Plumbing check? Advice

[Jon Beeker]

Hello All,

Before I bring a plumber in, I would like to know if this is OK, or can be improved. This is an upstairs bathroom, and the plumbing is in a soffit that I would like to shrink in size. I noticed that the toilet horizontal pipe does not have a vent prior to when it turns vertical, and the vent is located off of the wye (you really cannot see it but it is there). Does it need to be vented before the 90? The toilet seems to work fine.

The only vent for the shower is on the left of the figure. The shower does have drainage issues, but I think that is from the fact that the shower pipe is actually sloped the wrong direction (it is lower at the p-trap that at the wye connecting to the stack). So this has to be fixed. In doing so, can I make the soffit smaller by connecting the shower p-trap into the toilet line? I can add a vent between the shower and the toilet.

Any other suggestions on improving this?

The toilet pipe is 3" and the shower is 2"

Thanks in advance, Jon

 

[Reach4]

Toilet venting should be fine.

Any other suggestions on improving this?

If you can raise the trap to make the shower trap arm pipe slope properly at 1/4 inch per foot, I would think that would be good. IPC allows a max of 8 ft for the trap arm of your shower to the vent.

So this has to be fixed. In doing so, can I make the soffit smaller by connecting the shower p-trap into the toilet line? I can add a vent between the shower and the toilet.

I think that vent will need to stay vertical (within 45 of vertical is considered vertical) for a dry vent. If you could drain the vented lavatory into that shower line to provide wet venting, I think that would meet code. I am not a plumber. https://wabo.memberclicks.net/assets/pdfs/Plumbing_Venting_Brochure_2018.pdf

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Jeff H Young]

Dont see any vents ? toilet works good you say its vented great! cut verticle section at shower drain shorten and add coupling. Or lower other end at wall to allow for grade (which might lower soffit)
good luck on making soffit smaller the 90 that turns up from sofit will need to come out and get changed to a y with a 3x2 bushing on the horizontal. I can say it will fit but good chance I think. Like I said I dont see any vents so Im assuming they arent an issue and that shower is vented upstream toward the trap.
Then re work the copper and youll shrink that soffit down

 

[Terry]

I don't see proper venting for the shower there. The vent comes off the top of the line, not below.
The toilet can be vented from below, as that's meant to siphon anyway.

When I was building homes, the soffit was a great place to fit the plumbing in without hacking up the framing. In the formal dining room, even though I would need a soffit to had ducts and pipes, I would match it around the room so that it would look intentional. If it looks like some master plan, then it's okay.

 

[Reach4]

Jon points to the vent at the top left corner of the photo.

 

[Terry]

Jon points to the vent at the top left corner of the photo.

Yes I see that. It comes off the top of the way which puts it too low for the shower, not too low for the toilet.
The shower is not vented correctly.

 

[Reach4]

Now I see. I was thinking a 90 with the heel venting. Looking again, I see that is not a 90.

 

[Jeff H Young]

good eyes I didnt even see that vent and its even marked in red. I figured he had a sweep and 2 x 1 1 /2 x 2 santee . That which he calls a vent might be an upstair lav. not a proper vent.
I was puzzeled why he had 2 stacks in the wall I guess one was for that "vent"
Now Im thinking that the 3 inch line has a low heel outlet to vent w/c
I guess you could just fix your problem with slope at shower. never dealt with IPC code we allow 5 foot inner edge of vent to trap wier. it still wont be legal cut out y and use a santee and not a combi to make legal
I think shrinking that soffit will require substantial work if you are really that interested in it and want to build it legal. might require work in plumbing walls on above floor

 

[Jon Beeker]

Thank you for all your replies, and for further clarification, the 6 foot line marked shower ends in a p-trap, there is no vent beyond what you can see.

 

[Reach4]

Thank you for all your replies, and for further clarification, the 6 foot line marked shower ends in a p-trap, there is no vent beyond what you can see.

You have a "Vent to attic->" label. The view of that area is obscured by the shower pipe.

How about a picture of that area? Hold the camera up near the subfloor, and shoot a picture of that vent to attic area. Maybe worm the cellphone or independent camera into the area with a selfie stick.

 

[Jon Beeker]

This is the pipe that continues upstairs, the upstairs wall is an overhang outside, so there are two 90 degree bends to hit the 2nd floor outside wall. I am sure this same pipe pops up in the attic then goes out the roof. Also, the bathroom sink must drain into this pipe somewhere before the attic.

 

[Reach4]

Thanks. Is that near-field fitting pretty much horizontal (except for a slight slope)? It looks horizontal in the picture. If so, I think your venting is very good.