Shower drain - will this pass inspection?

[Pbjman]

Hi I'm remodeling a bathroom. (Doing the construction myself, but my plumber pulled his own permit and did that part of the work.) Pulled the tub and converted to shower, moved the drain to center. The drain stack is cast iron. Here is the pic of how the drains went into the stack before inspection. The plumber connected to the pvc arm that was already there, he did not build the two 45's where it enters the stack.

On the rough inspection, the inspector did not approve and noted that we have to "properly vent shower drain". I was there when the inspector came, the plumber was not. The inspector did say I could continue the work upstairs in the bathroom and gave me the ok to cover the walls and start my tile, and that the correction could be done in the basement and he would look for the correction on the final so that there wouldn't be a re-inspection fee. When the plumber came back he assumed the inspector's problem was with the cast iron stack head fitting and rebuilt it like this:

I like that the toilet enters the stack below the shower, but I'm not sure that fixed everything. The drain arm is 1-1/2" pvc and is about 5.5 feet long. Is there still an issue with venting due to the height of the trap weir and where the line enters the vent? I called the plumber and asked him this but he said he didn't understand how it could be a problem. I may have said it wrong to him, but I said I thought that the drain arm had to enter the vent at a correct height relative to the weir but he said he didn't get it. I then said I thought maybe another way of saying it is that the drain arm can't drop more than the pipe diameter and he said as long as it's a 1/4" per foot it wouldn't be a problem. I haven't called for final inspection yet. Help!

 

[zanman]

Not a plumber, but i'll throw my 2 cents in.
It sounds like your shower is drain is not vented at all before it connects to the main-stack? If so i believe that is what your inspector is referring too.
How long is the length of the shower drain run? If it is 1.5" the run would need to be no longer than 6ft before the vent (Per IPC, not sure about UPC).
See Table 909.1
https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/IPC2018/chapter-9-vents

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Plumber69]

do this

 

[hj]

WHO would install a 1 1/2" drain for a shower, regardless of the length. If the "plumber" installed it with that "offset" and no vent, then he is NOT a "real" plumber.

 

[Pbjman]

do this

Hi Plumber 69 thanks for replying, but I don't understand your sketch.

 

[Pbjman]

WHO would install a 1 1/2" drain for a shower, regardless of the length. If the "plumber" installed it with that "offset" and no vent, then he is NOT a "real" plumber.

Hi HJ thanks for the reply. He actually does have a license. I've used him several times. Maybe have been lucky so far?
I think a lot of times the inspectors let things slide on remods and grandfather in existing stuff but not this time. Aren't 1-1/2 shower drains allowed now? (michigan)
What's the easiest solution here? (Other than getting a different plumber for the next job!)

 

[Cacher_Chick]

A shower drain is supposed to be 2”. If it were plumbed in 2”” then I would need to know the piped distance from the trap to the stack to determine if there is more than one way to properly vent it.
All indications are that your handyman is not a plumber, because a legitimate plumber would not have done that.

 

[Pbjman]

A shower drain is supposed to be 2”. If it were plumbed in 2”” then I would need to know the piped distance from the trap to the stack to determine if there is more than one way to properly vent it.
All indications are that your handyman is not a plumber, because a legitimate plumber would not have done that.

Hi Cacher. The distance from the trap to the stack is about 5-1/2 feet.

 

[WorthFlorida]

I would somehow contact the inspector and send him the picture to know if it be approved. The toilet is now wet vented if no other line drained into the stack from above.

Tthe inspector approved the drain size so you can start your tile work. It could be the age of the home where 1.5” was the norm when it was built so the inspector may have let it slide, the problem we all see is the length of the drain to the stack. For 2” drain it is 5 feet to the vent and with the right slope up to 8 feet. As stated above 6 ft for 1.5”. The picture looks like your at about 8 feet but the slope is too great. If the shower pan is tiles and water tight, dump about four gallons of water from a five gallon pail and see what happens. If you hear gurgling after the water has dropped below the tile it means the trap is being siphoned.

 

[Terry]

Hi Cacher. The distance from the trap to the stack is about 5-1/2 feet.

Once you make a jog up, it's no longer vented.
The correct rise is 1/4" per foot which would be 1-3/8" over 5-1/2 feet.

You handyman is not a plumber. All shower drains are 2" and have been since the 60's.
They don't even make a 1.5" shower drain for a pan.

 

[WorthFlorida]

Objman, please take a closeup picture of the drain pipe that has it’s size printed on or right at the fitting with its size molded in the piece. Also take a picture of the drain at the shower pan and the trap.

 

[Pbjman]

OK We can all agree that he is not a great plumber.
Assuming inspector continues to allow the 1-1/2” line (they often do on tub to shower conversions) can this be vented with an AAV?. The actual AAV could be in the closet next to the shower.
Thanks to all who have helped!

 

[Pbjman]

Objman, please take a closeup picture of the drain pipe that has it’s size printed on or right at the fitting with its size molded in the piece. Also take a picture of the drain at the shower pan and the trap.

I can’t get you a picture, but if you want to know the drain is a schluter drain with a 2” outlet, about 4” of 2” PVC vertical then reduced to 1-1/2 Just above the trap. The trap and drain line are 1-1/2” PVC.
Thanks

 

[Terry]

I would guess that the inspector would allow an AAV.

What I don't get is why he went 1.5" when he was pulling off the main line anyway. The cost difference is nothing. Pennies.