom - slab floor

[WallyBell]

My wife has requested I install a small therapeutic whirlpool tub in the bedroom. The house is a slab floor with stud walls and brick veneer. She wants the tub against the outside wall under the windows. The main sewer drain is just on the outside of this wall. I can put the tub on a small riser up to 6†tall, but a 4†riser would be preferred.
I really really do not want to saw a big square hole into the slab for a p trap as would be normal. Keeping the drain above slab level and going through a stud wall and brick veneer is much easier than going under the slab and through a block & brick foundation wall. I will have to open the wall beside the window to bring down water supply from the attic.
My question is: I can fit a drain in the 4" riser but not a P Trap. Any opinions on running the bath drain 30†horizontally through exterior wall, make 90 degree turn to drop to just below grade (about 15") with AAV at 90, install P-Trap below grade and make run to sewer approx 5 ft away.

 

[JohnfrWhipple]

Wally sounds to me that your making this harder than it needs to be. For one busting up concrete is not so hard and for two you can't shoot your plumbing out the wall and think that is going to be an easier approach. You have flashing details on your exterior wall and venting issues to address as well. Do you know the path the main line takes from the main stack to the street or alley? What about your water lines?

We use a 1" demo hammer to bust through concrete. In a bathroom renovation this step is often one of the easiest to do. Get your plumber in there early so he can lay out the drain lines. Once through a slab if you rake away the dirt, gravel and sand underneath often you can fail the slab with just a sledge hammer. We will often put a small 1/2" bit on the demo hammer and drill a series of holes and then let the young guy flail away with the sledge hammer.

A window will mean a header so venting in this area will not provide a good path if your stack is to far from the new tub location. A large tub not properly plumbed will take forever to drain. If you slice and dice your water lines it can take forever to fill. Get the plumber in early and then take it from there.

JW

 

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[Jimbo]

As much as you may think it is cute and convenient, a tub on a raised platform will scream " hack job" to any future potential buyer of the house.

Depending on what code you are under, you might not be able to use an AAV just because it is easier!

If you are in "cold country" then running the water supplies in an outside wall presents some issues!

 

[WallyBell]

Thanks guys. I probably let off a crucial detail or two - we are selling the house in a few years and the spa is going with us to our vacation house. If it was going to be permanent I would set it flush, cut the floor, build knee walls, tile etc etc. I have room beside the window to run a vent through the roof (eave end) for a permanent install. I guess the crux of my question is : is it an issue to have 30" between drain and P-Trap?

 

[Dlarrivee]

Yes, it is.

 

[hj]

The "issue" is odor. You will have 30" of pipe to "foul" and circulate the odors out of the tub and into the room. It will also be more difficult to clean the line when it plugs up. A tub on a "riser" is NOT a bad thing, if the platform is designed, and decorated, to complement the room.

 

[WallyBell]

Hi hj. Thanks for the reply. I understand. Yea…wife wants the spa skirt panels and a small curved step to match a piece of antique mahogany furniture that is in the room - so that is the main project enjoyment for me. And the vacation house has a nice big crawl space and plumbing the spa there will be easy and straight forward. It is this "temporary" set up that is aggravating me…whatever I do now will have to be capped off in a few years…so basically balance work now and work later.

 

[Jadnashua]

Many temporary things end up permanent...I'd put it in as if it were going to stay. Depending on how it is done, it might make a good selling point for the house, enough to not take a 'used' tub elsewhere to install.

 

[Cacher_Chick]

I would be concerned with the moisture issues that would come with putting such a tub in a bedroom.