Bathroom vanity install. Drain too low out of wall...

[DKAudio]

I am installing a new vanity. It has two drawers that pull out on the bottom and sliding doors where the drain/p-trap goes. The unit was designed for a vessel sink so the plumbing has limited height to work with. Unfortunately I just installed new CPVC water lines and then re-drywalled, tapped, mudded. I was doing some measurements and found out that the drain coming out of the wall is level with the bottom of the plumbing area in the vanity! Therefore, there is no way to install a p-trap. The pipe coming out of the wall is 1 1/4" chrome and is cemented into a Tee (drain, sink and vent connections). The pipe is galvanized 1 1/2". Is there anything I can do to make this work or do I need to ruin my finished drywall to get into the wall again? If so, how can I raise the drain pipe? Cut it, get rid of the Tee, use a no-hub (legal in a wall?) to connect to the vent, connect to a PVC Tee and new PVC drain?

[mrcaptainbob]

drywall drain...

I hate it when that happens, but, since it's behind the cabinet any patchwork on that neat dry walling job will be hidden. No one will poke fun at any diffuglties in the surface. I'd cut a hole in that wall and put the necessary fitting in at the right height. Sawzall that vertical 1 1/2 " galvanized and install the correct tee for that application using two Fernco's. Just stub each end of the tee for the Fernco's. Cut the drywall on stud center in that area and cap it with a new piece. Wouldn't need much more than an 18" x 16" piece.

[pushkins]

DK your not alone in this problem, nowadays with the hundreds if not thousands of vanities available, from drop in sinks to vessel sinks to the ever becoming more popular comfort height vanities (36") many people are finding the same problem to remodel or even new build bathrooms.
Especially now that bottom drawers are becoming a great alternative to lack of real storage in vanities. With these style of cabinets there is often the need to raise plumbing lines to accommodate for the extra stuff inside a cabinet, not that long ago the standard vanity cabinet was one or two doors in the center with an open cavity inside maybe a set of draws on one side.
Like the captain suggests a simple cutting of the wall and lifting the T is really your best solution.

[LazyPup]

Based upon the information in the original description you have a couple far more serious problems than just the vertical height.

Quote; "The pipe coming out of the wall is 1 1/4" chrome and is cemented into a Tee".

First of all, the chrome plated pipe is not pipe at all, but rather it is chrome plated brass tubing, and code strictly prohibits installing it in a concealed location.

Second, the post says that the chrome pipe is cemented into a Tee on the 1-1/2" galvanized vertical combined waste & vent stack. Not only is a cemented joint prohibited, it is almost a certainty that it will leak in a very short time. The proper method of joining the plated tubing to pipe is by means of an approved Trap Adapter and the transition joint from tubing to pipe may not be in a concealed location.

The drywall is the least of the problems, and one that can be handled very easily. Begin by placing a mark on the drywall at the desired height for the new fixture arm, then measure up about 10" and using a level, make a horizontal line long enough that it will reach from stud to stud. Next measure down from the fixture arm and make another horizontal line as before. Now use a hand sheet rock stab saw and carefully cut along the horizontal lines until you can feel the stud on each end of the cut. (Caution here, be sure to use a hand saw because you will be able to feel if the saw hits a pipe or electrical cable in the stud bay.) Once you have the two horizontal lines cut to the studs, you can then begin at the top and cut downwards parallel to the stud and carefully pull the sheet rock out. Set the piece of sheet rock aside because it is the exact size to go back in, leaving only a simple tape joint on all four sides. Now measure the vertical length of your opening and cut two pieces of 2x4 about 3" longer. You can slip one of the 2x4 pieces in the opening on either side with the tips of the 2x4 behind the sheet rock on the wall and sister them in along side the stud. After you complete the plumbing work you can slip the sheet rock back into the opening and secure it with sheet rock screws into the cripples on either side. (hint, sometimes it is difficult to get 2x4;s in the cavity. I like to use 2x3 then after it is slipped into the opening with the tips behind the sheet rock on the wall, pull it forward tightly before screwing it to the studs. The key is that the front face of the cripple must be tight against the existing sheet rock on the wall at both top and bottom to insure the piece of sheet rock you use to close the hole will be at the same level as the wall, leaving a nice flush line that can easily be mudded and taped. I often use lightweight spackling to mud the joint so that you can be ready to paint it in an hour)

Once you have the opening made you can cut the vertical pipe as described above, however, a word of caution here. Galvanized iron pipe is quite heavy. Before you cut a section out, make sure the remaining pipe above the cut is securely fastened to insure it will not fall when you cut the piece out. In some instances the vertical vent line behind a lavatory will have a horizontal offset just above the lavatory. If so, it will be self supporting, but if that line runs straight up to the roof I would not trust the existing hangers. In this case i would go into the attic space and locate where the line comes through the attic floor, then attach a pipe hanger on the pipe, so that the underside of the hanger is resting tight against the floor or a framing member to prevent the pipe from dropping down. This may seem like a waste of time, but I can assure you from personal experience that the time lost securing that pipe will not be nearly as much time as you will lose repairing the damage if the pipe falls down.

The code standard for a lavatory drain line is 1-1/4" however code allows us to increase the size of a trap or drain line by one nominal trade side, which would then be 1=1/2'. Understanding that the lavatory is the only drain in a residential structure that is allowed to be 1-1/4" most plumbers prefer to install and 1-1/2" fixture arm rather than maintain a separate inventory of 1-1/4" pipe and fittings for this limited use. As a consequence it is nearly impossible to find 1-1/4' pipe and fittings in most home supply centers or hardware stores. For simplicity, i would suggest you install an 1-1/2" sanitary Tee, with a short stub 1-1/2" stub out and install an 1-1/2 trap adapter where the pipe exits the wall. Inside the trap adapter there is a plastic ferrule that makes the water tight seal. If you want to continue using the 1-1/4" trap they make an 1-1/2" x 1-1/4" adapter ferrule that fits in the trap adapter. (Many trap adapters come with both the 1-1/2" and the 1-1/2x1-1/4" ferrules).

A word of caution when selecting your Tee. Be sure you get a DWV grade (Sanitary Tee). A pressure Tee, Wye & 1/8th bend or a combo is prohibited here.

[DKAudio]

Thanks for the help. I opened up the wall, cut and unthreaded the galvanized pipe to the 90°. I then used a male adapter (PVC) and then down to my proper height sanitary Tee. Everything went well. However, I have a new set of issues...

Since this drain will be all new PVC I want to put new pipe in the basement as well. I was going to unthread a 22.5° galvanized fitting and then thread on PVC. However, the pipe wouldn't budge (used a 14" and 12" pipe wrenches one pulling the other pushing). What ended up happening was this fitting turned...I tried scrapping a little away and it appears that this is soldered in somehow? Is that correct? How can I change this to PVC and secure this connection as well? I don't know how they made these connections in the 50s but there are a few of these in my house.


The far end of this Tee is going to go to a trap and connect to the new tub. The upper part of the Tee is a vent that goes through the roof. Again, I could not turn this thing and was wondering if I should just replace the galvanized vent pipe with PVC as well? That way I can just Sawzall it apart. Is PVC code for venting? Will my exsisting roof vent be ok to use with PVC?

[DKAudio]

I just replaced the old vent stack with PVC. Therefore, this is my only remaining questions...

Since this drain will be all new PVC I want to put new pipe in the basement as well. I was going to unthread a 22.5° galvanized fitting and then thread on PVC. However, the pipe wouldn't budge (used a 14" and 12" pipe wrenches one pulling the other pushing). What ended up happening was the fitting pictured below turned and is not loose...I tried scrapping a little of the joint away and it appears that this is soldered in somehow? Is that correct? How can I change this to PVC and secure this connection as well? I don't know how they made these connections in the 50s but there are a few of these in my house.

[DKAudio]

After hours of searching online I found that the connection is called a bell and hub or bell and spigot. They packed the joint with oakum and then poured lead into the joint to keep the oakum packed. It seems they do make rubber/neoprene adapters that go in the hub and PVC can then be pushed into it. This is exactly what I need. Obviously the big box stores don't carry them. Some names I've found for the gaskets are EZ-TITE and TY-SEAL. Any help on finding them for me? The pipe going in is 1.5", not sure how the bell is measured.

Thanks

[pushkins]

DK, why don't you just cut out the joint and install a Fernco ?
It would make your life and wallet much happier.

[DKAudio]

Because when I was trying to turn the 22.5* off the joint broke loose and now the pipe is loose. I don't think it is completely sealed off anymore.

[pushkins]

Ok, so cut back on the gal. pipe the other side of the joint, use a coupling Fernco to attach the new 1 1/2" PVC.

[DKAudio]

So you are saying to cut off the bell of the Wye of my main staindpipe?

[pushkins]

Ahhhhh I see where your talking about now, I thought you were talking about the 1 1/2" pipe and fittings.
Anyway, you could cut out the main stack at the whye and replace it with PVC and a new fitting but that may well be getting into far more than you want to attempt.
You can buy at big plumbing stores a product to use instead of lead to seal off the old cast fittings, I don't remember what they call it though, from memory it is a two part epoxy, kinda looks like putty, you knead the two together, stuff it in and let it set around the existing gal. pipe then you can just fit a fernco 6" further up.
You will have to clean out as much of the cracked and flaking oakum first though.

[DKAudio]

I ended up ordering this...
Jones Stephens Corp (PlumBest) V95-002 2"
I also got the 3" because I am out of town and cannot measure it right now. The thing that has me worried is that the pipe going into it is 1.5" so I don't know what to expect with these gaskets. I assume the 2" is made to take a 2" pipe but I have no idea what the OD is of the gasket. This fitting is made by Fernco and called Multi-Tite, it is the same idea as the TY-Seal and EZ-Tite. I have a feeling that I just wasted $20 (on shipping) but we will find out. If this doesn't work I guess I will try to find that epoxy you're talking about.

[DKAudio]

I was browsing in Lowes and couldn't believe what I found...
Fernco Flexible Donuts, fernco, fernco donut, fernco donuts, Sewer Pipe Compression Joint Donut Seal, Donut Shaped Compression Seal, Sewer Pipe Joint Seal, Pipe Compression Seal, Plumbing Donut Seals | Fernco
I'm out of town on business so I bought it and will hope that the OD of this "Donut" will fit perfectly in the bell. It is worth a shot...if it doesn't work I still have the ones I ordered online coming. The one I got says SV CI 2" X Sch 40 1.5"

[HayZee518]

I asked a plumber last night about what that hub n spigot seal ring is called. He said its a TY-SEAL fitting