Newbie needs help with drain

[SHEP17]

I am new to this site today and am glad I found it. I desperately need help.

We are in the middle of a bathroom remodeling. I am going from a shower to a full tub and shower. The drain line had to be relocated approx. 60" away, so the contractor had his plumber run a pvc drain line from the new drain location into the existing drain where the shower was.
There was (and still is) a p-trap under the old shower location. He then added another p-trap under the tub drain. However, the tub drains very slowly, even when using just the shower. I think this is because of the double p-traps in the line. Am I correct?
If so, I think I can remove the new p-trap, but will the old p-trap be to far from the tub drain? I cannot get to the old p-trap location

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[Jadnashua]

Double p-traps is not right. The one and only correct situation is a single p-trap under the shower. Maybe the correct course of action is run a new line, abandoning the old one if you can't get there now. The whole thing needs the proper slope, or you'll always have problems.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[SHEP17]

Can't remove drain line

The only thing I can do is remove the new p-trap for the tub drain. The new drain line is in a concrete slab and the marble tub and surround is already in place. However, I can get to the new p-trap to remove it.

 

[Jadnashua]

It will never work right. You might get some flow, but that length of pipe will accumulate soap scum, hair, etc., and smell like a sewer. Having a trap right under the drain prevents that by blocking any air exchange. If the plumber that put it in installed it like that, it may not have the proper slope to it either. Sorry, you may have to tear things up if you want it right. If you paid someone to do this, they either don't have a license, or it never was inspected, both of which can give you even bigger problems down the road. Have you paid for everything yet? If not, don't.

 

[Geniescience]

what a story; hard to believe.
--- a contractor, a plumber and a homeowner.
--- double p traps.



and now the homeowner is the one who spots the problem.



all's well that ends well. Hope that the slopes are right.

David

 

[Geniescience]

to be fair, let's see if we have understood what you have tried to tell us.

- you now have a tub, along with a separate shower
- (or, you now have a single tub-shower )

- the tub's P trap drains slowly
- the tub's P trap drains slowly, "even just when the shower is being used" whatever that means, can you clarify...?
-- "even when using just the shower" means what?






If you have BOTH a tub and a shower, then the two P traps are not connected in series. I'll bet $1000 on that.


- you believe, or you are sure, that the two P traps are in series.
- or, you did not mean to say that.




Please clarify.




In order for two drains to work, the drain lines coming out from each P trap are connected with a Wye connection in the drain line, and then a single drain line comes out from that Wye.

So far I have not mentioned venting.


david

 

[SHEP17]

I'll try to explain better.

I had a shower with a p-trapped drain under it. We installed a tub with shower. The contractor ran a 1 1/2" PVC drain line (about 60" long) from the new tub drain into the top of the old shower p-trap. He installed a second (new) p-trap at the tub drain, giving me two p-traps in the same line.

What I meant by "even just when the shower is being used" is that the drain cannot keep up with the water flow causing water to build up in the bottom of the tub when showering.

Tearing the old trap out is definitely NOT an option. The drain line has been covered in concrete and the tub, marble surround and a cabinet is all in place. Bathroom is finished except the tub skirt is not in place.

I am just looking to improve a bad situation by removing the new p-trap to get better flow. I know it will not be to code and may give me some problems later, but I will have to live with it.

 

[Geniescience]

...installed a tub with shower. ....

a tub-shower?

A single tub-shower, a single appliance, a tub with a shower inside it, a single visible drain hole... is that understanding right?

And then, you are sure that you saw the contractor+plumber put the new 60" long drain into the old P trap which is now buried. Is that right?


david

 

[Geniescience]

looks like you were modifying your post jut when i was writing my answer.

now it is clear, that you have a tub-shower.

This probably means you have no more shower where the old shower was. Please confirm. (it is still possible that the old shower is still there and still functioning. Just say that it is gone, and we will know.)

David

 

[Jadnashua]

I think that regardless of what you do, unless it is re-done right, it won't work well and you'll be dissapointed. Was the plumber licensed? Was it inspected?

 

[SHEP17]

Gone

The old shower is gone. Just one tub with a shower now.

 

[Patrick88]

I think that regardless of what you do, unless it is re-done right, it won't work well and you'll be dissapointed. Was the plumber licensed? Was it inspected?

I doubt it was inspected if the 2" trap is still in place. I the plumber was licensed if the 2" trap is still in place. I would bet the guy that did the plumbing thought having the old trap in place would make up for the vent being to far away.
I assume this because the new trap is now 60" further than the old trap so with 1.5 drain line it is now to far away from the vent stack and would gurgle.
I would tell the contractor to get back and fix this asap.

 

[SHEP17]

Update...

OK, I spent the better part of the day fixing this tub drain problem.

I had to air hammer out obout 12"-15" of concrete to get access to the plumbing. Removed all of the plumbing from the tub, including the new p-trap. Re-plumbed using schedule 40 PVC from the tub and overflow to the extended (by plumber?) drain line. Tub drains fine now. No back-up or gurgling like before.

I know that the p-trap should be directly under the tub, but I really didn't have the option of removing the original p-trap since it was under a finished floor.

Thanks for everyone's advice. I know I will be back with more questions.

 

[Geniescience]

you are now more savvy than the contractor and the guy who did the plumbing.

you turned a bad situation into something that works better.


david