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I have located my main line under my concreted slab and have dug trench to accommodate line for toilet and shower. Do I run my 4" for my toilet hooking into my main using two 45 degree bends? The shower is beyond the toilet. Do I just connect to the 4" with the shower drain anywhere at all once I bring it past the toilet? Where exactly does the vent pipe get attached on these two pipes?
Hello Tom,
Know you are gone from original site I was asking question on. Nobody answered any more questions I asked. Thanks for the help. I have located my main drain and dug up a trench for the toilet and shower drains. They will approach at a 90 degree angle. Will I hook into the main by using two 45 degrees, one just before getting to the main and the other to hook into? Also, my shower is beyond the toilet so is it o.k. to hook the shower drain into the toilet drain anywhere between the toilet and main? I told you I have a vent pipe just for these two fixtures. Can I hook these two fixtures into the vent anywhere between the toilet and main line? On exposing the main drain I have unearted part of a section that appears to be a clean out. Is that possible? why would there be such a thing as the main line runs under my basement floor? It is not capped off, just open. Of course I didn't expose the whole portion so I don't know 100% if it is in fact what it appears to be. If it is does it confirm which direction the flow is? I ask because I have found no outside evidence of which direction it would hook into the city sewer. Would putting a level on it tell me with certainty? Appreciate any help.
Hey Mickey, Nice to see you again. I took a year off from All Experts to devote more time to building up this page.
1) "I have located my main drain and dug up a trench for the toilet and shower drains. They will approach at a 90 degree angle. Will I hook into the main by using two 45 degrees, one just before getting to the main and the other to hook into?"
You will connect to the main using a combination Wye and eighth bend, (a eighth bend is a 45 degree bend).
2) "my shower is beyond the toilet so is it o.k. to hook the shower drain into the toilet drain anywhere between the toilet and main?"
Not unless you run a separate vent for the shower. You may wet vent the shower by connecting back to a lavatory drain.
3) "I have a vent pipe just for these two fixtures. Can I hook these two fixtures into the vent anywhere between the toilet and main line?"
If this is a dry vent,( no other fixtures draining into it) you may tie the two vents back any place you wish.
4)" I have unearthed part of a section that appears to be a clean out. Is that possible? why would there be such a thing as the main line runs under my basement floor? It is not capped off, just open."
If it's open and under the slab then that would indicate a line that has been discontinued. Why else would a drain be left open for dirt to fall into and stop it up.
5) " if it is in fact what it appears to be. If it is does it confirm which direction the flow is? I ask because I have found no outside evidence of which direction it would hook into the city sewer. Would putting a level on it tell me with certainty?"
"Putting a level on it would indicate the direction the branch took but putting a level on the main would tell you more. It would give you the direction of flow and since we attempt to keep out mains straight then following the mains direction should give you a pretty good idea of where the main exits the house. good luck, Tom
Tom,
I just need to clarify what you said below.
"my shower is beyond the toilet so is it o.k. to hook the shower drain into the toilet drain anywhere between the toilet and main?"
Not unless you run a separate vent for the shower.
The vent I ran is a dry vent directly to the outside. This is what I had planned. My drain for my shower would come past the toilet and then I would vent it. A foot down the line I would tie it into the toilet drain. The toilet drain would be vented near here also. They would go up inside my wall and tie together and then connect to the dry vent that I have installed. Does venting the shower drain before I tie into the toilet drain constitute a separate vent per your answer above? That's what I'm not clear about.
3) "I have a vent pipe just for these two fixtures. Can I hook these two fixtures into the vent anywhere between the toilet and main line?"
If this is a dry vent,( no other fixtures draining into it) you may tie the two vents back any place you wish.
"My drain for my shower would come past the toilet and then I would vent it. A foot down the line"
Mickey, I don't care if the vent's a inch down the line. You're stll discharging a major fixture past a unvented minor one. Perhaps if you moved the vent vent upstream of the shower or connected directly to the shower drain it would fly but not the way you discribe. Can you move the shower vent? Regards, Tom See ya in the morning, I'm kickin back!
My drain for my shower would come past the toilet and then I would vent it.
Mickey, I don't care if the vent's a inch down the line. You're stll discharging a major fixture past a unvented minor one.
So what makes this not work is that if the shower drain isn't vented before it's tied into the toilet drain, my shower trap would be siphoned dry by the discharge from the toilet as it goes by the tied in shower drain. Is that correct?
If that's correct, would this work? About three feet from my shower drain trap I would vent the shower drain. The drain would continue and be tied into the toilet drain just before the toilet drain is tied into the main drain. The toilet drain would be vented just before the shower drain is tied into it.
"So what makes this not work is that if the shower drain isn't vented before it's tied into the toilet drain, my shower trap would be siphoned dry by the discharge from the toilet as it goes by the tied in shower drain. Is that correct?"
Right!
"would this work? About three feet from my shower drain trap I would vent the shower drain. The drain would continue and be tied into the toilet drain just before the toilet drain is tied into the main drain. The toilet drain would be vented just before the shower drain is tied into it."
I'll buy that. Your shower would be vented by code and the toilet would be wet vented through the same vent
Mickey, In the future could you post back to this thread instead of starting a new one every time you post? it saves space and me the hassle of merging the posts. thanks, Tom
Tom
I haven't located a cleanout for my main line nor will I. The plummer at Home Depot said I should put a cleanout on my toilet drain just before tying into the main. The reason is only for testing the system. It would be the only access I would have to block off the water flow to do the test. Would that be your suggestion?
Do I understand you correctly that my closet would be wet vented because the shower drain which is vented is tied into it? I had planned to vent it separately but if that does the trick, all the better.
How important is the slope of the vent? It is horizental for a good distance in the attic because I am exiting through the side of my house. In my mind(no comment) it doesn't seem like enough condensation would be in the pipe to make much difference as far as allowing air into the system.
Hey Mickey,
"The plummer at Home Depot said I should put a cleanout on my toilet drain just before tying into the main. The reason is only for testing the system. It would be the only access I would have to block off the water flow to do the test. Would that be your suggestion?"
What test? A static drainage test? Dd you pull a permit that calls for a inspection?
"Do I understand you correctly that my closet would be wet vented because the shower drain which is vented is tied into it? I had planned to vent it separately but if that does the trick, all the better."
The toilet will be vented by the system. Unless local code calls for a toilet to have its own vent you're OK.
"How important is the slope of the vent? It is horizental for a good distance in the attic because I am exiting through the side of my house. In my mind(no comment) it doesn't seem like enough condensation would be in the pipe to make much difference as far as allowing air into the system."
From the highest point you will slope the vent back 1/4" to the foot. However if that's too much fall you may reduce back to 1/8th inch to the foot if necessary.
good luck, tom
Tom,
What test? A static drainage test? Dd you pull a permit that calls for a inspection?
I think he said to put a plummers ball into the drain to block it and then fill it with water to see if there were any leaks. Not exactly sure but that seemed to be his point. No, I didn't pull a permit so I don't need to worry about that aspect but would still like to be sure it's o.k. Anything simple I could do that would satisfy the question of leaks?
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