I am in the process of renovating our bathroom and after ripping out our fiberglass shower, I came across the drain vent pipe that is unfortunately placed on the shower side of the wall. One plumbing company said they could charge around $600 to move it a few inches so I can tile the wall there. Another company said he could cap it because there's a vent on the toilet and the shower vent ties into that vent in the attic. The toilet is about 11 feet from the shower drain. I've tried to research plumbing code but I'm not certain if that's to code or not. Can I cap that vent or do I need to keep it there?
Cap Shower Drain Vent
- Thread starter djsondrup
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wwhitney
In the Trades
We'd need a complete diagram of the underslab plumbing in order to say whether the shower dry vent is redundant and could be capped. It's possible, but I sort of doubt it, because why install it in the first place if that was the case?
What type of shower pan are you using? If it's site built you might be able to deal with a partial intrusion into the substructure, as long as the waterproofing layer is not interfered with. Have you considering just furring out the wall the amount required?
Cheers, Wayne
What type of shower pan are you using? If it's site built you might be able to deal with a partial intrusion into the substructure, as long as the waterproofing layer is not interfered with. Have you considering just furring out the wall the amount required?
Cheers, Wayne
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Planning to use the Schluter system. I had considered building the wall out but that area is already wasted space and I preferred to knock that portion of the wall out to make the shower larger.
wwhitney
In the Trades
If you want to pursue the possibility of capping the vent, you need a map of the underslab pipes. Either pictures from construction before the pipes were covered, or paying someone to come and camera the pipes. (I'm assuming that's something that could be done.)
If you get lucky, and the lav drain is wet venting the toilet, and the shower drain joins that within the required distance and maximum fall, then it could wet vent the shower as well. In which case you can cap the vent. But maybe the shower drain is wet venting the toilet, so they both rely on that one vent in your way. Or maybe the toilet/lav drain is lower than the shower trap arm, and after the vent takeoff, the shower drain drops down, which would mean it can't be wet vented by the toilet/lav drain.
In those cases you're looking at breaking up the concrete to move the vent. And even that is somewhat problematic if you are under the IPC, as it doesn't have an allowance for the vent to go horizontal underneath the slab. You'd potentially need to break up more concrete to reroute the drain to under the wall where you want the new vent. If you're under the UPC (I understand it varies depending on your location in Texas), then there is an allowance for the vent to go horizontal under the slab when required by structural conditions. Which would arguably be the case if you eliminate the stud wall that currently has the vent.
Cheers, Wayne
If you get lucky, and the lav drain is wet venting the toilet, and the shower drain joins that within the required distance and maximum fall, then it could wet vent the shower as well. In which case you can cap the vent. But maybe the shower drain is wet venting the toilet, so they both rely on that one vent in your way. Or maybe the toilet/lav drain is lower than the shower trap arm, and after the vent takeoff, the shower drain drops down, which would mean it can't be wet vented by the toilet/lav drain.
In those cases you're looking at breaking up the concrete to move the vent. And even that is somewhat problematic if you are under the IPC, as it doesn't have an allowance for the vent to go horizontal underneath the slab. You'd potentially need to break up more concrete to reroute the drain to under the wall where you want the new vent. If you're under the UPC (I understand it varies depending on your location in Texas), then there is an allowance for the vent to go horizontal under the slab when required by structural conditions. Which would arguably be the case if you eliminate the stud wall that currently has the vent.
Cheers, Wayne
Ok, I'll have to see if there's any way to get a look at the pipes under the slab. All I know is that both the toilet and the shower pipes go up into the attic and join together and then vent outside. The plumber said because it's within 15 feet, it's not necessary.
wwhitney
In the Trades
What about the lav? If you have things opened up and can show in a photo or two the current drain locations, and the locations of all the vents, we may be able to deduce something about the layout under the slab.
BTW, there's no distance limitation on horizontal wet vents, so that part of the explanation doesn't track.
Cheers, Wayne
BTW, there's no distance limitation on horizontal wet vents, so that part of the explanation doesn't track.
Cheers, Wayne
So I've now had two different plumbers come look at the vent. One told me that code says there has to be a vent within 11 feet and another said there has to be one within 15 feet. I was given quotes to move the vent and barring anything unexpected, it would be $200 more to move it instead of capping it. At this point, not knowing who is right, I'm leaning towards just paying the extra to keep it there for peace of mind. In regards to the lav, there is a vent connected to its drain. That's the vent they're referring to with the distances.
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