Fixing/correcting basement slop sink and washer plumbing

[Giantsean]

Hi All,

I purchased a used metal slop sink to replace a very large and old porcelain/cast iron sink. Our house has been in our family for my entire life, but I think it was there when my parents bought it. My dad did eventually switch us over from septic to street decades ago. Now that I have to plumb the sink drains I figured I'd take a shot at proper (or at least legal) plumbing and venting of what's there.

The pictures speak for themselves. I have two situations going on, both 100% wrong. One is our fault, one is the HVAC guy's:

- Correcting the washer/sink. I know it's wrong in a million ways (though believe it or not it does not stink). The good news is that the sewer is right there and the stack is 81 inches away. The "standpipe" is the remaining length of what used to be a kitchen sink drain (and it would be wrong for that too). Neither fixture is properly vented. You can see the sani-tee is what it is. I am not sure if any of those hexes, including the copper, can be turned out without breaking the tee. If I can just wet vent these and somehow stack two sani-tees (assume sink over washer) then I'd like to do that. OR if I'm able to cap the tee and install a double fixture above it, I can do that. I know it's not ideal but if I have to vent, I will just use a Studor. This is not the main washer and gets used maybe twice a month.

- Correcting the water heater condensate drain... not as big a deal. So this feeds into another sani-tee which used to be the standpipe for the original washing machine. When the Navien was moved and central air installed, they used it to run the handler drains into (at least they made a trap for it. The Navien runoff if I'm not mistaken is supposed to run through some sort of neutralizer, which they conveniently left off to the side along w/ the original pump for it which they said I "wouldn't need now," meaning they'd uncap the tee and stick it in the hole. It's all a long story. Anyway, I assume neither of these need any venting... my question is more whether it's worth it to make a little trap for the hose, what to tee into, just extend it to the handler trap blah blah blah. More about making it look nicer and be more right without going nuts.

So that's pretty much it...At this point I'm just aiming for the best legal fix that doesn't involve me cutting into the sewer pipe. Thanks as always for any advice, and stay healthy!

 

[Giantsean]

Too dumb a question? I don't even care so much about the condensate drain, it's more for the washer/sink - can I cap the sani-tee and put a double fixture sani on top OR can I just put another single sani-tee on top... worst case the washer may overflow into the sink if it's on top?

I know using a studor is not ideal for a washer (or in many cases) I just don't want to leave it like this

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Reach4]

Not a dumb question. Your pictures, especially the fifth one could go into a list of really weird plumbing. Too much to get into without fear of getting tied up with fixing a multi-mess.

So where to start? Let's start with that picture. You could put a pvc pipe atop that santee, where the corrugated hose is, and put an AAV or real vent above that.

On the right, you would shorten the trap arm so the trap does not block that tee beneath. Maybe use a 45 or 22.5 bend, in the horizontal plane, to bring that standpipe out from the wall a bit. That would be to keep it out of being interfered with by the copper. Then put a cleanout plug in the socket that is now under the U of the trap.

That santee on its back under the santee for the trap arm is not right either. However in the scheme of things, that is a lesser sin than the other stuff. To make that right, you would put a combination wye+45 ("combo") there and put the santee above that. To make sure it was going the right way, you would need to know which way the flow was. I would guess --- no, I won't guess.

Let the corrugated hose also play into the standpipe along with whatever goes there now. Those should probably be held above that inlet to the standpipe by 2 inches to provide an air gap.

There are more big sins. The washer standpipe needs a trap and a vent. That fix could look something like this:

but it would be a standpipe instead of a kitchen sink drain. Details available if you post your proposed fixes first.

 

[Terry]

OMG

There should not be santees on their backs.
Each trap should be vented. Heck, where are the traps even!
Instead of working about putting a double fixture cross there to pick up the washer standpipe and sink, consider putting in a couple of wye fittings, or combos off the main waste lines there to start.
You may not be able to pick up the sink off the vertical from the main line, but a wye running parallel to the line, and then take your vent off at a 45 toward the wall and revent at 42" above the floor. Do the AAV's for venting there, better then what you have, and they do work.

You may not know it smells, but it's also about sewer gas that is still harmful even if not noticed. The traps hold a seal to keep that nasty gas contained within the plumbing system.

 

[Terry]

Codes don''t allow that sink to be wet vented above the washer, not saying we didn't do that in the old days.
hj and I both did that back in the day and hj is older than dirt. I'm slightly less older than dirt.

 

[Giantsean]

Thanks guys. FYI flow is left to right in all pics. The condensate drain is on the opposite wall to the sink, after it goes around a corner.. see pic below

Were those santees ever right, even back in the day? I was trying to avoid cutting up the waste pipe if possible.. and I get that it's wrong but if it can get grandfathered in I can just say it was always like that (I'm not getting inspected anyway now)

Terry... speaking of which, if the sink can't wet vent over the washer, can the washer wet vent over the sink? If not I guess build the assembly in your pic more or less right? Sink over washer. in your pic, the leftmost pipe going out of frame to the top is just vented to the roof, but I'd just cap w/ an AAV correct? Unfortunately it's a cinder block wall so time to break out the ramset

The condensate drain is a whole other story. That basin needs to be where it is unless I extend the air handler condensate line. The thing underneath the trap is just another reducer supporting it, sitting on the waste pipe... not an open tee. Still, shortening the trap arm to catch the navien condensate may not be the worst idea...I just have to angle and extend the AC drain toward it.

 

[Reach4]

Terry... speaking of which, if the sink can't wet vent over the washer, can the washer wet vent over the sink?

Check this out:

Or just dump the washing machine drainage into the sink.

 

[Giantsean]

Thanks that's really helpful... basically eliminates a trap (or rather moves it to a central location. So in my case assuming I can make all those measurements work, since the washer is off to the right, I guess we can just move the standpipe between the sink and the tee on the waste pipe where the vent will go. So the questions:

- Should the sink drain empty into the standpipe/trap using a regular santee? Same question with the trap to the vent?
- Can I just put a studor vent on top of the vent pipe and call it a day?
- Can I plug the existing santee w/ a test plug and just build on top of it? (again assuming I can make all those dimensions)

Thanks very much again!

 

[Reach4]

Same question with the trap to the vent?

Yes to that. Probably santee for the other.

Can I just put a studor vent on top of the vent pipe and call it a day?

Yes.

Can I plug the existing santee w/ a test plug and just build on top of it? (again assuming I can make all those dimensions)

That tee at the bottom of the current standpipe should be something else -- a combo. The thing you should do is take a big section out of that 4 inch PVC. Use two shielded couplers to put in the replacement piece with the proper fitting(s) in place.