New Bathroom in Basement Questions

[CrashKaloop]

Hello Everyone,

This is my first post, and I have tried to provide enough information to allow accurate responses to my questions.

I am just starting to finish the basement of our house which was built in 2003. The previous owner did some build out, but with no permit, and it violated code in most areas. I have ripped most of that out, got a permit, and I am now starting nearly fresh.

I have left most of the perimeter walls in place, as they are to code. I live in Denver, so we have floating walls in our basements.

I have included a drawing and some photos of what I have now, and labeled some of the areas I have questions about.


This is the layout as it is now, and the labels A,B, C, and D are to help identify for discussion purposes. I have put a hose down each of the drains, and all flow freely. Stub out “A†has a P-trap, so I would think this is for a shower or tub, and this leads me to my first question.

1) Looking at the placement of “Aâ€, it seems to me that this is not the ideal placement for a tub or shower drain, so I know I will have to bust up some concrete and move the drain to install a tub. Is “A†likely the drain for a tub or shower?



I am also including my proposed layout for the bathroom, and have labeled the drains. I did this because it seemed the most logical, but if anyone has comments about the layout, please feel free to point me in another direction.

Here are a few photos of the plumbing to give you a better feel of what I have, including the vent attached to some type of header.






Now, here are my assumptions.

a) Stub “A†is a drain for either a tub or shower. Is this correct?
b) Stub “Bâ€, which is 3†is for the toilet. Is this correct?
c) Header pipes “Dâ€, which are 2â€, are for the vanity sink drain, and the vent for all of the plumbing in this bathroom. Is this correct?
d) And finally, what the heck is “D†for? It is a 4†pipe, and I have no idea what to do with it.

Now, if I have this all turned around or something, just let me know. I have thick skin and can take a lot of abuse.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Jadnashua]

None of the floor pipes are in what I'd call an ideal location!

First, 13" from the wall is a bit short for a typical tub, which is at least 30" wide (many have the drain centered, and a 30" tub is pretty small, but common). Second, 17" on the toilet is problematic, but you'd probably be building out the wall with the pipes there...you really want it to be 12" from the FINISHED wall for maximum choice on new toilets. Third, to pass code, the toilet needs a MINIMUM of 15" either side to any obstruction, and you may not have that with any tub you put in. If you opt for a shower, you'd only be able to put in a code minimum one, I think (that's 900 sqin) with a minimum of a 24" opening; you won't like a code minimum shower!

'D' may be a floor drain. A floor drain also needs a trap primer, otherwise, the trap will dry out and allow sewer gasses to escape.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[CrashKaloop]

Yes, the 13" will not work for the tub. And I want the tub drain at the other end also. It is also in a bad location for a shower too. I knew I would have to relocate that drain either way.

The toilet location works fine once I build the wall in the right place over the pipes, so no problem there.

But that darn 4" drain? Until you suggested that it could be a floor drain, I had no idea what it was. It definitely has no P-trap, so what the heck will I do about that? Is there anything else it could be? Can I just cap it? It is also exactly the same distance from the wall as the toilet drain, so I thought it might be for the toilet, but why 4"?

But thanks for the floor drain idea jadnashua, that does make some sense to me.

 

[Jadnashua]

Without a p-trap, it may be an alternate position for a toilet. Toilets are commonly plumbed with either 3 or 4" pipes. It may also be a cleanout.

 

[CrashKaloop]

Thanks Jim! You pointed out something that I had missed. As you accurately stated, once I have a 30” tub installed, I am not sure I could get the 15” clearance to the center of the toilet. In fact, I am pretty sure I won’t!

I guess this means that not only will I have to relocate the shower drain to align it to the tub drain, but I also may need to move the toilet drain too.

Is it possible to use an offset flange of some sort? I know they are mostly designed to be used for adjustments for distance from the back, 10” or 14”, but could they be used to get me an extra 2” away from the tub?

Hope that makes sense?