[Amateur_vince]

First, thank you for having this kind of forum. Now also let me say that I'm not well versed in the plumbing lingo so hopefully you will be patient with my questions.

I live in a 3 levels home (Basement, Main, Upstairs) with the existing bathroom is on the main floor. I'm planing to add another stack/vent 4" pipe,which will be roughed in with the existing stack/vent in the basement to the roof. This new stack/vent will serve a new bathroom from upstairs, not the main floor, and the half bath down in the basement.

1. Would this new stack/vent be sufficiently served all the fixtures of a new bathroom, and a new half bath, in addition of reconfigure of laundry washer?

2. I'm trying to figure out how I would run the vents for the toilet, lavatory, and the laundry washer in the basement. The way I read the code, If I stay within the "critical distance" I can drain everything into this new stack/vent without vents for the toilet, lav, and laundry washer? All of these fixtures are within 3 feet of the new stack/vent here.

3. If we need to have the vents for the toilet, lav, and laundry in the basement, I'm thinking of running a 2" vent pipe parallel with stack/vent up pass the bathroom upstairs and connect it back to this new stack/vent. What's the size of the vent pipe would you recommend? By running the vent pipe parallel with the stack/vent pipe, how far away does the vent pipe needs to be apart from the new stack/vent?

4. For the new bathroom upstairs, I'm planning to use a 3" drain pipe for the toilet. The tub and lavatory will have 2" drain pipes. I will group all these fixtures of this new bathroom together with a 2" vent pipe. What is your recommendation here?

5. Would it also be OK to group the 2" vent pipe of all the fixtures in the basement with the 2" vent pipe of the new bathroom upstairs together and tie it in with the new stack/vent pipe?

I understand venting is just as important as draining, any suggestions for what I'd like to achieve would greatly appreciated. I'd to know the answers before we invest huge amount of money into the project or sale the home and get another place.

-Thanks
Vince in Portland Oregon

[speedball1]

Hey Vince,
"I'm planing to add another stack/vent 4" pipe,which will be roughed in with the existing stack/vent in the basement to the roof. This new stack/vent will serve a new bathroom from upstairs, not the main floor, and the half bath down in the basement."

1). Would this new stack/vent be sufficiently served all the fixtures of a new bathroom, and a new half bath, in addition of reconfigure of laundry washer?

Yes, but you must realize that once you drain the fixtures from the upstairs bath into it that it will no longer be a vent from that point down . It then becomes a stack and every fixture below,( the basement half bath), and will not be able to use this as a vent. They will have to be vented out the roof or revented back into a dry vent.

2.) "The way I read the code, If I stay within the "critical distance" I can drain everything into this new stack/vent without vents for the toilet, lav, and laundry washer? All of these fixtures are within 3 feet of the new stack/vent here."

Wrong!! I addressed this in #1. You may not discharged a major fixture past a unvented minor one. EACH and EVERY fixture that has a trap MUST be vented. While you may drain into this stack the basement fixtures must be vented out the roof or revented back into a dry vent.

3.) "If we need to have the vents for the toilet, lav, and laundry in the basement, I'm thinking of running a 2" vent pipe parallel with stack/vent up pass the bathroom upstairs and connect it back to this new stack/vent. What's the size of the vent pipe would you recommend? By running the vent pipe parallel with the stack/vent pipe, how far away does the vent pipe needs to be apart from the new stack/vent?"

One 2" vent should service the entire basement bathroom group if you wet vent the washer and take the 2" vent off the lavatory. You may run the new vent up as close to the stack as you wish.

4.) "For the new bathroom upstairs, I'm planning to use a 3" drain pipe for the toilet. The tub and lavatory will have 2" drain pipes. I will group all these fixtures of this new bathroom together with a 2" vent pipe. What is your recommendation here?"

Toilet to 3" main to the 4" stack. Lavatory to connect to the 3" main with 2" and a 2" vent to revent back into the 4" vent. The tub will connect with 2" to the lavatories drain and be wet vented by the lav vent.

5.) "Would it also be OK to group the 2" vent pipe of all the fixtures in the basement with the 2" vent pipe of the new bathroom upstairs together and tie it in with the new stack/vent pipe?"

Yes, This is called "reventing" and you may revent the basement vent back into the upstairs lavatory vent anywhere over 6" above the lavatorys flood rim.

6) "I understand venting is just as important as draining, any suggestions for what I'd like to achieve would greatly appreciated."

If it would help you can scan me drawings of the fixture layout of the two baths and I'll lay the job out for you
I can help and advise you but you'll have to have a basic knowledge of plumbing to use this advice. This is major surgery you're getting into that requires a certain amount of proficiently in the building trades since there will be more then just plumbing involved, ie: carpenter, dry wall, electric, paint, tile, etc.
I'm not attempting to discourage you, just letting you know what you're letting yourself in for.
Good luck, Tom

[Amateur_vince]

This is great! I'm in an early planning. I'm hoping to get all the answers before I go down to get the permits. I have attach the diagram, which is kind of rough for now. In the diagram the broken lines are for the existing vent/stack of the current bathroom. Please suggest if this diagram is not going to work/meet the code.

Thanks again for all your help! Your answers are deeply appreciated

[IMG]D:\Documents and Settings\nz5zt6\My Documents\My Pictures/draft.JFG[/IMG]

If you can't read the diagram, please let me know.

[speedball1]

Yourdrawing didn't come through. Try agan. Regards, Tom

[Amateur_vince]

Yourdrawing didn't come through. Try agan. Regards, Tom

I'm having trouble of uploading the diagram because it exceeds the size limit, so I zipped the file.

draft.zip

Hopefully, you'll be able to open without any problems.

Thanks again for being there to answer the questions.

[speedball1]

Vince I have opened the plan but it won't print out. I have to have a print out to make revisions on. My Addy's [email protected] Could you send it over as a attachment? Head it up PLUMBING so it doesn' end up as junk. Thanks, Tom

[speedball1]

Vince,

Here in a revised plan. Notice I moved the washer downstream from the lavatory and wet vented some of the fixtures to reduce the number of vent pipes.
Also I used a 2" short sweep and a 2" combo to eliminate the tub vent. However if you can reverse the tub I could use a 2" wye to pick it up and do away with both the vent AND the return bend.
Notice the change in some pipe sizes. Your thoughts? Cheers, Tom

[Amateur_vince]

This is awsome! Thank you so much Speedball!

What I'm going to do now is to make a clean drawing like you suggested above, working on hot & cold water, and electric etc... so that I can go down and get all the permits.

Vince