Does this toilet vent look OK?

[mikeb33]

I am remodeling my bathroom. We are moving the sinks, toilet and shower. My plumber has put the toilet flange in and connected the vent and put a clean out in it. the vent sonnect to a 2" to go up the wall and connects back to the 3" that goes out the roof. Does this look OK? If not, can someone explain why please?
Thank you,

MIKE

Helpful Plumbing Hints for Residential Construction by Bert Polk Plumbing Inspector Lincoln County

 

[hj]

I suppose you mean what is wrong with it other than he has a LONG flat pipe which can fill up with debris and has nothing attached to it to keep it flushed out, AND he has the wrong fitting for the vent connection. Those two items by themselves would get it rejected IF he had gotten an inspection.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[mikeb33]

Thanks HJ. Can you tell or show me what the vent connection is supposed to look like please?

 

[mikeb33]

Does anybody have more specific advice please? I have no problem having him do it over, correctly (it is my house), but I would like to precise in my criticism.

Thank you,

Mike

 

[NHmaster3015]

I have serious doubts that a licensed plumber installed any of that. Especially in Illinois where the code is very strict. So here's your criticism. Tell whoever did that that you are going to call the inspectors office and report him. Then hire a licensed plumber to come in and fix the problem. In Illinoise homeowners are not allowed to plumb either.

 

[mikeb33]

I do appreciate that you guys are professionals and can see why you are look down on amateurs doing professional's work. The man I hired was referred to me as a Pro and other than this, it all seems fine.
I am a self employed contractor myself, but not a plumber. I install, train and repair equipment used in automtoive shops. I know what it's like to see someone else' crappy work.
If I am going to replace my current plumber, I need more than "it doesn't look right to me". Could some one please give me specifics on how it should have been? Please?

 

[NHmaster3015]

Since you live in Illinois where only a licensed plumber is allowed to do such things, If you hire a licensed plumber he will know exactly how to straighten out the mess. You won't need to know anthing specific.

 

[mikeb33]

So while I have a plumber in my house, you advise me to hire another one? Thanks for nothing Wally. I thought people come to these forums for help and advice, but you just seem to want to be condescending. Why did you even reply in the first place? Seems to be just to gloat, rather than offer help.
I go on a lot of automotive forums, where I am the expert. People have similar experiences and I offer my best help, rather than just tell them to go a real mechanic.

 

[Nukeman]

I believe the Wally is just saying that the guy that you have is probably not licensed, so if you dump him and get a plumber that is licensed, he will be able to fix your issues.

I'm not a plumber, but even I know that the long section between the vent and the toilet connection is no good. In situations like that, you need it plumbed so a fixture can "wash" that section and keep "stuff" from building up and blocking the vent.

The santee used for venting can sometimes be used like that (if dry vent), but it depends on your location. I know hj has worked in your area before, so if he says it is no good where you are, then I certainly believe it.

The issue is that if this guy is getting the basic stuff wrong, then you have to wonder what else is wrong. Do you have a permit? Did he pull the permit? Did you get his license number?

 

[Geniescience]

You have been seriously lied to.

I concur with the previous posts (which say to go get a plumber and let him do it).

2/
Also, another huge problem is the cause of this first problem (being lied to)
It's this: in spite of your ability to spot things that don't look right, you seem to allow yourself to be put into situations where you get lied to.

OK, so... ummm, "someone" referred you.
Like, hey man, He is a "Pro".
This sounds to me like you really like being lied to: you can't even tell us more than that (!).
He is a pro.
Many people are active professionally, economically, business-ly... but not licensed for DWV plumbing.
You haven't asked the right questions.
Neither in this thread not in real life in your basement.
​

Go post the same pictures in another forum and see what they say.

 

[hj]

I would have to see the REST of the building, or a blueprint, to tell WHERE and how the vent should be installed.

 

[Jimbo]

Does anybody have more specific advice please? I have no problem having him do it over, correctly (it is my house), but I would like to precise in my criticism.

Thank you,

Mike

You have been told that a vent cannot be horizontal ( meaning less than 45º angle ) when it is below 42" ABOVE the flood rim of the fixtures, so your vent is completely unsatisfactory UNLESS per chance that vertical vent riser accepts waste from another fixture in the same bathroom, which would make it a wet vent. It seems unlikely. Without seeing the rest of the layout, we coudn't possibly figure out how to run a proper vent. A good plumber on site would figure it out. That horizontal dry pipe is very likely to fill with waste over time, thus blocking the vent.


If by chance it IS a wet vent, the fitting is wrong where the waste joins the large pipe near the cleanout. That would need to be a combo,or wye + 45. Looks like it is a simple vent tee, not acceptable for waste.

 

[mikeb33]

You have been told that a vent cannot be horizontal ( meaning less than 45º angle ) when it is below 42" ABOVE the flood rim of the fixtures, so your vent is completely unsatisfactory UNLESS per chance that vertical vent riser accepts waste from another fixture in the same bathroom, which would make it a wet vent. It seems unlikely. Without seeing the rest of the layout, we couldn't possibly figure out how to run a proper vent. A good plumber on site would figure it out. That horizontal dry pipe is very likely to fill with waste over time, thus blocking the vent.


If by chance it IS a wet vent, the fitting is wrong where the waste joins the large pipe near the cleanout. That would need to be a combo, or wye + 45. Looks like it is a simple vent tee, not acceptable for waste.

At the point when I asked for more specifics, I had not been told anything besides it is wrong. Since then, you guys have offered constructive help and we are redoing it now to be more like this:
Helpful Plumbing Hints for Residential Construction by Bert Polk Plumbing Inspector Lincoln County

 

[NHmaster3015]

That's not legal either. You seem to want to rag on me for telling you that In Illinois you can not do your own plumbing. I am telling you that whoever you hired to do the plumbing can not be licensed because if he was you would not be having these issues. You need, by law to hire a licensed plumber. You need, by law to pull a plumbing permit to do the work and without a license neither you, nor the handyman can pull that permit. What you are trying to do here is to get licensed plumbers to tell you how to do something that you can not legally do.

 

[Jimbo]

Wally, I think he said he had a plumber working for him. We can rag on his qualifications because of the first install.

I do appreciate your input about the IL license. We also know from others that MA does not allow homeowner work. But many states do, and regardless of the state, if a person is bound and determined to do it anyway, we figure "why not help him do it right"....

 

[Jc60618]

The Illinois plumbing code allows homeowners to work on their own plumbing.

 

[Cacher_Chick]

The vent line should ideally be vertical, and in any case cannot be routed at less than a 45 deg. angle. Both the actual picture and the "readers digest" plumbing book diagram do not meet this requirement.

A vent line can be ran horizontally (properly pitched) only after it is a minimum of 6" above the flood rim of the highest fixture, In some places 42" above the floor is a standard requirement.

Many places allow a toilet to be wet-vented though the vanity drain, and those bathrooms are commonly plumbed that way.

 

[Jar546]

1) Every dry vent connecting to a horizontal drain shall connect above the centerline of the horizontal drain pipe
2) PVC DWV must be horizontally supported every 48"

That should get you started