Hello;
I am new to this site and I hope that someone could maybe help me out?
I own a home with a concrete basement that was built in 1974, there is a bathroom that is apparently roughed in!
There is a capped 2" PVC drain pipe coming out of the wall at about 2' off of the floor with two water supply lines with it. The shower has the taps and head in the stall. There is a single capped water supply line about 4" off the floor which I believe is for the toilet.
My problem that I am facing is that I cannot locate either drain pipe (toilet waste or the shower). I took a ballpeaned hammer and tapped on the concrete listening for a change in the noise I was creating hoping to find a hollow sound. I failed!
Is there another method to locate these pipes? Am I going to have to smash out the floor to locate them?

Thank you;
Keith

Hey Keith, Welcome to AskMeHelpDesk!

Quote:

---

There is a single capped water supply line about 4" off the floor which I believe is for the toilet.
My problem that I am facing is that I cannot locate either drain pipe (toilet waste or the shower).

---

Let's start with the toilet, (because that's the easiest). Measure over 6" to the right of the stubout that's 4" off the floor and about 12" out from the wall and then beat hell out of the cement floor because that's where your toilet should be.
The shower's a bit more difficult. If I had to guess I would start to check about two or three feet out from the center of the shower valve. Is the shower dapped out? ( A large square hole set in the cement about 2 inches deep?) You may have to cut a trench across the width and locate the drain line and follow it back to the trap.

Quote:

---

There is a capped 2" PVC drain pipe coming out of the wall at about 2' off the floor with two water supply lines with it.

---

That would be the rough in for the vanity. Good luck, Tom

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by speedball1

Hey Keith, Welcome to AskMeHelpDesk!


Let's start with the toilet, (because that's the easiest). Measure over 6" to the right of the stubout that's 4" off the floor and about 12" out from the wall and then beat hell outta the cement floor because that's where your toilet should be.
The shower's a bit more difficult. If I had to guess I would start to check about two or three feet out from the center of the shower valve. Is the shower dapped out? ( A large square hole set in the cement about 2 inches deep?) You may have to cut a trench across the width and locate the drain line and follow it back to the trap.
That would be the rough in for the vanity. Good luck, Tom

---

Thanks Tom;
When I did try to locate the toilet drain I was pretty much right were you described. I used a 32oz ballpeen hammer and I sure did beat the hell out of the floor to the point of chipping the concrete. Should I use a 10 lb sledge hammer next, or should I just skip all of that and get out the concrete saw and start cutting my new trench!

Thanks for your input;
Keith

There are ways of locating pipes, for instance:

Ground-penetrating radar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by KeithandLynn

Thanks Tom;
When I did try to locate the toilet drain I was pretty much right were you described. I used a 32oz ballpeen hammer and I sure did beat the hell out of the floor to the point of chipping the concrete. Should I use a 10 lb sledge hammer next, or should I just skip all of that and get out the concrete saw and start cutting my new trench!

Thanks for your input;
Keith

---

Good morning Keith,
Ground penetrating radar is a expensive way to find out what I've been saying all along. 6" over and 12" out and you're going to hafta take your cement saw and open up that area looking for the toilet because that's where it will go whether it's roughed in or not. To locate the shower stub up I would cut a lateral trench to pick up the drain and follow it over to the trap. Is the shower dapped out? ( A large square hole set in the cement about 2 inches deep?) Regards, Tom

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by speedball1

Good morning Keith,
Is the shower dapped out? ( A large square hole set in the cement about 2 inches deep?) Regards, Tom

---

Good Morning Tom,
I do not see anything in the concrete in the shower stall. There is only smooth cement except for the chips that I put in with my hammer!

Keith

Time to break out the jack hammer or the cement saw and go "ahunting".
Make a square cut around where the toilet should go and do a lateral cut across the shower to pick up the drain line. If they're there great but if they're not you had to open up the floor anyhow to install them. Whadda you got ta lose? Good luck, Tom

Thanks to all for all of your help! Much appreciated!

Keith

You're welcome Keith, If you anything more we're as close as a click. Good luck, Tom