I am adding a bathroom to my basement, which has partial (complete??) plumbing already roughed into the floor (in 1976).

Sewage lift station (vented) is 3 ft from 4" styrofoam plug (toilet), 4 ft from 1 1/2 inch cast male pipe end extending through floor (lav, have already added vertical vent pie to the lav drain at this point), and 12 ft from cast iron floor drain. Unknown if all 3 fixtures originate from 1 line, or are 3 separate lines emptying into lift station. Floor drain and toilet are in direct line with lift station, lav is not.

I am installing an acrylic shower unit, the center of the shower drain falls exactly on the lip of the housing of the floor drain, and due to space limitations, the shower unit cannot be moved to line up exactly with the floor drain.

1. Is there some sort of fitting that would allow the shower waste water to be diverted horizontally into the existing floor drain? Is this even allowable per code? The floor level will be 1 inch above the rim of the cast drain housing (could cut a notch into housing?).

2. There is no evidence of any vent line anywhere on the floor drain line prior to the lift station. Do I have to rip up the floor anyway to install a vent line close to the shower?

3. Assuming the floor must be ripped up, what is the best way to cut cast iron pipe without requiring a large hole in the floor for access? A 2.5 ft, 4 in wide slot would allow access to the pipe without requiring removal of a lot of floor.

4. I am currently planning on using a rubber boot to connect the remaining cast pipe horizontally to a pvc T, from which a vent pipe would rise vertically and the shower trap would extend horizontally. Any better options available?

5. What sort of toilet flange fitting do I need for the stubout in the floor? How is this fitting connected to the pipe? Just slips in? If so, do I need to bolt the fitting to the concrete before installing the toilet?

Thanks for your insights.

speedball1

1. Is there some sort of fitting that would allow the shower waste water to be diverted horizontally into the existing floor drain? Is this even allowable per code? The floor level will be 1 inch above the rim of the cast drain housing (could cut a notch into housing?).

2. There is no evidence of any vent line anywhere on the floor drain line prior to the lift station. Do I have to rip up the floor anyway to install a vent line close to the shower?

3. Assuming the floor must be ripped up, what is the best way to cut cast iron pipe without requiring a large hole in the floor for access? A 2.5 ft, 4 in wide slot would allow access to the pipe without requiring removal of a lot of floor.

4. I am currently planning on using a rubber boot to connect the remaining cast pipe horizontally to a pvc T, from which a vent pipe would rise vertically and the shower trap would extend horizontally. Any better options available?

5. What sort of toilet flange fitting do I need for the stubout in the floor? How is this fitting connected to the pipe? Just slips in? If so, do I need to bolt the fitting to the concrete before installing the toilet?

(1) The plumbing inspector would probably frown on this but since you're right on top of a working floor drain why not come off the shower drain with a short PVC street ell and line up with the center of the floor drain with another short ell? Then simply remove the floor drain cover and drop a piece of PVC from the ell down the throat of the floor drain trap. The shower will be trapped by the floor drain and the floor drain's vented by the holding tank.
Everybody's happy and you don't have to tear anything up.

(2) No, all your drainage is already vented.

(3) See NO.#1

(4) Yes, Use a 4" PVC street combination wye and eighth bend and connect the two with a 4" PVC to Cast Iron No_Hub Band. But now I'm curious, if the shower drains into floor drain then it's already vented. Is there a reason you're venting again?

(4) Since the rest of your underground drainage is cast iron I'm assuming the closet stub up is cast iron also.
You will install a cast iron closet flange and yarn and pour a lead and okum joint. After the lead joint has been caulked you will not have to secure it to the floor.

More questions? I'm as close as a click. Tom

cowdr

Tom, thanks for the ideas. My understanding of the plumbing code is that a vertical segment of vent pipe is needed within 3-4 ft of horizontal run from all traps. Currently, the nearest vent for the shower drain is 12 ft (all horizontal)away (lift station) or about 14 ft (lav) if lav is T'ed off floor drain/toilet line. Is this adequate or do I need a vertical segment of vent within 4 ft of the shower trap? When the inspector OKed the rough plumbing for the lav, he required an additional vent at the lav stub out, which is just slightly over 4 ft (straight line) from the lift station, or perhaps 6 ft of pipe away from the lift station if the lav stub out was T'ed off the floor drain/toilet line. Other than ripping up the floor, venting is easily tied into within the bathroom area of the basement.

cowdr

speedball1

Let me give you code on the distance from trap to vertical vent.
Size of fixture Drain-----------Distance Trap to vent
1 1/4" __________________________ 2' 6"
1 1/2" __________________________3' 6"
2" ___________________________5' 0"
3" _________________ ___________6' 0"
4" ____________________________10' 0"
Section 1309.4 of the Southern Plumbing Code states that Floor drains need not be individually vented when the floor drain trap and fixture drain are sized according to code.
If you discharge into a floor drain you will not need a extra vent. Cheers, Tom