Discovered a potential sanitary tee hazard...

[Jon Congo]

Hi all. First time poster. Thanks for having me...

So I discovered what may potentially be a bit of an issue while working on some remodeling this weekend. The attached pdf shows the existing configuration, and a proposed change to install a shower where a toilet used to be.

The downstream side of the replaced toilet has a 3" vent , and then a second WC on the opposite side of the wall both connected to horizontal sanitary Tees. From what I understand, the sanitary Tee is not an acceptable fitting to introduce waste from the toilet into the horizontal waste line. Somehow this passed inspection when the house was built...

How much of a liability is this? It has not given me any problems in the 3 years I've lived here... I just don't want the water in the shower to start coming UP if someone flushes the toilet.

Thanks for the help.

 

[BMWpowere36m3]

If your going to change it for the shower... now is a good time to switch out the sanitee for a wye or combo.

That said, I've seen a lot of older homes where they used sanitees in that position. My parents house is the same and their living there no issues for close to twenty years...

Will it be a problem? No one can say for sure. Since your redoing the piping might as well "fix" it.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[hj]

It is highly unlikely that you have enough "depth" to change to a combo, and since the "vent" is between the tub and the toilet there is no problem with the installation.

 

[Terry]

I was working on a home in Bellevue where the toilet dropped into a santee.
On the other side was the piping for the lav. The side toward the lav was heavy with poo. Instead of going downstream, some of it was landing and spreading out both ways. Some went away, and some stayed.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

It ain't right but it works