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SjC · Mar 17, 2005, 09:55 AM

Hi,
I'm wondering what's the best way to tap into my 4" copper sewer pipe. Here's the thing, I need to add a 1 1/2" waste line into the sewer pipe in my basement (which runs across one basement wall). Would I be best to use a PVC T (or wye connection) and reduce the pipe size to that, or should I use a rubber T adapter? The task seems simple enough, just wondering which would be the better option. Thanks!

speedball1 · Mar 17, 2005, 10:26 AM

Originally Posted by SjC

Hi,
I'm wondering what's the best way to tap into my 4" copper sewer pipe. Here's the thing, I need to add a 1 1/2" waste line into the sewer pipe in my basement (which runs accross one basement wall). Would i be best to use a PVC T (or wye connection) and reduce the pipe size to that, or should i use a rubber T adapter? The task seems simple enough, just wondering which would be the better option. Thanks!

4"copper sewer main? How old is your house? Make cuts in the copper big enough to accommodate a 4 X 2" street combination wye and 1/8th bend with a short piece of 4" PVC glued in the hub of the combo. You may now tie the combo in using 4" Fernco couplings. Go for 2" drainage under the floor. Our local plumbing code will not allow 1 1/2" drainage under the floor.
Good luck, Tom

SjC · Mar 17, 2005, 10:40 AM

Tom,
The house is about 30 years old - the 'main' I am referring to is the internal line that runs fom the bathrooms etc. and connects into the city sewer. Thanks for your advice though, all I have to do now is track down the parts!

speedball1 · Mar 17, 2005, 12:24 PM

Originally Posted by SjC

Tom,
the house is about 30 years old - the 'main' i am referring to is the internal line that runs fom the bathrooms etc. and connects into the city sewer. Thanks for your advice though, all i have to do now is track down the parts!

30 years old? Your house was built in the 70's? Do you have copper vent and drainage pipes also? By saying," the 'main' i am referring to is the internal line that runs fom the bathrooms etc. and connects into the city sewer" are you telling me you have 4"copper all the way to the street where it ties into the city main? Where do you live? I'm asking this because back in the 40's when I broke into plumbing I ran into copper drainage pipes and lead fittings. Then we went to galvanized pipe for drainage 1 1/2" and under and cast iron for the big stuff. Then in the 60's we went to ABS Plastic and in the 70's to PVC. Copper became too expensive for drainage a long time ago. That's why I registered surprise at your description. Cheers, Tom

labman · Mar 17, 2005, 12:58 PM

My house was built in 1970. All the drain pipe is copper except for the chromed brass under the sinks. The verticals down from the stools and the horizontal in the crawl space are 4'' copper. May connect to cast where it goes through the wall out to the septic. Not sure what the vents are. They have lead boots over them, turned over at the top. Won't say just where I am, but we have winter, and are maybe a little slower to try new fangled things here.

About 3 years ago when our church replaced 50 year old rain gutters and down spouts, the scrap yard was astonished the copper hadn't been stolen long ago. The $300 went a long way towards new, continuous aluminum, commercial ones.

SjC · Mar 17, 2005, 01:07 PM

Tom,
First thing I thought when we brought the house - I was surprised too - 32 years on the property deed & title, copper all the way out to the street, and we're here in NJ.
Steve.