Washer drain by handyman

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Terry

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I got a call from a homeowner that had spent over $2000 with other plumbers trying to fix the water that showed up in her downstairs utility room. There was a bathroom above, that backed to the kitchen, it was a tri-level. I could see the holes in the walls where the previous plumber had replaced a few fittings in the wall.
Going downstairs, in the crawl under the kitchen, and looking at the plumbing wall, I could see no water from above on the plumbing, I did see this though

washer_b1.jpg

Handyman washer drain

A washer hose going into an unvented fitting, and then into a santee on it's back, the 1-1/2" line was shared with the kitchen sink.

washer_b2.jpg

More handyman washer drain. Behind, you can see the old santee that was capped off for the old p-trap.

Here is a closer view, no surprise to me, when she ran the washer, the top of the fitting flooded and water was everywhere.

washer_b3.jpg


We cut the pipe out, and Mike started pulling the lead from the cast iron hub fitting. The hub is 2", so using a Fernco insert, we were able to go with a 2" pipe.

washer_b4.jpg


Below the hub you can see the lead we pulled out,
in the hub is the new 2" pipe with Fernco insert.
 
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Terry

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washer_b5.jpg

washer drain using 2" standpipe, 2" p-trap and 1-1/2" vent.

The washer box now has a standpipe over 18" tall, run in 2" with a vent, the santee is vertical. We wyed off for the kitchen line with 2" also.

The inside of the 1-1/2" pipe we pulled out looked like this

washer_b6.jpg
 
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Markts30

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Next time someone asks why it costs so much to hire a qualified plumber, show them that pic of the "handyman special".
 

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Terry,
Do these people, the handyman you are talking about, do they do this kind of shoddy work due to they either don't know the correct way; or do they not are? Or both?

I have had some pretty shoddy work done even by a licensed registered plumber. But also, from handymen.

You mentioned in the one picture it was not vented? When, I look into the other picture, am I able to tell what is now vented?
 

Terry

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Looking at the left of the picture, you will see a coupling on the vent that has yellow marking on it. The old installation had used this vent, the handyman cut off the old p-trap and had capped it.

So going down from the yellow marked coupling, that is the vent line,
It drops into a 2"x 1-1/2" x 2" santee, which looks out at the 2" p-trap and standpipe.
Below the santee, is a long turn 2" 90 el. since you have waste going from vertical to horizontal.

A plumber run water supply for a while, getting used to that, and after a while, he will be taught the why and how of waste and vents.
Water supply can up and down and around, it's under pressure and will find a way.

Drain lines, need be be graded so they drain, and not too many changes of direction, or they will clog. A snake has a hard time with bends too. Too many bends, and you need to start adding "clean-out" fittings.
 

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I noticed that on one of your finished pictures you had put a round, a circular pipe? I am just curious why you did that. And, if what if anything clogs in it? Where does that round, circular pipe go, or rather what does it drain from.

Also, I noticed the wooden stud is cut slender on the bottom, why is that done? Doesn't that lessen the strength of the wood holding up a floor?

Also, what was wrong inside of the pipe you mentioned in the last picture? Santee? is that where the smaller pipe fitted into the larger one? Kind of looks like ducttape?
One more question, if you don't mind, this one just really being snoopy, was there a man of the house, or did the woman of the house hire someone to fix this? Just curious.
 
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proflex.jpg


One more question, lol. What makes that yellow coupling a vent? How does that work? What makes it vent from the other pipe it is connected to?

Now, my bathroom. I hate this room. I only go there when I have to. I noticed that in my wall, it kind of looked like that, but, I don't think he used anything that resembled this vent, or coupling. Should had he?

Also, the base of the toilet is leaking from under the silcone stuff. Ho hum. I am not going to do anything with this until spring, cause I know I will have to replace the floor, since the floor is the problem. But, since it is leaking, which it is, how much of sewer gases is getting into this room?
Do you think. I know you don't know for sure, but, is it something to be concerned about while soaking in the bathtub.
 
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Markts30

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The "round circular" pipe you refer to is just an optical illusion from the angle of the picture...
Here is another version of the same piping arrangement....


As far as what is wrong with the pipe pictured in the original post, it is over halfway clogged....
 

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Bob NH

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The first line Terry's first post was, "I got a call from a homeowner that had spent over $2000 with other plumbers trying to fix the water that showed up in her downstairs utility room."

In addition to a screwed-up hack job by a "handy man", it also seems to be a case of the plumber profession failing the customer by failing to fix the problem the first time.

If the $2000 was spent with people who were supposedly plumbers who didn't fix the problem, those plumbers are a blight on the profession.
 

Dunbar Plumbing

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I could literally break my digital camera with all the retarded installations of handymen and a few plumbers I'd have to take to show how "some" pass the buck and take of others.

And just about all of the customers that have been victimized by such acts act like partially ran over possums in the road waiting for that last car to finalize their despair.

None of them ever want to go after the core problem *installer* and would rather whittle down the guy who knows how to do it right because they have now paid twice, not once for the repair.

So who's to blame, the homeowners wanting best price from a handyman,

the plumbers who couldn't find the leak....

the handyman who junked that plumbing system in there and made a fast buck?


The "problem" started with the unlicensed plumber touching a system he had no clue to fix..........and the proof is in the pudding with the pictures above.


Thanks handymen, you line my pockets on a daily basis and all you get from me is a bad reputation shot across your service area.

Remember the famous saying, do it right or you'll do it twice. What's great is that some don't get that second chance.
 
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Terry

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proflex.jpg

Yellow vent fitting?
No, it's just a coupling. The handyman had quit using the vent pipe, and had capped off the old drain. I just put things back the way they were 50 years ago but with current pipe sizing, 2".
The coupling connects the old galvanized pipe with the new ABS plastic pipe.

The previous plumber that worked on it? I don't know why he didn't take one look at the way the washer was trying to drain and not figure that it would be a problem. I pointed it out to the homeowner and had to run the washer through a cycle before she could see it for herself.
The water was just pouring up and out of the fitting and all over.

Washers, because they use a pump to drain a large barrel, need a large enough and tall enough standpipe to prevent the surge from backing up and over the top.

And yes, that gray stuff the handyman had used was Duct Tape. YeeHaw!
 

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Well, the plumber who worked on my bathroom was licensed. I say was...I fixed that. In all fairness, I have had handymen do a far better job than those who are licensed, and also, the other way around. It all depends, I reckon.
 

lottia

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Fernco question

After seeing the photos in this posting, I was considering using a Fernco fitting on a re-plumb of a bad DWV job (by a "pro") to transition to ABS from a vertical CI waste drain in a concrete floor.

However, a search of this forum for "Fernco" yields a LOT of advice AGAINST using Fernco fittings. I am a bit confused, as the photo shows the corrected situation.

The bad job I am trying to correct cut a stub in the galvanized drain, just above the CI hub, then connected to ABS with a mission fitting. Is this correct, or should I just leave it alone?

lottia
 

Jadnashua

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The reinforced fitting shown the the threads is code approved for use above-ground to join pipes. The rubber one with just hose clamps at the end is only approved for use under-ground, where you can fill in around the pipes to hold them in alignment. The reinforcement keeps the ends aligned so you don't get an obstruction.
 

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The confusion is from the word "Fernco," which is the name of the company that makes all types of fittings. The "donut" used in the hub to attach the plastic pipe was made by Fernco. After removing the lead and oakum from the hub, the Fernco donut replaces them.

The Pro-flex coupler is one I use a lot because it's more ridgid than a standard no-hub coupling, and great in repair situations.
 

lottia

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After seeing the photos in this posting, I was considering using a Fernco fitting on a re-plumb of a bad DWV job (by a "pro") to transition to ABS from a vertical CI waste drain in a concrete floor.

However, a search of this forum for "Fernco" yields a LOT of advice AGAINST using Fernco fittings. I am a bit confused, as the photo shows the corrected situation.

The bad job I am trying to correct cut a stub in the galvanized drain, just above the CI hub, then connected to ABS with a mission fitting. Is this correct, or should I just leave it alone?

lottia
Thanks to Herk and jadnashua for their clarifications.

In my application, what do you think about leaving the lead-oakum fitting and connecting with ABS to the 1/2" stub of galvanized that's sticking out of it?

It hasn't been leaking, but this would be the time to replace it, since I have removed all the ABS "Rube Goldberg contraption" above it. However, I've never tackled this type of problem, so leaving it would undoubtedly be simpler!

l
 

Jadnashua

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1/2" might be enough, but typically, the pipe should be inserted further than that. If you have access, drilling out enough lead and prying both the pipe and the lead/oakum out isn't too bad. Then, find the proper sized rubber Fernco donut, and it's just a press together connection for your new abs...
 

Terry

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You would need a 1" stub for the coupling to work.
The advantage of removing the 1.5" pipe and going with inside hub fernco transition, is the doubling of the pipe size to 2", which is what the washer drain should be.
 
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