Tub drain problem

[Lemmy]

Typically I do most of my own work (for better or for worse), but I decided to hire someone to do some work on a bathroom remodel and so far it hasn't worked out so well. As you can see from the picture they did a sloppy job and I really don't want them even attempting to fix any of their problems because I am not sure they are capable of doing anything besides making it worse.

The new parts they added can clearly be seen because those pieces have a ridiculous amount of primer on them. Everything is glued with the exception of the output side of the shower trap. It is currently dripping from this collar. I tried snugging it up a little and it didn't stop it, and it seems to line up fairly well. So I am not sure why it is leaking, but that isn't my question. When the soaking tub is filled and the drain is then opened, suddenly I start getting a leak at the collar on the shower trap. So some water must be coming backwards up the shower drain line (marked with a red arrow). Since the tub drain line is 2" and it feeds in to a vertical 2" and then from there it feeds in to a much bigger pipe, I wouldn't expect this to happen. I was wondering if this is an indication of a partial blockage in the area where the green arrow is drawn. The reason I say this is that if the tub drain is open and I have the water turned on fully, no water comes up the shower drain line. It is only when the tub is filled (so maximum drain flow). I have verified this by unscrewing the collar on the shower trap and observe either no water or quite a bit of water coming out. The only other thing I thought could cause this would be the slightly smaller vent line. Shouldn't that vent line (which has been there since the house was built) be 2" as well? And could this cause this issue? I would think a vent that is too small would cause water to be pulled out of the shower trap instead, but I am no pro. Thank you!

 

[James Henry]

I can't tell what size the main line is, but for a common vent like you have the vent needs to be half the size of the main drain if the main is 3" then an 1-1/2" vent is OK under the IPC. Your 2" drains should have been installed with a 1/4"/ft. grade, and yes you might want to snake the drain for any clogs.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[James Henry]

If it were me, I would do the whole thing over and run the shower drain above the tub drain and run the proper grade too. it looks pretty bad the way it is now.

 

[Lemmy]

I can't tell what size the main line is, but for a common vent like you have the vent needs to be half the size of the main drain if the main is 3" then an 1-1/2" vent is OK under the IPC. Your 2" drains should have been installed with a 1/4"/ft. grade, and yes you might want to snake the drain for any clogs.

I didn't think that the lack of proper grade was causing this problem, but it definitely should be more than it is. I may end up cutting it all out and doing it over.

 

[Lemmy]

If it were me, I would do the whole thing over and run the shower drain above the tub drain and run the proper grade too. it looks pretty bad the way it is now.

I agree it looks bad. But why do you think the shower should be above the tub?

 

[James Henry]

I agree it looks bad. But why do you think the shower should be above the tub?

Because the drain is longer and drains with more force. Your Clean out is too close to the wall also.

 

[Lemmy]

Because the drain is longer and drains with more force. Your Clean out is too close to the wall also.

Ok, that makes sense. Unfortunately the clean out was like that when I moved in the house 10 years ago, it is too close.

 

[Reach4]

I think the main sin is the slope, but agree that cleanout is pretty useless. I am not a plumber.

 

[Lemmy]

The part that has been there (presumably) since the house was built in 1994 is the vent line, the toilet line coming down and the large horizontal line. There is actually almost no slope on that main drain line. The new part (the shower and tub) have 1/8"/ft which of course is still not enough.

I'm not really sure how to move the clean out though since I can't move that drain line from the toilet that is coming form 2 levels up. I guess I could move that 45 on that line up some which would make it come in to the main line further to the left and move the cleanout over.

 

[James Henry]

That would work, but before you cut the toilet drain I suggest you nail a 2"x 4" on the flat up against both sides of the toilet drain in between the joist and install a riser lamp with lag bolts and large washers to the 2" x 4"s to secure the pipe, or install the clamp on top of the 2" x 4"s. You have to be careful not to move that pipe.

 

[Reach4]

Also, your shower p-trap seems strange. Mix of glued joints plus one slip joint.

 

[Lemmy]

Also, your shower p-trap seems strange. Mix of glued joints plus one slip joint.

I agree. I was surprised that it was a mix of glued on the input and slip on the output. I didn't even know they made something like that. Unfortunately it is leaking at the slip connection.

 

[Lemmy]

That would work, but before you cut the toilet drain I suggest you nail a 2"x 4" on the flat up against both sides of the toilet drain in between the joist and install a riser lamp with lag bolts and large washers to the 2" x 4"s to secure the pipe, or install the clamp on top of the 2" x 4"s. You have to be careful not to move that pipe.

Good advice. Is this so I don't accidentally crack the pipe up in a very bad location while it is getting cut?

 

[WorthFlorida]

https://www.co.lincoln.or.us/sites/..._-_helpful_hints_residential_construction.pdf

I commented on the picture. I'm not a plumber and this is what I see that is wrong or just not there. The three inch drain was it original? I see no primer at the joints (some are clear in color) and looks like a clean install except some needed support straps. There is one on the left. As I read elsewhere and in codes, the toilet must have it's own vent before other fixtures can drain into the main. This maybe different in your local jurisdiction. Perhaps other can comment on it.

The leak at the shower trap is the slip nut is not on tight enough or the washer for it is kinked or there is none. It would also leak while it is in use. These remodeling guys were not plumbers. Too many couplings between the traps and tees, there shouldn’t be any couplings as good practice in this layout, primer slopped all over the place.

Did these guys touch any electric?

 

[James Henry]

View attachment 57961 https://www.co.lincoln.or.us/sites/..._-_helpful_hints_residential_construction.pdf

I commented on the picture. I'm not a plumber and this is what I see that is wrong or just not there. The three inch drain was it original? I see no primer at the joints (some are clear in color) and looks like a clean install except some needed support straps. There is one on the left. As I read elsewhere and in codes, the toilet must have it's own vent before other fixtures can drain into the main. This maybe different in your local jurisdiction. Perhaps other can comment on it.

The leak at the shower trap is the slip nut is not on tight enough or the washer for it is kinked or there is none. It would also leak while it is in use. These remodeling guys were not plumbers. Too many couplings between the traps and tees, there shouldn’t be any couplings as good practice in this layout, primer slopped all over the place.

Did these guys touch any electric?

They could have just used clear primer and the toilet stack may vent through the roof.

 

[James Henry]

Good advice. Is this so I don't accidentally crack the pipe up in a very bad location while it is getting cut?

Theirs probably riser clamps installed on the floors above but I don't like to take chances. Iv'e gone behind too many people that cut corners. If you install a riser clamp then you will have piece of mind that the pipe wont drop and disturb anything its attached too. A couple bucks is worth piece of mind to me.

 

[Jadnashua]

Depending on which plumbing code you are under, your vent line may be too far from the traps it is serving...on the more stringent one, the vent must be within 5' of the outlet of the trap with a 2" pipe, and less if the pipe is smaller.

The slip connection may never tighten up to stop a leak if the bits aren't aligned well enough. IT would seem that the riser out of the traps, at least for the shower, is long enough so that you could easily gain more slope.

 

[hj]

The vent is not a problem, nor is the order of the tub and shower connections, or the number of couplings. Since there is no problem when the faucet is running the reason for the "backup" is the volume of water in the tub, and there would be no problem if the "locknut", (it is NOT a "slip nut"), were tightened properly so it does not leak/

 

[Reach4]

The vent is not a problem, nor is the order of the tub and shower connections, or the number of couplings. Since there is no problem when the faucet is running the reason for the "backup" is the volume of water in the tub, and there would be no problem if the "locknut", (it is NOT a "slip nut"), were tightened properly so it does not leak/

What about the 1/8 inch per ft slopes?

 

[Lemmy]

The vent is not a problem, nor is the order of the tub and shower connections, or the number of couplings. Since there is no problem when the faucet is running the reason for the "backup" is the volume of water in the tub, and there would be no problem if the "locknut", (it is NOT a "slip nut"), were tightened properly so it does not leak/

Yeah, I wasn't sure what that was called. I tried to look it up and couldn't a name. I assume it is similar to how the pipe. It is kind of like the slip nut unions, but of course there is no washer.

I snugged it up pretty tightly and it didn't help the leak. I then completely removed it and tried again and it was still leaking. I have seen this on swivel joints (or whatever they are called) if they aren't lined up properly, but this appears to be lined up really well. I didn't see any foreign objects on the mating surfaces either.

I was just surprised that the water, even at high flow, would run back up in that shower pipe since I would think all of the water coming down the 2" pipe from the tub would flow down the vertical 2" pipe without backing up.