Drain Positions Never Match the Existing Plumbing
Homeowners are struggling with unexpected plumbing alignment issues during DIY repairs and installations. They face challenges like mismatched drain positions, inadequate slope, and inflexible existing plumbing, leading to frustration and the need for creative solutions to avoid costly professional help. The root cause seems to be inflexible, pre-existing plumbing layouts.
SOURCES (60)
“Short answer- yes that is too much grade. You don't exceed pipe diameter in grade. It creates an S-trap and can siphon the trap dry.”
“Hey all. We have a pretty small kitchen and we are trying to maximize storage space under the sink. Right now, the P-Trap extends way below the disposal (see last photo). We'd like to move it up a few inches so a pull out shelf can clear it. My question is, what's the max a P-Trap extension can slope downward? Is the proposed slope too much? If so, any other ideas to raise the trap slightly? Thank you. submitted by /u/essef_sf [link] [comments]”
“Stumbled onto this beauty today at work and was wondering how you guys might rerun this so all of these runs don’t meet at the same spot? I’m cutting out the stack above all of the drain lines down to the cast iron in the wall. submitted by /u/PrestoChango_ [link] [comments]”
“If you chose to cut the pipe coming out of the wall off, you could put an angled fitting on there, so the pipes not coming straight out, pointed at the faucet drain. That would allow the p-trap to fit.”
“Oh, nice. Does it look like there's enough space to put in a normal P-trap? I'm getting sick of plunging my sink to get it to drain.”
“This is under the sink in the bathroom of the house I'm renting. The other bathroom is just the same. It's always got problems draining, and I wanted to know if this thing at the bottom is some kind of P-trap, or did the homeowner who did the work do it themselves and mess it up? The, ah, dome at the top over the drain says FRESCA, if that helps. TIA submitted by /u/HorrorBrother713 [link] [comments]”
“My garbage disposal was almost 20 years old, and it finally gave up. While pulling out to replace I realized that every single piece of plumbing was sloped the wrong way. In short: I ended up in a rabbit hole of how to do it correctly, but all of my searches are just giving me generated slop results, so I'm here now, asking the humans (hopefully) of Reddit my Google questions. Note that I do not plan to be doing anything major to this kitchen any time soon, but at the same time, if I can fix”
“You cant reverse it by code. Not that its not physically possible. Code says the trap seal is between 2 inches and 4 inches I think. You are not going to find a reference to the brachistochrone curve or cycloid in UPC or IPC. UPC: 1005.0 Trap Seals. IPC: 1002-4”
“Pretty sure this is just going to be a snake harder boy situation but was wondering if I was missing some other orifice, https://preview.redd.it/yjkv0lj4bdnh1.png?width=628&format=png&auto=webp&s=9cfffe4e864e3e7ff07261dc85c4d3ea1a702aac”
“Still not draining, sink is filling up into the AC drip pan. I'm at a loss. I probably fucked this up. Nearly died getting from the first story to the second story. I'm not sure if you've ever put a ladder on a gable but I don't recommend it. submitted by /u/mal_guinness [link] [comments]”
“I changed my kitchen sink from 2 tubs ito 1, including a garbage disposal. I only have the prior plumbing to complete the task. Is there something else I need like a cap for the open top port? Or is there something useful i can place there? submitted by /u/Ewezzy95 [link] [comments]”
“3" drain replaced cast ran to septic then to city? 2nd floor sink , shower, kitchen sink,and toilet connected. Zoeller pump from basement sink. Washing machine goes to basement sink. Zoeller pump cant keep up with washer. Water will back up in basement sink and shower over fill on second floor, along with effecting toilet drain. Had plumber run snake with video and see no blockage. Last night took shower and had water backing up. Wife has mentioned doing dishes in sink and heating water gur”
“hi everyone! just got a new washing machine and decided to install it myself, so the question is: does everything look right here? is there anything more i should do to secure the drain pipe? just ran a short cycle to test it out, so far there are no leaks and judging by the sound the dirty water is actually going into the drain. any tips are very much appreciated! ✨ submitted by /u/Necessary-Tax1144 [link] [comments]”
“Standard 1 1/4” fittings don’t connect to the pipe coming out of the sink which is old DuPont Corian sink. Will this connect a standard 1 1/4” tail pipe to the sink: Jones Stephens T75125 1-1/4 FIP × 1-1/4 OD Waste Connector If not, what will? TYIA Backstory: an earring fell into the P-trap so I opened it and the pipe fractured so I threw it away before getting a replacement. submitted by /u/byrdn820 [link] [comments]”
“Dumb homeowner here. Rebuilding this p trap with a condensate line. Condensate line was clogged and causing a backup into the sink. I rebuilt it almost exactly like it was originally, except for the temporary vinyl tube. It was a hard line before but I’m testing it first. It was also a different tee above the trap. Water from the sink seems to back up into the condensate line. What should I redo here? submitted by /u/bdo11 [link] [comments]”
“do i need a plumber ? i tried using snake but i cant feel any blockage or anything the floor drain is draining but the bowl when flushed get slow, thanks for answering submitted by /u/f0rsAken___ [link] [comments]”
“Im trying to fix it by lowering the sanitery tee drain without cutting to the wall. Would this be ok to turn a sanitery Tee 45 degree following 45 elbow and AAV UP? submitted by /u/Ok-Cartoonist-6316 [link] [comments]”
“In regards to your suggestion to hire a plumber for the connection, are you suggesting the plumber just for the drain/vent?”
“Don’t assume those two PVC lines are a drain and vent. Trace them to where they terminate and verify with local plumbing requirements; softener backwash discharge usually needs an approved indirect connection and air gap, not a direct tie-in. If the loop or drain routing is unclear, hiring a plumber for the connection and inspection is cheap insurance.”
“Photo details: Kitchen sink, open cabinet door shows where the leaking pipe is Inside view of cabinet with pipe exposed View under the cabinet (note no water can be seen here, water only appears outside the house, although the drywall was wet on the inside) Close up on pipe to show crack Close up on pipe entering concrete View of outside wall, the leak is near the white test cap on the ground (there is a drain cleanout under the cap) Close up on the outside wall, showing water coming under the s”
“Total noob when it comes to plumbing. 3 days ago my water starts to backup and sit and this causes my sink to get leaky so I replace the putty on the drains and take out the pvc under sink to clean out if there was any blockage (it was very sudden) with there being none. I replaced the rubber washers between the seams and joints and tightened them nicely the sink still takes a bit to unclog and the sitting water is causing the seams to drip. Is there anything I can place on the seams to keep it”
“Just how short is it? Looks maybe a couple mm. You might be able to loosen the connection to the sink to gain a bit of slack. Attach all joints then tighten them.”
“Yes, just make sure it’s the same size. Preferably a pitch would be preferred so it drains and doesn’t have sitting water, but you should be good.”
“Oh, so you're just supposed to cut the pipe that's already too short? Bold strategy.”
“Borrow a pipe stretcher from a friend, or buy a longer pipe or extension at a store. Your disposal mounting ring is not locked in all the way. Disposal could leak or fall out during use.”
“I have tried looking everywhere but I have no idea what to do, our disposal drain pipe seems to be too short to fit into the T fitting, the drain pipe and the T fitting line up almost exactly. The drain pipe is 12 inches long submitted by /u/Laxton_Braxtor [link] [comments]”
“Advice needed, please? We own a 15 year old modular prefabricated two story home, with unfinished poured concrete basement. While in the basement this evening, we discovered a fresh leak from a drain pipe that appears to be connected to nothing. Video is attached. There is a 2 inch pipe that descends from our basement ceiling, and it has an inserted PVC plug which appears to have developed a crack. This 'plug' has a small slow pin sized amount of water streaming from it. We currently hav”
“Hello guys, as the title says, got most of the hair out using my drain snake, but it’s draining somehow even slower now. My drain snake is now impossible to clean with the hair so they’re disposable, and I’m just going to throw it away. Also my drain plug in my shower is non removable, I can only lift it up like a couple cms, but no amount of pulling will get it out. NEED SOME HELP ON WHAT I CAN POUR DOWN THE DRAIN. I know to not use stuff like Draino, but I’ve heard stuff like bleach could help”
“How do I fix it/what part(s) do I need? submitted by /u/ng_wishiwasreading [link] [comments]”
“My girlfriend keeps knocking the pipes loose causing it to leak directly underneath the sink. I have to redo it and tight it back up but its still not very secure. Is there a better solution, like more secure? Should I just replace and pvc glue it? submitted by /u/DESKtopMars8922 [link] [comments]”
“If you don't mind smelling sewer gas after your trap siphons itself empty... Also, is there not a vent already installed on this drain? How was the old sink vented? Note: I am not a plumber, but I've been coached by pros on renovating and maintaining my ancient house. I trade them for my expertise in control systems.”
“So i install a new sink and it drop the water disposal down lower. The pipe coming out from the wall is glued with no room to cut so it will be a pain to re do eveythinf. I let the water run for 3 mins with no back flow but the water retains in the black pipe coming out from the disposal but no water in the disposal damper. Do you guys think it is worthy to redo everything? Im trying to save some work submitted by /u/Ok-Cartoonist-6316 [link] [comments]”
“Hello all, Since coming back from a weeklong vacation, my kitchen sink hasn't been draining properly. If I turn the water on or run the dishwasher, the sink will begin to fill with water after a few seconds. However, if I run the disposal it will clear out. I asked the robot and it suggested it could be a partial clog, so I took off the P trap but I didn't find anything. To be safe I tried to snake out the pipe after the trap. I got it in ~4 feet, more or less, and nothing came out. I al”
“You can bend the piece with the holes at an angle then again so it perpendicular again. That might be close enough to help. Use all the play you can on the rod to move strainer more”
“Move the rod down a few holes on the strip. You can actually bend that flat rod over closer to the rod. The start and stop height on the top plunger changes with which hole it's in. Bend the flat closer and try the differnt holes so the drain seats and opens and the plunger rod is not too high or low.”
“The faucet seems too far away from the drain rod to close the sink drain on my bathroom sink. I added an extension rod but now when I pull up it doesn’t move the rod enough to open the drain much. What do I do submitted by /u/adrienne_cunye [link] [comments]”
“Never seen a sink with a lip like that submitted by /u/Dull_Fan628 [link] [comments]”
“You can cut it out and repipe the drain with only 1 pipe passing through the floor https://preview.redd.it/134cuj2z70nh1.jpeg?width=1206&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ec6959331fb3fc3620cd569880a47445dd988c9e”
“After a drip in the cabinet was fixed by replacing a basket gasket, and new slip washers…everything was drying up until I went to the basement. We don’t use the left much, in fact the dishwasher is the main use on that side. So it went unnoticed but once I’m full throttle running water ..It’s leaking pretty bad. Looks like it’s coming from the glued joint between the cabinet and the floor. Also doesn’t seem to have a vent anywhere near the sink. I didn’t do this. It’s a century home. The project”
“Hello all, looking to DIY some perimeter drainage for my new construction. This is basically my idea, with the yellow portions having an PVC pipe coming out of the ground so that I could snake. I’m just wondering if I need to purchase a Wye fitting and be able to snake in one direction or if I could have a vertical pipe come out of the ground and snake in either direction of my choosing. This is a rough draft please let me know what I could do more efficiently if possible. submitted by ”
“Noob here to plumbing, home repairs and home updates. Apologies in advance if I have terminology wrong. I have this dual kitchen sink, and am wanting to swap it out to a single style sink. The base of the new sink sits lower than the current one. I am assuming I will need to cut the backing of the cabinet out, the cut down the sheet rock, and the cut the piping out and install curved part lower back to the disposal. Or is it possible the cut the y part, and change to a single line and not cut th”
I cut twice abs measured once and the damn thing is still too short!
“Yes it’s the bathroom sink drain going into the wall. It is like that ever since moving in.”
“Started leaking and took a look to see what’s wrong and apparently the sink installation in my condo was done like this instead properly fitting the pipe with an adapter. Should I just replace the sealant? submitted by /u/smexsa [link] [comments]”
“Tried your suggestion and it didn't work but encouraged me to keep pushing. Turns out the owners of the house did not have a high loop causing the clogging from the disposal coming down the pipe. Tried a sink snake but it was not long enough. We decided or vacuum is old enough for us not to care about it so we strapped it to the hose and sucked all the shit and water out. The dishwasher now works and the vacuum is drying outside ! Thanks for all the help. Hope this post helps someone else at”
No matter what disposal life is diminished bc water will sit in it
“I had one of those after market tub stoppers that is fixed with a tiny screw, couldn't have been longer then .5"...I was unscrewing the stopper to clean out the hair while it tub was full of water and a strand of hair somehow pulled the screw out and it fell down the drain...couldn't believe it. It's so small I can't imagine it being a big issue, any thoughts? The p trap isn't super accessible...there is a panel but I'd have to disassemble the toilet in the adjoining”
“Is it possible to replace the plug hole in this sink? The bottom part of it which threads into the u bend has snapped. Ideally I don't want to have to replace the entire sink and unit. Don't even know what you call the plug surround part in order to ask for it at Wickes or wherever. Location London/UK Thanks! submitted by /u/fr0991tt [link] [comments]”
“What is the proper way to handle these drains? Black line is from the water softener, gray is washing machine, and clear is the AC condensation line. This was setup this way when the home was purchased. This was recently updated when the HVAC company ran the clear line. I need peace of mine that this is correct and won't leak. submitted by /u/rmantia23 [link] [comments]”
“Yeah, I know they do. I just wasn’t sure if that just fully seats into the floor sink. Cause there’s no lip on this floor sink.”
“I took the measurements and had a shop that cuts steel cut me a piece for 10 bucks. I just sprayed paint on it to keep it from rusting”
“he drainpipe has been like this for some time idk, i didnt install it. And thr laundry always has this weird smell so i opened it and found this goo. How should i better position the drain hose because the outlet on this miele machine is on the upper side, should i also buy a new one, also this is a miele w1 2017 model submitted by /u/Kristo_Crosant [link] [comments]”
“Had to get someone to clean and drain the septic tank and they told me it's gonna fill up again next time it rains because of this. They said it's a 2" PVC pipe I need to put on there. I'm assuming this is the cleanout pipe. Is there something specific I should buy and would it be something anyone can install? submitted by /u/thisisatypoo [link] [comments]”
“Recently had a ac drain pipe put in because it was overflowing the sink. Will this need a splash block? Thanks in advance. submitted by /u/BrownGumshoe [link] [comments]”
“Hello friends, I am not a plumber and I have little experience with plumbing. Here are some pictures from my basement where I believe the previous owner put in hot / cold water lines for a possible sink. Where would I have the drain run to? Is that what this white pipe is for? I would love any infor y'all can give me to help put in a cheap plastic sink (certainly doesn't need to look pretty). Thanks! submitted by /u/ydnar1 [link] [comments]”
“Is there a clean out below the dirty arm ?Can you can flip flop clean out and waste line?”