Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Around the Campfire => Topic started by: sleek on June 26, 2016, 04:42:16 am
-
I will be soon tearing out all the old rusted cast iron sewage lines and copper supply lines in my house I am renovating. I have never done this before and wonder, do I just replace whats there already with the Pex and pvc equivalent, and keep my rise and run the same?
-
Are you on city hook up, or going to septic tank. I'm on septic and I was going to try to hook into existing line but it broke so I had to go all the way to septic tank. Best thing that could have happened replaced all septic line with new and it was probably easier in the end anyway. I used pvc dry fit all pieces 1st mark line with marker across connections so you know which way there turned don't use to much slope
-
I like the dry fit and marker idea. Im going in to a city hook up. Id like to be able to connect in to the main line from my house with out much fuss.
-
You might check with your city building Dept. If you do the work and it's not to code they won't let you hook back up.
-
They also may require an inspection and a licensed plumber to do the hook up.
-
Well, at this moment I am really wishing for smaller government. I shouldn't need all that to fix my house. Ugh.
Anyway, I will look into all of that. I have no clue about code, I was just gonna rebuild whats there with updated material. Guess I need to find out how to find out whats code.
-
Sleek.codes may have changed over time.i know some have changed in my trade since I started almost 30 years ago.
-
PVC is the way to go. I know when I worked part time with my friend, a licenced Plumber, we ran the 4" PVC line from the house to the City hook up but had to stop there. The City did the final hook up to their line.
-
We mostly use abs pipe, the black stuff. Styrine is legal but most everyone goes with abs in the ground and under for sewer
-
Look up single story wet venting,i think it's accepted most every where.
-
Plumbing is really simple. Shit rolls down hill. Don't make it too steep, or the water flows around the stuff in the pipe, rather than pushing it down. If you are replacing the whole thing it should be pretty simple. You can hook up ABS to Iron with a rubber Fernco fitting. Pex works well. Invest in a good crimper. Copper in my opinion is fine, and simpler to work with once you can sweat pipe. And you more than likely have a torch and a copper pipe cutter.
-
I'm not a plumber by trade but know plenty about it and I can assure you it's not all that simple. True water does flow downhill it will not without the venting being proper. Do yourself a favor and do some research or post pictures
-
I'm not a plumber by trade but know plenty about it and I can assure you it's not all that simple. True water does flow downhill it will not without the venting being proper. Do yourself a favor and do some research or post pictures
That is what I mean by if he is just replacing what is currently there. Running the whole system from nothing is a different story.
-
I call a plumber. :) I have a lot of weak suites but plumbing is at the top of that list. I can't even put in a trap without it leaking. :) Good luck.
Pappy
-
It's may or may not be a overwhelming job. If you don't finish you don't have sinks toilets showers etc. you don't want to spend a lot of time after you disconnect your sewer line figuring out what to do. It's best to have well thought out plan and more than enough materials on hand. At the time I did mine my home town Hardward Store let me take as many fittings as I wanted and return what I didn't use. Usually not a after work, or when stores are closed job. My home town hardware store owner say the 1st thing you get for plumbing job is a full tank of gas. Good luck however you proceed.
-
I guess I will just build side by side my current pipe then once complete, get it inspected then disconnected and reconnect.
-
And remember, once that glue is on, it's forever. When I was building my house there was an area in the stack that had three fittings going off in all directions. I thought I would save time by assembling them on the floor and then gluing them to the stack. I got one 180 degrees out and ruined $35(in 1977 money) in fittings.
-
Sleek, I am a licensed journeyman plumber in Texas. As has already been said plumbing codes differ from state to state and even from city to city within the same state. What you are describing sounds to be a very involved plumbing job and although it could be expensive I would recommend having a licensed plumber do the job. In Texas as a homeowner, you are allowed to do your own repairs, but may still be subject to an inspection being that you are in the city.
Also keep this in mind; the previous plumbing may have been installed incorrectly and more than likely will not be up to current code depending on the age of your home. And if you ever decide to sell your home and the plumbing isn't properly installed, when a home inspector sees this it will de-value your home. Just some things to keep in mind if you try to "copy" existing piping.
Now if after reading all that, you are still wanting to tackle a complete re-pipe job, keep this in mind. There are two different types of pvc fittings. The one you want to use on sanitary wast and vent piping will be marked with the letters DWV on the fitting. These fittings have a "hub" with a raised area that is bigger than the rest of the fitting. The other type will be pressure fittings and will be the same outside diameter as the rest of the fitting. Do not use these for wastes and vents.
Pex is a great material but for the average homeowner, I would suggest plain old pvc for your water piping. The pex will require an additional investment in regards to the tools needed to make connections. I'm not a fan of the crimp connections anyway. The other kind of pex uses a tool that costs about 3 to 4 hundred dollars.
Make sure your waste lines have good fall, slope, on them! When you put the level on them, torpedo level is fine, make sure the bubble just barely breaks the line. There are graduated levels out there that show slope in 1/8th inch increments. And use schedule 40 for all your piping!! The thin stuff just causes more problems later on down the road.
Hope this helps. Good luck to you.
-
When you get to the city's sewer line, you may have to go really deep to get to the stub. Be prepared to rent a backhoe just in case. The most difficult thing may be what is under the counter tops and the toilets.
WA