Long-time listener, first-time caller. I was stood up by my plumber and started thinking about doing this job myself. I have experience with plumbing but I wanted advice from the real experts before I take this on.
I'm in the process of installing a utility sink in my garage, next to my water softener. I have access to water lines and I'd like to use the drain installed for the water softener. I cut a large portion of sheetrock out for the job. I'm thinking of cutting the pipe where the pink arrow is (see pic) and installing a 90 elbow to come out of the wall. I'll route the drain from the sink directly in. Somewhere along the way from the sink to the drain, I'll install a wye like this one for the water softener discharge. My questions are:
1. Is there a better way or location to cut into the existing drain for the sink?
2. Am I ok using a wye, similar to one I linked for softener discharge?
3. Since I'm cutting in above an in-wall p-trap, will there be any issue installing another p-trap below the utility sink?
Xsleeper and Zorfdt, thanks for the help. I went ahead with the project this weekend. I left the wall open for 24 hours to check for leaks, everything checked out. I ended up using a branched tailpiece and some hose clamps for the softener drain. I did a manual cycle on the softener to ensure proper drainage. I'm really happy with the way it came out. Oh and I verified the electrical outlet is GFCI/CAFCI protected. Thanks again!!
It would be better to cut into the other pipe just above the top 45. You would leave the softener plumbing as is and use a san tee, not a wye. And the sink would then have its own trap. How far away from this spot will the sink be?
As an aside, that outlet will now need to be gfci protected.
It would be better to cut into the other pipe just above the top 45. You would leave the softener plumbing as is and use a san tee, not a wye. And the sink would then have its own trap. How far away from this spot will the sink be?
As an aside, that outlet will now need to be gfci protected.
Thanks for the reply, XSleeper. I thought about cutting in above the top 45, but that's about 22" off the ground. The bottom of the sink basin is around 18-19". I chose the location in the original pic as its lower (~11") than the sink basin. I might be thinking about this incorrectly, just let me know.
The center of the sink basin will be about 20" from the proposed wall inlet. The sink will sit immediately next to the water softener and I do plan on swapping out the electrical outlet in the pic...it'll be GFCI protected.
If that is too high, cut about 3/4" above the next 45 below it. We can't see your sink, and can't be there holding the tape measure. So its a little hard to tell you exactly what to do. Hook your sink up to a trap and figure out the height the rough in needs to be... on the pipe on the right.
If you're going to put the sink into the pipe on the left you need to eliminate the trap in the wall, your sink trap will be accessible under the sink, and your softener drain should be affixed to the rim of the sink... or to a wye in the tailpiece under the sink. Rim of the sink is a better plan. A wye under the sink would likely be too low.
If that is too high, cut about 3/4" above the next 45 below it. We can see your sink, and can't be there holding the tape measure. So its a little hard to tell you exactly what to do. Hook your sink up to a trap and figure out the height the rough in needs to be... on the right pipe.
Good suggestion, I'll set the sink up and take a look. Thanks.
Just to clarify - you need to install your sink on the right-pipe. That's the drain/vent pipe. You'll add a sanitary tee
The pipe on the left has a trap and the sink can't drain into that.
The most code-compliant would be to either:
1) Cut and abandon the existing standpipe by capping the sanitary tee at the bottom. Add a new sanitary tee a few inches higher to the right pipe for the laundry sink pointing 'out' of the wall. Then drain the softener into the laundry sink. Easiest plumbing configuration.
2) Cut and abandon the standpipe in the same way. Add a new double-fixture tee (basically a double sanitary tee) a bit higher up. One side comes out to the right, elbows out of the wall to the new laundry sink.
The other side comes out, to a trap, and up 18-30" high for a new standpipe.
In the end, you're not supposed to have two tees on the drain at different heights since draining one fixture can suck the other trap dry.
Just to clarify - you need to install your sink on the right-pipe. That's the drain/vent pipe. You'll add a sanitary tee The pipe on the left has a trap and the sink can't drain into that.
The most code-compliant would be to either: 1) Cut and abandon the existing standpipe by capping the sanitary tee at the bottom. Add a new sanitary tee a few inches higher to the right pipe for the laundry sink pointing 'out' of the wall. Then drain the softener into the laundry sink. Easiest plumbing configuration.
2) Cut and abandon the standpipe in the same way. Add a new double-fixture tee (basically a double sanitary tee) a bit higher up. One side comes out to the right, elbows out of the wall to the new laundry sink. The other side comes out, to a trap, and up 18-30" high for a new standpipe.
In the end, you're not supposed to have two tees on the drain at different heights since draining one fixture can suck the other trap dry.
That's great, I really appreciate the advice!! For option number 1, would you use a wye under the sink for the softener discharge? Similar to a dishwasher discharge under a kitchen sink?
Xsleeper and Zorfdt, thanks for the help. I went ahead with the project this weekend. I left the wall open for 24 hours to check for leaks, everything checked out. I ended up using a branched tailpiece and some hose clamps for the softener drain. I did a manual cycle on the softener to ensure proper drainage. I'm really happy with the way it came out. Oh and I verified the electrical outlet is GFCI/CAFCI protected. Thanks again!!
My only comment would be to add an air gap to the softener. Usually, you can accomplish it by draining the softener into the sink, but since you set it up nicely into the drain, I would use a dishwasher air gap. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Westbras...0-62/316313957
Clamp it to the wall above the softener. It will allow the water from the softener to drain without the risk of gray water from the sink drain being sucked back into the softener.
Zorfdt - I appreciate the recommendation. I do remember an inspector say something a few houses ago due to no air gap for the water softener. I'll take you up on your advice and get one installed this coming weekend. Much appreciated!
We have noticed these marks developing slowly on our kitchen ceiling since we bought our house about 6 months ago but I don't know what they are. There is a toilet directly on the floor above this, but I don't know if the drainage pipes from that would run laterally through the floor or if it's leaking from the base. Anyone have ideas? The toilet regularly makes a hammering noise when we flush it, if that helps.
[img]https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.doityourselft.com-vbulletin/2000x1504/pxl_20220408_225756609_596d95ec11f6e87c4f08fcbae4b3da2effffb460.jpg[/img]
[img]https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.doityourselft.com-vbulletin/835x778/pxl_hd_e3bcef2a89726df668011be0c044a432ffe71559.jpg[/img]
I have an old farm property with a 3/4" galvanized water line that once supplied water from my house to some large chicken houses about 200' away that are now gone. A couple of owners ago there were 500 or so laying hens on the property. I'm looking to reuse this line to supply water to a small office/guest cabin that will be built on the only existing foundation of one of the former chicken houses. I located the end of the line, dug it up, flushed it and pressure tested it. I plan to use a dresser type coupling to connect the old galvanized pipe to 3/4" PVC which will be run into the building. My only hesitation is that its only about 30" deep. I am in Northwestern NJ (Hunterdon County) and code mandates that water lines be located a minimum of 42" deep, but that said, I feel as though during even the coldest of winters (especially nowadays) the ground MIGHT freeze 12" if that. Judging from what I know about the property I'd guess that the lines are 70-80 years old and were used from the late 1940s up until the late 1960s. Winters seemed to be much colder and longer back then and I seriously doubt that they would installed lines that could not be used in winter with 500 hens to provide water for daily. I'm aware that the lines are old, but as previously stated, they do hold pressure and installing new lines would be a challenge due to obstacles including a paved driveway, well water feed, underground electric feed and waste pipe for a septic. I'd rather just leave it alone and only replace it if there's an actual problem. I'd be curious to hear from others who either have old water lines on their property at less than frost depth or have installed them that way and how they made out. Obviously location plays a big role.
04-08-22, 06:02 AM
