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View Full Version : New Construction-the plumber forgot to vent the basement bathroom!


vintagehotrods
Nov 13, 2011, 01:30 PM
I'm building a new house with a walkout basement with a bathroom (toilet, shower and sink) and a 1 1/2" vent was roughed into the floor but the plumber forgot to bring it up to the roof to vent it. He is now going to install a Oatey 6 DFU Sure Vent in the 1 1/2' vent pipe 1' above the floor. He wants to put another one near the sink. Will this work or should I make him take it out to the roof? The house is now drywalled, insulated and finished and I'm afraid of the mess he will make of that. I'm concerned this won't work very well and the toilet won't flush right or there will be other problems.

ballengerb1
Nov 13, 2011, 04:39 PM
On your own call the building inspector in your area and ask about using a Sure Vent. They are not allowed in all areas and applications. To tell you the truth any plumber who forgets to vent is suspect. Any mess made installing the correct vent is on him, not your dime. Your job has to pass an inspection and cuurently it will not. Hold the plumber to the code, do not accept a band aide.

massplumber2008
Nov 13, 2011, 04:53 PM
Hi VHT

Was this job inspected by a plumbing inspector? If a permit was pulled and the job was inspected then you need to call the plumbing inspector and see what he wants you guys to do.

If you don't want to call your inspector or you guys didn't pull a permit for some reason then you can always call another towns' plumbing inspector and see what he thinks of the plumber's solution here.

I wouldn't want sure vents in place of a direct piped vent if I could help it as sure vents can fail over time (easily replaced, but a nuisance). It's one thing on a remodel situation, but in new construction it's almost unheard of, to be honest! Be clear, however, that in your area this may be an accepted standard...varies by state, town/and city!! Talk to an inspector to be sure.

In terms of any messes, the plumber should be able to run the vent up through the closets if needed. Here, he can hide the pipe in the left or right FRONT corners of the closet so you will barely ever see them unless peeking way into the front corner of the closet, right? If that doesn't sit right with you then the pipe can certainly go in the wall, too!

Let us know what happens, OK?

Mark

vintagehotrods
Nov 14, 2011, 11:24 AM
Thanks guys for your suggestions and help. The project is permitted and has been inspected but they must have missed this. I caught it when I was framing in a shower wall in which the vent pipe would run. It was sticking up out of the floor 2' so the plumber must have been tripping over it when he worked in that area. I called the building inspector in the nearby town and he said a sure vent (studer vent) would have to be engineered to be approved on a specific case by case basis. I am waiting for a call back from the inspector in my jurisdiction for his ruling on this too. I am going to insist on venting it up through the main floor and tie it into the venting system in the attic which will take it through the roof vent stack. I will probably do it myself because I am finding that I can do better work than 2/3 of the subcontractors here in central Arizona. This will be the second plumber (I asked the contractor to fire the first one) on this job already and he has made other mistakes that I caught and corrected. I have redone much of the other trades work too. I come the midwest (South Dakota) and I have never experienced quality issues there like I have here. Although this is a new home it feels like remodel job!

massplumber2008
Nov 14, 2011, 06:25 PM
Thank you for the update. We appreciate knowing how each problem gets solved... helps others in the future!