Ask Experts Questions for FREE Help !
Ask
    nickm81's Avatar
    nickm81 Posts: 3, Reputation: 1
    New Member
     
    #1

    Jul 16, 2013, 09:11 PM
    Basement stub-out as 2nd main drain?
    Hello all! I have a 5-inch stub-out pipe in my basement that I would like to re-route all of the Drain Waste water on one side of my house to -- in addition to still keeping the DWV from one bathroom going to the existing main drain pipe. So basically, I'd have two main drains leading to the sewer.

    Can anyone give me a lowdown on the pros/cons of this? Is this even possible, or desirable? I will be checking the local plumbing code for our town (northeast Kansas) to see if anything specifically prohibits this, but my thought is this-- the volume of waste water in my house won't be changing, it will just be coming from 2 different areas. Right?

    Either way, I would really appreciate any tips from the pros or experienced do-it-yourselfers.

    Thanks in advance.
    ma0641's Avatar
    ma0641 Posts: 15,675, Reputation: 1012
    Uber Member
     
    #2

    Jul 16, 2013, 09:15 PM
    You have a what? Maybe I have one too!
    nickm81's Avatar
    nickm81 Posts: 3, Reputation: 1
    New Member
     
    #3

    Jul 16, 2013, 09:28 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by ma0641 View Post
    You have a what? Maybe I have one too!!
    Sorry about that. I guess that's what I get for trying to type a message on these stupid smartphones that are too small for my fingers these days. :)

    My question is this: I have a 5-inch stub-out pipe in my basement that I would like to re-route all of the Drain Waste water on one side of my house to -- in addition to still keeping the DWV from one bathroom going to the existing main drain pipe. So basically, I'd have two main drains leading to the sewer.

    Can anyone give me a lowdown on the pros/cons of this? Is this even possible, or desirable? I will be checking the local plumbing code for our town (northeast Kansas) to see if anything specifically prohibits this, but my thought is this-- the volume of waste water in my house won't be changing, it will just be coming from 2 different areas. Right?

    Either way, I would really appreciate any tips from the pros or experienced do-it-yourselfers.

    Thanks in advance.
    speedball1's Avatar
    speedball1 Posts: 29,301, Reputation: 1939
    Eternal Plumber
     
    #4

    Jul 17, 2013, 12:27 PM
    A few corrections. That 5" stub up is really a 4" ID Pipe.
    So basically, I'd have two main drains
    There's only one main drain in the house and that's the one leading out of the house to the sewer. Everything connected to it is a branch.
    Before I give you an answer. I have to know the reason you wish to do this. Everything is possible in plumbing as long as it is kept in code and with enough money. Do you have a separate system for each bathroom? Let me know, Tom
    nickm81's Avatar
    nickm81 Posts: 3, Reputation: 1
    New Member
     
    #5

    Jul 17, 2013, 07:05 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by speedball1 View Post
    A few corrections. That 5" stub up is really a 4" ID Pipe. There's only one main drain in the house and that's the one leading out of the house to the sewer. Everything connected to it is a branch.
    Before I give you an answer. I have to know the reason you wish to do this. Everything is possible in plumbing as long as it is kept in code and with enough money. Do you have a separate system for each bathroom? Let me know, Tom
    Tom:

    Basically, there is a very low-hanging waste water pipe going right across a nearly finished basement. It's an eyesore, and it takes a lot of space away from my otherwise nice high ceilings. Due to the framing members of the house, it doesn't seem possible for this pipe to take any other efficient route to the main drain area, without even more significant reduction of basement living space.

    My thought is, since there is only one bathroom on that side of the house, I would keep it draining to the current main drain area. If possible and allowed, I would remove the drain pipe that feeds all other drains in the house, create a new horizontal elbow where there's current a vertical one, and pipe everything else to the other drain pipe in the floor (which definitely measures 5" wide if I read my trusty tape measure correctly).

    I think my main questions are: has anyone done this before successfully (or not)? And more to the point, before I do this work, is there a way I can make sure that this intended drain definitely leads to the main waste line?

    Again, thanks for your time.

Not your question? Ask your question View similar questions

 

Question Tools Search this Question
Search this Question:

Advanced Search

Add your answer here.


Check out some similar questions!

My main drain pipe leaks sometime when you take a shower into the basement. Why? [ 0 Answers ]

Someone before me built a small brick wall around the main drain pipe in the basement. I was in the basement the other day and saw a little stream of water coming out of the wall where it meets the cellar floor, my son was taking a shower on the 2nd floor. Sometimes it leaks and sometimes it...

New Basement Drain to Horizontal Main [ 5 Answers ]

Hello I am installing a new basement 2" floor drain to handle condensation from a new A/C installation and hot water tank high pressure relief tube. I have a constructed basement floor. The height difference between the floor surface and the horizontal 4" DWC running below is about 20" at the...

Basement floor drain/main cleanout [ 1 Answers ]

Hi Terry, I recently purchased a single family home that had no basement floor drain and no sump pump. I hired a plumber install both. He used a flashlight to point out that a water formation sits about 6-8 inches back when looking down into my main line (main cleanout). I have three...

Sewer backup in main basement drain [ 1 Answers ]

Hello - our house was built in the 1940's. We have had issues with leaking around the basement walls in the spring and large rain storms. We never had a sump pump so installed that this past fall and if there were drain tiles, they aren't working now. Things were going well, until this morning -...

Backup in downstairs toilet-basement washer-outside main drain [ 2 Answers ]

Hello, I am having (in my opinion) a major plumbing disaster. I have a 2 story house with 2 and 1/2 bathrooms & basement. I have backup in my downstairs toilet (it hasn't overflowed---YET--but pretty close). I also have backup to the tippy top of my washer-which is located in the basement. I...


View more questions Search