Bob Foley
New Member
I've seen yes's and no's so I 'm looking for more opinions. I am planning a small powder room install, adding a sink and toilet into a modified - enlarged bedroom closet. I've got enough room by any standards I have seen and the location is perfect to tie into the waste pipe heading out of the full basement-right underneath in the ranch house. Here's my question. The existing bath, kitchen, washer all tie in pretty much under where my proposed powder room will be located and it seems like a simple tie in would be into the existing cleanout plug on the end of the 4" Cast iron soil pipe that heads out of the house. I would add a new cleanout after I attach a sweep or wye (that have provisions for a cleanout) onto the pipe. Is there any issue tieing into the where the clean out is located given I will add a new cleanout? The existing threaded cleanout is fitted into the existing CI that has a hub and its a lead/oakum old installation. I see two ways to tie into this: (1) My preference, is to install a 4" to 3" hex reducer into the threaded cleanout threads. Seems simple enough to then add a male PVC adapter and I'm off an running from there. I've got couple of comments that you can not use threaded fittings on waste lines per codes. Aside from code issues, especially with a very accessible 3" pipe cleanout 6" away, I can't see how that would ever be a problem. (2) Approach 2 would be to take out the leaded threaded fitting that holds the cleanout plug and install a rubber donut with 3" PVC then off to the new piping. Couple thoughts here. I believe there are donuts available for hub cast iron pipes and if I don't have to, I'd rather not have to take out the lead etc. and clean up the hub. The 'good' part of that approach is that the fitting is chest high, nothing near it so easy to work on. What's the plusses and minuses? Or is there a better way? Given the tub, sink, toilet, kitchen, washer, drains and vents in a small area right at the soil pipe out of the basement ( all 2" and 3" copper) there really isn't much room to tie into any of the existing piping. Thanks