Moving a bathroom in the basement

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OZ324

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I'm pinging for opinions on a basement bathroom project. Full gut and remodel of my basement, air seal and insulate and a bunch of other stuff. The original bathroom rough-in is in a bad spot - roughly center of the space (total basement is about 1000 Sq/ft). It's an ugly eye soar and just doesn't flow well. I'd like to move it t the corner about 15' away. The house is 10 years old and all the walls are open so I have the ability to move everything over there easy except what's under the slab.

I'm a licensed building but I do it on the side because clients annoy me. However, I've never tried something like this. Time is really not an issue but how much work am I looking at? Any other opinions are greatly appreciated.

Thank you.
 

Jadnashua

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The biggest issue will be where and how the existing drain lines run, and, how deep they are. You need to maintain the 1/4"/foot slope, and that could make the pipe need to rise too high for effective operation. The solution to that could be a sewage disposal pump and basin, but that adds a lot of expense, maintenance, and hassle to the overall operation. Access to the existing vent may or may not be an issue, as installing a new one could mean tearing up walls on the floor(s) above, then on into the attic and potentially the roof if you can't combine it in the attic.
 

OZ324

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Was driving home tonight and the slope problem hit me. The actual distance is closer to 16', meaning I will need to drop four inches from the new line to the existing. Is it possible to find out how deep the current line is without breaking up the floor? How deep does the new line need to be under the slab?
 

Terry

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I figure 4" for cover over the pipe.
To determine how deep you are now, you could cut the pipe and throw a measuring tape down the pipe.
 

OZ324

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I have a shower stub out and measured to the bottom which equalled 20". I subtracted 4" for the trap so I'm guessing the plumbing is buried approximately 12-16" below the slab. If I move the bathroom 16' I'll need to drop 4" to get to the old work. If I install the new plumbing 4" below the slab that means I'll have to drop to 8". Is my math correct? I'm looking at this and thinking it's possible.

Also, any advice on how to get a plumber to come to my house and work this out with me? I made a few calls and offered to pay for the time but everyone says no.

Thanks
 

Terry

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Sixteen feet and 8" sounds about right. You can go a bit deeper and be okay too.
Many plumbers don't like to teach. Are you asking them if they can do the work? Or if they can tell you how to do it?
Two very different things to ask I know. And if I hear someone say they're getting ten bids, I'm not looking at it.
Sometimes it's a good idea to send over some pictures of the project with a list of what you want them to do. Then they can throw some numbers back at you without making the drive.
 

OZ324

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I'm asking if they can tell me if it's possible first, and I would pay for that time. I'm planning on doing the demo but not the install. I figured most plumbers would jump at that since all the hard work would be done.
 

OZ324

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Just thought of something else. I have access to a clean out outside as the pipe runs to the septic tank. If I measure to the bottom of that and then calculate the distance to the main stack in the house I should be able to get an approximate depth below the slab, no?
 

Cacher_Chick

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Just thought of something else. I have access to a clean out outside as the pipe runs to the septic tank. If I measure to the bottom of that and then calculate the distance to the main stack in the house I should be able to get an approximate depth below the slab, no?

There is no guarantee that the piping under the slab or underground is pitched at 1/4" per foot from end to end. If you measure the distance and depth at each end, you can get a good idea if it might be.
 

Reach4

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It is often easier to run the new bath into a new trenched soil pipe that joins the pipe to the septic tank in the yard.

Your yard must have a significant slope.
 

OZ324

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The pipe on the right is the vent, correct? Can I reroute it 16' to the left or is there a rule against to many bends? If that's not doable, would an AAV be appropriate? I may be able to run a new vent but would be very difficult. Thanks
 

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Reach4

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That is the vent.
Can I reroute it 16' to the left or is there a rule against to many bends?
It is not clear what you are proposing. You must keep the vent vertical (within 45 degrees) when it is lower than 6 inches above the flood level (where water spills out in case of a clog) of the sink. That would typically be 42 inches.
 

OZ324

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Sorry for the lack of clarity, I try to get right to the point in my posts since I'm certain you've read variations of them dozens of times.

What you're seeing in the picture is the current original rough in for a basement bathroom. It's horribly placed in the middle of the room. I want to move it roughly 16 feet to the left in to the corner. The main drain leaves the house to the right, so I'm moving in the opposite direction. However, based on some measurements I've taken I do not think slope will be a problem. My next problem is venting. My first thought is to reroute the 1.5" pipe on the right of the picture in a chase high on the wall or through the joists to the new vanity then wet vent the shower and toilet back to the main stack (under the concrete) on the left of the picture. Alternatively, if that is not a proper vent design I was thinking of using an AAV. I may be able to drill through the rim joists in to the adjoining garage and run a pipe up to the attic where I have a vent pipe and attach to that. But if an AAV will be good enough I'd prefer that choice. Hope this makes more sense. Thank you :)
 

Reach4

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What I think you are saying is that you want to relocate the sink to the left, so you would like to move that vent toward the new sink location, which would be left

You can do that. There are discussions about what kind of 90s you can use. Keep the path high enough. Keep the slope toward the drain. Instead of replacing the current vent pipe, you could save it in case you ever want to put in something else latter... coffee machine with a drain, bar sink, etc. You would tee the vent off high.

Use of an AAV varies with local rules, but would usually be OK. They can fail, and must be accessible for replacement.

While doing your project, consider insulation. I suggest searching this site for polyiso basement.
 

OZ324

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That is exactly right. Basically moving everything to the left. Awesome, thank you.
I like your thinking. I plan on building a bar where the current plumbing is. This will attach to a new media room.
I'm remodeling the entire basement with the main goal of air sealing and insulating the walls. I have a giant stack of 2" XPS just waiting to go up.
 

OZ324

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Additionally, the chase will house the exhaust fan duct to where it exits the building now, which is right next to where the vent pipe is. This saves me the trouble of finding a new exit point. Appears the most labor intensive aspect of this project will be breaking up the slab. And a lot of it too. I plan on using a diamond tipped blade on my worm drive circular saw and a sledge hammer. And advice beyond that?
 

houndzilla

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If you are living in the house during demo rent a HEPA air scrubber from HD or a nearby rental place and either set it up near your saw, or setup the basement to have a negative air pressure using the air scrubber. Turn off HVAC.

When I had the saw cutters come for my basement project (lots and lots of trenching) even with their wet saw they covered the house in dust. Wife WAS not happy.
 

Cacher_Chick

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You can run the vent across the overhead to your new location, as long as it is pitched so that incoming rainwater and/or condensation goes to the drain.
 
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