Drain Pipe Repair with Coupler Protrudes Past Sheetrock

[PeteGianna]

I recently had a a drain pipe repaired that runs from the second floor bathroom down to the basement. Turns out the previous homeowner when they installed chair rail in the main floor bathroom, punctured the pipe with a nail and the leak was only identified recently because when I removed the chair rail, I must have removed the nail as well.

I’ve attached photos of the repair my plumber did. Unfortunately, the wall is narrow to the point that the sheet rock on both sides of the wall butts directly to the drain pipe. Now with couplers attached, the coupler protrudes just passed the finish side of the half inch sheet rock. What are my options for repair? 1/4 Sheetrock and just feather out the compound?

Would the only way to avoid this be if the plumber cut out the drain pipe higher up in the ceiling just below the second floor, put a coupler and cut the pipe just below the main floor by going through the basement ceiling, and putting a coupler there? Give or take 10 ft of pipe cut out.

 

[Breplum]

We will not run plastic in walls because of noise!
But, with any choice you decide, the thick rubber couplings are not compatible with your situation.
Shielded no-hub couplings are decidedly thinner, but his scrap piece may not work with standard shielded couplings.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[PeteGianna]

We will not run plastic in walls because of noise!
But, with any choice you decide, the thick rubber couplings are not compatible with your situation.
Shielded no-hub couplings are decidedly thinner, but his scrap piece may not work with standard shielded couplings.

So your saying the rubber couplings he installed is not correct? Can shielded no-hub couplings be used on pvc? What should have been used in this situation?

 

[Breplum]

Unshielded rubber couplings are not typically code approved as per UPC. Will they work? yes. Do they become offset under load, sometimes, so that is why UPC doesn't approve them.
It can be hard to find shielded 3" no hub couplings for plastic to plastic. It is possible to use normal 3" no-hub couplings since they will line up fine, yes, but it is not code either...I happen to know it will work. We really like four band extra heavy no-hub couplings, which still have same thin rubber as standard no-hub.
Must use torque tool with correct inch/pounds for perfect installation.

 

[wwhitney]

What should have been used in this situation?

Fernco Proflex 3005-33, Mission Rubber P-300, or the equivalent.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[PeteGianna]

So it’s fine if I swap out both couplings for two Fernco Proflex 3005-33’s? That would bring it to code but not necessarily fix the issue of the couplings protruding too far out? The 3005-33’s don’t look much thinner. Something I can install with a torque tool?

 

[wwhitney]

So it’s fine if I swap out both couplings for two Fernco Proflex 3005-33’s?

Yes. The way you do that is to fold the rubber couplings back over themselves, so the short section is free to come out of the wall.

That would bring it to code but not necessarily fix the issue of the couplings protruding too far out?

Yes, the only good solution to your original issue is what you mentioned earlier, put the rubber couplings in the ceiling above and the floor system below. Even then if you had access to do that, it's not clear how you could physically maneuver a single piece of pipe into position between those couplings in those locations, as the pipe would be longer than your floor to ceiling height.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[James Henry]

Your handyman could have just made a small peg out of PVC and pounded it in with some glue then filed it off.

 

[opplumbinghub]

I recently had a a drain pipe repaired that runs from the second floor bathroom down to the basement. Turns out the previous homeowner when they installed chair rail in the main floor bathroom, punctured the pipe with a nail and the leak was only identified recently because when I removed the chair rail, I must have removed the nail as well.

I’ve attached photos of the repair my plumber did. Unfortunately, the wall is narrow to the point that the sheet rock on both sides of the wall butts directly to the drain pipe. Now with couplers attached, the coupler protrudes just passed the finish side of the half inch sheet rock. What are my options for repair? 1/4 Sheetrock and just feather out the compound?

Would the only way to avoid this be if the plumber cut out the drain pipe higher up in the ceiling just below the second floor, put a coupler and cut the pipe just below the main floor by going through the basement ceiling, and putting a coupler there? Give or take 10 ft of pipe cut out.

View attachment 101827View attachment 101826View attachment 101828

To fix the couplings sticking out past the wall, you could use thinner drywall (1/4 inch) and smooth out the edges, though it might still show a little bump. Another option is to add thin strips behind the wall so regular drywall can fit better. If you want it perfectly flat, the plumber could move the couplers to spots above and below this section, though it would mean cutting about 10 feet of pipe. You could also use decorative paneling or a cover to hide it without major changes.

 

[John Gayewski]

Use regular 1/2" thick drywall. Carve out the back of the drywall in the spots that need to be carved out. Use no hub couplings. You'll want to split the space between the current drywall and your new drywall which means you'll want to carve out the drywall that the couplings are touching currently also.

 

[Reach4]

Now with couplers attached, the coupler protrudes just passed the finish side of the half inch sheet rock. What are my options for repair?

Did you mean the finish side (room side)? Based on your proposed solution, I suspect you meant the unfinshed side.

So it’s fine if I swap out both couplings for two Fernco Proflex 3005-33’s? That would bring it to code but not necessarily fix the issue of the couplings protruding too far out? The 3005-33’s don’t look much thinner. Something I can install with a torque tool?

Same 5 ft-lb (60 in-lb) torque for both unshielded and shielded.

 

[Chucky_ott]

The OD for 3" PVC pipe is about 3.5" so I suspect that the original pipe used the entire width of the 2×4 wall. A coupler with 1/4" wall thickness would require a 4" space. Hence why the outside of the coupler is now flush with the exterior face of the drywall as shown in his original picture. Short of changing the coupler location as others have mentioned, your options for an invisible patch are limited. If there was enough room before you hit the window, I'd might consider building a pipe chase at that corner. Or if that wall wasn't too big and didn't have any moldings or other openings, maybe just another layer of drywall over the entire wall. Or as you suggest, the thinnest piece of suitable material you can find (primed 1/8" Baltic birch plywood comes to mind) and then feathered with drywall compound.

 

[PeteGianna]

Thanks for the advice gentlemen. I managed to swap out the couplers for the slightly thinner proflex 3005-33s. Then I tediously notched out both sides of sheetrock. Sits perfectly flush. No need for an unsightly access panel that my wife would complain about.