Converting Basement Floor Drain

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bengal21

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Hello,

I have a basement floor drain that is 12" center from the wall. I would like to utilize it as a shower drain since it is already in the floor. The drain is a cast iron (i believe) 8" diameter drain that necks down to 2" or 1.5" from what I can tell. My question is:

Is it acceptable to run a pipe a short distance to get the drain further from the wall so that it would be centered in a new shower as shown in my attached drawing? If that isn't possible could I get a cover that is solid except for a pipe nipple that I could build a concrete shower base around so that concrete wouldn't fall into the drain? Both sketches are in the attached PDF.
 

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bengal21

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I don't want to break up the concrete if I don't have to. That is why I am asking if any experts out there have seen or something similar done. Thanks. :D
 

Terry

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NO
It is not okay.

Take a sledehammer and break out a little around the drain, and move it to the new location.

Other forums that that give advice from toy salesmen will give you your answer.

We won't.
We are plumbers.

It is the easiest way to do it too.
Less fittings, it puts it spot on, easier to snake later, less chance of a leak.
There will be a leak the way you have it posted.
 

Gardner

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Isn't there an issue with removing the floor drain? It seems to me it's there for a reason, and likely converting it completely to a shower drain will prevent it from serving its original purpose. Isn't there a code requirement for a floor drain?
 

bengal21

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NO
It is not okay.

Take a sledehammer and break out a little around the drain, and move it to the new location.

Other forums that that give advice from toy salesmen will give you your answer.

We won't.
We are plumbers.

It is the easiest way to do it too.
Less fittings, it puts it spot on, easier to snake later, less chance of a leak.
There will be a leak the way you have it posted.

Ok, geesh. I only asked a simple question. No need to belitle me with the "toy salesmen" speech. I will break up the floor and put it in.

Are you sure DIYers are welcome here? I only asked the question because I am NOT a plumber and wasn't sure if it could be done.
 

Terry

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There was another thread on that same topic.

Many DIY will keep asking until some other homeowner says.

"Sure, that will work."

Or you can go to Home Depot, and they will tell you that you can bootleg the plumbing too.

"Sure, that will work."

But Bam!
Now you know that it's sledge hammer time!

You will want to pick up some shielded couplings to go between the cast and the plastic pipe.
They will look like this

proflex.jpg


And by the way, my book keeper does the same thing.
No! you can't do that Terry!

Des Moines IA or WA?
 
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Terry

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Isn't there an issue with removing the floor drain? It seems to me it's there for a reason, and likely converting it completely to a shower drain will prevent it from serving its original purpose. Isn't there a code requirement for a floor drain?

That's a good question too.
There may be a requirement for the floor drain.

Sometimes it's for the water heater T&P Valve.

If the concrete is broken, then it would be possible to plumb for a new floor drain and a shower drain.
Both will need their own vent.
The vents can then tie back together above the flood level of the fixtures plus six inches.
 

hj

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drain

YOU are a DIYer. WE are plumbers. IF you want to know how a plumber would do it, and/or how we would recommend you do it, then ask here. IF you want affirmation that your "handyman" version would work, then ask the question at a handyman site, or Home Depot. And sometimes our best advice, given the level of competence of the person asking the question, is DON'T do it yourself.

You may be like the guy who fell off the cliff and grabbed hold of a root growing out of the side of the wall. He started yelling for help. Finally a booming voice answered him and told him, "Leave go of the root." The man asked, "Are you crazy? It is the only thing keeping me from falling." The reply was, "I am God. Leave go of the root." The man then asked, "Is there anyone else up there I can talk to?" The voice replied, "NO!, LEAVE GO OF THE ROOT." THe man decided to prolong his life as long as possible, but finally his hand got tired and the root slipped from his grasp. He fell down 12" and landed on a ledge which allowed him to crawl back to the surface.

Sometimes OUR desires are not always what is best for us.
 

Redwood

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One other factor that could determine the usefulness of the floor drain is whether it is tied to a sanitary or storm drain...
 

Couch-Tuber

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Have pity on us poor plumbing DIYers. I want to make it clear I really appreciate sites like this. I know there are many sites out there but one where you know the pro's hang out can be a Godsend. That being said, as a professional handyman, I work on other people's houses and do just about everything that is legal to perform. Which means not their plumbing, for which I am not licensed (unfortunately - anybody looking for a "grey haired apprentise"...didn't think so LOL....).

But I come here for advise on my own plumbing and to get smarter when questions inevitably arise from my customers. It IS legal in this city to work on/screw up my own house if I so please! I would hire a plumber for every plumbing problem (like the other night) if I could afford it but on my salary its not going to happen and so I must DIY. I think many many folks are in the same boat we no longer have income parity like in my father's day and so must just get by with DIY. Happy New Year everyone.
 

Terry

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Have pity on us poor plumbing DIYers.
Hey, the guys are working hard here to help you guys.
We know people are fixing things themselves, we're just trying to guide them into doing it right.

Saves a call for us later to remove it.

Most of the time, our advice will wind up saving the homeowner time.
And it will be pro.



The last time I got advice from home depot, he sold me the wrong screwdrive tips for the screws I bought.

And the next time, the guy in the isle has no idea what a hammer arrestor was for a washing machine, or that he stocked them.

Or the home depot guy that insisted that I should put galvanized in the ground instead of brass fittings.
Dooh!
 

Redwood

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Most of us pro's here are glad to help the DIY'er but sometimes it gets a little touchy when a poster asks questions and gets told the right way to do something them continues to shop for the wrong answer that they want to hear.

We just get a little sensitive about spending time writing how to do it correctly, then having someone argue about how about if I do it the wrong way to save time and effort, followed by an series of explanations what is wrong with doing it that way, which is then followed by a declaration of why I don't need to follow no stinkin codes, Which then brings the picture of the great finish product (LOL) which the poster expects congratulations on a job well done...:rolleyes:

I had the same feeling on the second post which raised the hairs on the back of my neck as well. We spend our lives in this trade doing quality work and we advise how to do the same quality. Most of us when shown the work of a DIY'er would love the chance to say wow thats nice work and you did a good job. Being a DIY'er is not a license to hack! We get down on seeing hack work no matter who it is done by.

Check out the threads in this search for JFLS45 who is exactly the idiot that we don't like to meet. You Gotta Read These to See What We Face Actually I'm glad that this topic showed up because I found his last gloating reply that I had missed. This user actually went to another forum where the members are more of the handy man types and got the approval that he wasn't getting here or on one other plumbing forum that I consider to be one that offers excellent advice.

In the handy man forum he found a moderator that likes to do hack work and threatened the people that were opposed with Bans from the forum.

This clown even left what I would consider to be a threatening message in my visitor messages in the other forum.
jfls45
dude you better back off before I post stuff about you in the forums. If you don't want to read my posts then don't click on them consider this a warning

So yes sometimes there are things that make the hair on the back of our necks stand up and the defenses rush in. But we are here to give you good advice and help you get your project done right.
 
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bengal21

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Yes, I understand now. I didn't really want to hear "break it out of the concrete" but I know that it needs to be done correctly. I will try to follow code.

Another question:
I know people discourage removing a floor drain in a basement so I think I am going to keep a drain in the room and move the drain to the center of the room. Am I allowed to wet vent it as I show in the attached drawing by code?

Thanks.
 

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bengal21

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Bump..

Could someone let me know if I can wet vent a floor drain as shown in the drawing above. It will be in the middle of the room so I am not quite sure how else to vent it? thanks.
 

Cacher_Chick

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This will be dependent on what code your area falls under and what the local codes require. Some areas allow one or two unvented floor drains.

The best thing to do would be to discuss it with your local building inspector, as he will be the one who needs to sign off on your plans.
 
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hj

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drain

I have a "crick" in my neck from viewing a sideways picture. I am not sure what you are showing for a drain under the shower, but I hope you intend to do it correctly. A washing machine drain will seldom fly as the upper fixture on a wet vent because its volume and velocity are too high flowing past what then becomes an unvented drain. You are creating a "Gordian knot" where each "revision" causes more problems. To do the latest one, you would have to have the shower vented into the riser above the washer connection, and the washer connected downstream of the floor drains.
 

Geniescience

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Not as shown, absolutely: you drew the level of the P trap tailpiece as being positioned higher that the pipe it drains into.

This is the big no-no that creates an S trap (which gets drained by the suction of the other things upstream of it rushing past and dragging its water out of it. As hj pointed out already)


... each "revision" causes more problems. ....

I didn't read the whole thread and I don't know what your diagram is hiding, upstream from the proposed floor drain. This may be a job for a Master Plumber. I like to bet and I wouldn't put money on your ability to catch the essential elements of DWV plumbing. Not in 2010. Wait a few more years. Hang out here and post a few hundred more times.
 
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