Former Montana state plumbing inspector, it would be nice to see more videos like this. So many homeowners wanting to do their own work get it wrong and wind up spending three to four times the cost. And when in doubt, call your local inspector. They are more than happy to come out and look and it WON'T COST A DIME! Better to be safe than have a real mess in the end.
Most inspectors are to nice, so most people don't reach out. I did some plumbing on my house. Had it inspected, it wasn't vented right. I asked him what was wrong and how to fix it. He said I ain't your contactor and walked off.
i’ve seen a couple of videos from out east were inspectors are helpful and come by to help you as you go. I did not have that same experience here in Kansas. I actually made a RUclips video with a rant about the inspectors.
I have been doing plumbing for 56 years, with the last 38 of those years working for myself in Australia as a licensed plumber, roof plumber, drainer, gas fitter and LPG installer I have seen many changes in the industry, some not good but most were. As an apprentice, I spent 5 years studying, 3 years to become a journeyman and 2 years of advanced plumbing to become licensed. I began with earthenware drainage pipes joined with cement, copper for hot and cold water, with copper wastes into cast iron stacks in multistory buildings. Also galvanised steel pipes for gas lines. Today, almost everything is in plastic. The worst is that a plumber today is more interested in the money than the job. Most of them think of a plumbing license as a license to print money. Even though as I am approaching 72, I still work part time as a licensed plumber. I like it too much to give up completely. There is some differences with what we call the fittings. For example; a sanitary 'T', we call an 88° square junction. We don't have "a combo wye and 1/8 bend", we just add a 45° bend to a 45° junction. We never use fractions to describe any fitting, only ever the degrees that it is, that reduces confusion. Our sanitary bend fittings come in 5, 15, 30, 45, 60 and 88 degrees.
Marti a....your comments and attitude is exactly why there are very few goog tradesman any more. They take it on for money and not a lifetime vocation. I'm a carpenter joiner and will never retire from learning more about my trade. More power to the dude still on the tools at 72. You see i know where he's coming from.😀😎
B-boo Duffy my apologies that some of us don't have all day to sit here and type the exact names for their licences for you. I'm a contractor in Washington state, I hold a C36/C20 in California, and am a Master plumber in Colorado. Currently working in Colorado Springs. Would you like my blood type as well?
recently corrected plenty of these mistakes in a house a bought and currently doing a full house remodel. as well as added more venting. Before they decided that the waist pipe going from upstairs to down stairs needed more venting so they just drilled 3/4 inch holes on top of the pipe... you cant make that shit up. they tried to make the upstairs sink and shower drain uphill into the main which of course doesnt work. They used Ts instead of wyes or combos, used short radius 90s instead of long radius, ran to small diameter piping in places and went from 1 1/5 down to 1 1/4 from a banch to the main. found several joints incorrectly mated. decided glue was all it needed. lacked true supporting of piping which had sagged over time. a lot of which wasnt noticed until you removed the 3 foot of insulation off of it, or pulled the drywall to see it. Or well lack of drywall and more paneling. Even the domestic water was a mess, PVC main, switch to cpvc to copper back to cpvc, back to copper. ripped it all out except the main, added a true main shut off inside the house back at the point it comes out of the ground. I know some will boo and hiss, but i went with pex as a replacement. In union commercial construction anyway. Most of the guys were telling me why not copper, pex isnt real plumbing. I said The price. Im doing it out of pocket, copper is nice and i dont mind it when im not paying for it. but I couldnt justify using copper in my house do to the price. so I went with pex and used the copper crimp rings vs the stainless pinch ring. No shark bites, ive seen those fail to offend. I have used the caps for temporary while testing or getting some plumbing working to at least have running water. I was going to use a pex manifold but for this house i couldnt justify the cost of one. but none the less i did install isolation between upstairs and down stairs as well as a shut off before and after the water softener and water heater. Might be over kill but if something happens i want to have control quickly.
Amen Hammerpedia! I've been cleaning drains & sewers for over 30 years. You are dead on. Nothing more frustrating than a tee when there should be a combo or wye. I recently cleared a bathtub line where the homeowner did his own plumbing. He said he couldn't get the trap to line up with the tub drain, so he built a "360 degree loop" followed by a p-trap. My stomach sank. This was in the basement with a concrete floor. Getting a 1/4" cable through it was hell, but with lots of persistence I got the cable through and into the main sewer. The water drained great. There was just one problem.........I opened the back flow prevention device (it was about 5 feet away) and I saw the cable in there. Problem was, there was no water coming through. Hmmm. That means the pipe broke under the concrete. Sorry mister homeowner, but if you don't know how to plumb, this can be the result. Last I knew, he was jack hammering his basement floor. Thanks for the video.
As a drain tech I thank you for this, I hope an installer learns from this. One other thing that is code that I wish wasn't is the use of double wyes. A sewer cable has a very difficult time with making the turn. It almost always goes straight across unless there is a length of pipe between the wye and 45. Usually they are put in with street 45s into the wye or are part of the fitting itself. I have watched on camera cables going right across these fittings. I have also watched waste getting deposited up into the opposing branch after a toilet flush. The waste is pushed up and is left there as the water drains out. If the branch that is receiving this waste doesn't get used much it will eventually become clogged from the other branch line. This was a serious head scratcher for us until we actually witnessed in on video.
Thanks for sharing this. Great information. As a plumber for 35 years, I tell inspectors all the time to call me if this line backs up so I can watch a maintenance man pull a ceiling cleanout plug for a stoppage on floor above. He responds and said "It's the code" and I say "don't forget to call me!" Lol
Lisa O'Donnell oh indeed it is! In RUclips now watching music vids, saw your notification! Lol I'll send you a video of why ceiling clean outs shouldn't be used.
Why would anyone pull a main line clean out plug inside of a building. I've been in the business for well over 40 years. I'm not sure I've ever pulled an inside clean out. Go outside and open the outside clean out. Run the snake back towards the building. 99% of the time mains do not plug inside a building anyways. The weight of the water will push anything you can put down a toilet clear out of the building. What stops up then. Is roots, broken pipes, pipes don't plug unless the waste has something to hang up on.
Wow! This is among the best-produced and thorough youtube videos I've ever watched. I'm preparing (watching lots of videos and reading plumbing books!) to replace my entire DWV stack and the bathroom fittings in my 1920 house. As soon as I can scrape together $50 for your ebook, I will definitely buy it. Again, great video.
Today is the last day of 41 years of doing plumbing. And it's not like I took time off to do something else. Too bad. All that I've learned in that time will now disappear into the mist. It will have to be learned by a newby all over again. Nobody is interested. Mistakes will be made, over and over. And the clients will bear the brunt. The march of time.
I swear our computers are listening in on us, only last night my neighbours emptying of her bath tub resulted in much gargling in my bath waste. Her dad is a plumber! and ever since he made an alteration in her bathroom my bath drain is noisier, To cut along story short, it woke me up, the computer must have heard my rantings and low and behold just the following day the 'potential' answer, come source of my troubles is most likely in this video. Thank you for posting, so nice to hear from people with a really professional outlook and conduct. I do a bit of plumbing myself sometimes so I am without doubt taking on board what you have said.
I've had this argument many times with my Foreman that we need to use sweeps instead of 90's. In Georgia its common to use 90's. I think the reason my company and foreman are so cool with using 90's is that they cost less, but I also feel its because they've always been new construction plumbers and not service plumbers. They don't realize how much more of a pain in the ass a 90 can be to snake a cable through. A sweep is much easier to service.
This is the first video of yours I've seen, fantastic information and providing things free is above and beyond, sir. Thank you and Godspeed Mr. Spitz!
The National Standard Plumbing Code used in New Jersey allows short pattern fittings to be used in horizontal to horizontal changes in direction. But only for individual fixtures.
Trick I learned from a Australian plumber years ago. Have to install a toe tap tub waste on a slab? With plastic tee,boot and overflow? Lay a piece of plywood on the floor and tack a piece on the studs. Use a pencil to mark the plywood through the holes. Then, pull aside the tub, make your measurements, using your marks. You'll never have a boot too low or too high. Same with the overflow.
Thanks for posting this - best I've seen so far. I'm not a plumber, but I like to know what's going on so I can make sure work is done right when plumbers do it, and for easier tasks, when I do it.
After observing failure after failure during inspections of master plumbers installations/ rough-ins, I’ve just come with a few simple rules that guarantee avoidance of most issues. In the case of this video, the rule is simple: NEVER use a sanitary T in drainage except in a vertical orientation at a trap arm connection. No need to learn all the do’s and don’ts when following one rule is all that’s needed
Old Builder here (72) and it makes me chuckle to see how many "master plumbers/inspectors/pros...." comment here after watching! :-) You figure they wouldn't need to be watching any of this on YT, right? haaaaa.... Me...I just like pretty pictures :-) Thanks for the show!!
This is especially the case in apartment buildings where clogs and buildups are far more inaccessible in many cases and a snake trying from horizontal drain trying to go down a T , is really frustrating ,even with a floating head on the snake why oh wye didn't they figure this stuff out long ago
You Sir are the Best at Plumbing Knowledge & a Life Saver for providing your Amazing guides to you're viewers. I have Liked, Subscribed & now commented on you're video ..this is the least I can do, to show my appreciation for you're work...thank you!
Most of the problems are back flow and or sucking the P trap dry. I agree with your video. However I would do a back up video of why these codes exist. To explain proper venting, back flow or P trap safety. Such as keeping out sewer gas and the reason these codes exist to prevent future problems, or dangers of not having proper flow, vrs suction. Good video by the way. I believe the more people understand why these codes exist, the more likely they will follow the codes. ;)
Dan Bedard He clearly stated in the video that even professionals are guilty of making this mistake. It helps to have some cursory knowledge of these things so you can potentially spot an error that is being done on your house. It also could keep the help honest and in top form if they know the person understand the basics
if you are watching this video to learn plumbing may i suggest buying the illustrated plumbing book. also attend a class about backflow. Find a plumber that has years of experience doing residential and commercial construction. Check with your local utility and see if thay have seminars on heating. Learn about controls regulation venting and venting.
Thanks Dylan! I could have saved myself a failed rough-in drain plumbing inspection had I seen this video first. :) I just received your free PDF download cheat sheet for this. Thanks! I got the impression it was going to be more than what you showed on the screen during the video, but I like it and saved it for future reference nonetheless! Looking forward to more videos! :)
0:20 Every tract home in my town is plumbed like this, the left being from the kitchen and the right coming from the washer in the garage. Every house has problems and all have back ups in both. Plus a 1/2 inch ONLY drop in 40 ft. of line. LOL My job, inform and replace for money. Tract homes will keep plumbers busy for years to come.
Indeed, workers just haphazardly build your house anyway and close it up, people have no idea how crappy a lot of builders are but the phrase "lipstick on a pig" comes to mind.
As a master plumber in West Virginia I stand by it as well.Unfortunetly I see it FAR to much.And what's worse than someone laying a tree on its side is the inspector is the person who should have caught it.But u say dwv code doesnt allow a tee on it side but it does when it's a vent.So what u are saying is only partially right.The appreciation dwv means drain waste vent.So your right but wrong.If it's a drain u cannot lay a tee on its side.But if it's a vent u can.By the way I dont lay tees on there side ever.I just know u can in a vent.Most people dont even know that the pipe that drains the water out of the fixture was only designed to have liquid in its bottom 1/3 rd.The other 2/3 rds is for air to pass back and forth.
Yeah a gravity drain needs that air in it work properly and a bigger pipe imparts less resistance to the liquid, hence why a 3" or 4" pipe is used enough though the trap portion on a toilet is a lot smaller.
Not all Codes. I'd suggest reading The National Standard Plumbing Code (IAPMO) 2.3.1a 2 Short radius fittings may be used in the drain piping of an individual fixture.
Thank you very much for the information, just moved to a house with this problem, toilet so closeto a T that waste backs up!!! now I now how to solve the problem
I've seen some serious disasters because a homeowner told me "yall charge way too much, I can look it up on the internet". 6 months later, we had to come back and tunnel under his remodeled bathroom and redo the entire plumbing. Backfall on pipes, santees on horizontal, 1 1/2 trap on shower, incorrect venting, santee on toilet dropping straight down on horizontal line that caused sewage to wash into shower drain. Hot and cold water backwards on shower. We had to cut holes in shower wall to redo the shower valves. Hot water to the toilet. One of the worst hack job ive seen in 20 years. People like him keep plumbers slammed with so much work we have a hard time getting to all of it.
I am late to the party but the biggest take away from this is the liquid traveling through your drain should never have to make a sharp 90. Ever. If it is, it's not up to code and you need to rethink you fittings. The only time sharp 90s are okay is with vents.
In Australia if homeowners performed their own plumbing work especially on sewer drainage systems, hot or cold water supply or gas fitting works they would be subject to prosecution by law. The only advice a Plumbing Inspection would give a homeowner here is to use a licensed Plumber for all of the above work and to ensure the Plumber provides a Certificate of Compliance upon completion of the work.
It's really unbelievable the mistake's I find, lately it's been no traps on laundry tubs. I can't figure out why anyone would think it isn't necessary.
I had noticed smells at the top of the landing in my cousins house. Where the laundry room is. I poured a glass of water under the washer, and fixed it. 😉
And then there was the crew sent out by ServiceMaster that made up a drain line with a santee in the reverse direction! But at least they were consistent. They also hooked up the bathroom supply lines to the old, abandoned iron piping!
I immediately subscribed to your channel because of the informative code and extra details in your video, Thank you so much for your time and efforts sir, God Bless.
@@johnnyvannoy8931 true. But not impossible, I've seen it happen before in tight spaces for other uses. That's the whole idea of knowing how to use the code.
Well you are right on that knowing how to use the code references . Most codes do leave it up to the AHJ to make rulings on these situations. Normally it’s done thru the code modification process, where one has to show and alternate method to meet the spirit and intent of the code .
The only time to use a elbow is either for a toliet or venting. Dont let a inspector see a elbow on your lines. Use 90s or 45s u can never fail with those
I can attest to this. I have a washing machine drain that spits almost every time into the floor. Some doofus installed a straight TEE in a crawl space....that is under a garage addition, so we can't get to it until the whole thing is replaced and floor ripped up.
Unfortunately, the sunny side is not that bright, as the married widow drowned, the propane tank sang to the porpoise. When the helicopter proposed lunch, the propeller saw the midnight daylight yesterday at you. Laughingly, the robin gasped, while moonbeams ate marshmallows inside the deer. Aware of pencils, aroma heard floor tiles selling whales. Branded as lost is the umbrella, as it elopes at tires. When confronted with ice cream, the garage saw the doom of entrapment by neighbors yet to be seen.
The video only covers one of the issues that is displayed in the picture provided. The other issue is with the pipe that is upstream of the fitting that was discussed. It is one of two things, either a vent or a stack, but whichever it is, the configuration is wrong. "Dry" vents are not allowed on a horizontal, they require a fixture will wash the pipe so as displayed it cannot be just a vent. If the verticle pipe goes up and leads to a bathroom group or any other fixtures, it would require a sanitary tee with a cleanout or a "y" with a 45 * fitting going up with a cleanout at the base of the stack, which isn't there. This is added info, not a crique of was shown in the video.
I used sanitary ts as shown on horizontal piping during my remodel a bunch of years ago. It passed rough inspection no problem, only afterwards did I realize what I had done. I spent a couple days and redid all the waste piping to have proper y's. It made sense then, and now. Local code required it too, which made me pretty disappointed in the local inspection office.
Hammerpedia I live in a major metropolitan area with over a million people in the area. My little "suburb" has their own inspection department. Believe it or not I don't even need a permit for gas piping but I need 2 permits and 3 inspections for a garden shed. Their plumbing inspector just graduated college and works for numerous areas. I felt like a complete idiot when I realized what I did. At least due to cleanouts and access to all the plumbing it likely wouldn't have been end of the world had I left it. I felt a lot better knowing it was right. The inspector never commented on the final on anything, and I didn't mention it to him since he was in a hurry. Pretty crazy to think that's the best a 500$ permit fee could get.
Hammerpedia Yes.. a pre pour inspection to check gravel depth/forms, after pour to verify concrete depth, and a final after the shed is on it. The type of shed doesn't matter, plastic or do it yourself. You also have to pay 300$ for a certified lot survey, plus 45 for the permit. You also have to prove it will handle something like a 25 to 45 pound per square foot snow load rating even though we barely get a a foot of snow in a month. Yet there are no inspections or permits for gas piping. So strange how things differ in every city lol.
Another reason why people have so little confidence in so-called inspectors. Also when in some places there is no fee schedule for permits but instead it's a percentage of the job estimate it becomes obvious that the permits are really just a tax and not actually for safety.
This is for directional flow having to do with drain cleaning. I believe it’s still code in my area to use a double wye but if it were up to a lot of local plumbers they would make them illegal to use , either above or below ground.
I can’t believe UPC says no to a 1/4 bend for a vertical to horizontal line! That’s crazy. What’s maximum 2” pipe mean though for diameter? Like IPC says you can use one but with an asterix.
About 30 years ago a company I worked for hired a plumber and set him to topping out a group of apartments. For the K/S drain trap arm he came off the 2" riser using a 2" X 11/2" X 1 1/2" sanitary tee. Cool. But then he put a 1/4 bend turned up and then another 1//4 bend turned horizontal before using a 1/4 bend to stub out of the wall. "What are you doing?" I said. He said. "What's wrong with that?" What is wrong with that? What is wrong with that is he had just created a S- Trap. Tsk,tsk. Violation of the U.P.C.
This is great info and it’s nice to have a short to the point presentation but it leaves a lot of questions unanswered. Does this formation also apply to ABS? Does this formation apply to only certain diameter pipe?
Not sure if or why code book says you can't connect 2 horizontal pipes with a T because you can. You just can't lay a T on it's side. You can however bring a horizontal pipe in on a higher elevation and turn the T up to a minimum of 45 degrees.
Dylan, can you help plan out the upgrade of an historic house? I have unfinished areas and areas to be updated like the empty kitchen, and need more bathrooms, a real full bathroom, kitchen drains, laundry maybe on the second floor, well everything. Do you make house calls? I could use some help in the planning parts. I downloaded your papers many years ago and use the pictures often. I was planning on putting a laundry on the back porch once I finish cutting out the gigantic oil burning sheet metal vents because the HVAC guys won’t use them so I have no heat, or AC but Ned bathrooms and laundry. So then I thought why not put it upstairs…. Ugh help please.
New Jersey has it's approved codes online free pdf as laws in the state. NJUCC gives the plumbing codes to National Standard Plumbing Code. The right year's is listed as law and can be read.
Thanks! I was able to use this information when I plumbed my brother's bathroom. I put up a video to show how I was able to DIY with confidence now that I know how NOT to do it.
Pipe dope is not a sealant. Teflon tape is not a sealant. If you use it as that, you'll have grief. They are lubricants. That's it. When two surfaces pass across one another, the friction creates heat. Heat is the enemy of proper threaded installations. A thread is often discarded as unfit many times due to damage. But dirt on threads is more likely to cause a leak than a damaged thread. By the way, in no code is a street fitting allowed on gas piping. Nor is a close nipple.
Highly precious material, in most condensed, best-presented format. Congratulation to put such great content in such a short and valuable clip. All, please value and do the least, LIKE this clip and subscribe.
You worry about this, but your houses are built from matchsticks. and blow away when it's windy. so the pipe will never get the chance to block up. Well presented information video too
Grab Your FREE Cheat Sheet:
1. *** How To Pick The Proper DWV Fitting: www.hammerpedia.co/fittings
2. *** 2 Free Bathroom Plumbing Plans: hammerpedia.co/diagram
3. *** Free Toilet Venting Guide: hammerpedia.com/vent
⭐ Checkout Our Collection of Bathroom Plumbing Plans: ⭐
hammerpedia.com/bathroom-blueprint
When you have a sink in the garage and it's hooked up to the bathroom sink and they want to put a garbage disposal in the in the garage yes or no
Please reply
Former Montana state plumbing inspector, it would be nice to see more videos like this. So many homeowners wanting to do their own work get it wrong and wind up spending three to four times the cost. And when in doubt, call your local inspector. They are more than happy to come out and look and it WON'T COST A DIME! Better to be safe than have a real mess in the end.
based this is the way
Most inspectors are to nice, so most people don't reach out. I did some plumbing on my house. Had it inspected, it wasn't vented right. I asked him what was wrong and how to fix it. He said I ain't your contactor and walked off.
@@cfg7523 yep.. moral of the story, hire a professional plumber so it won’t cost you time and having to do it all over again in the future.
Here in va inspectors cost a TON of money
i’ve seen a couple of videos from out east were inspectors are helpful and come by to help you as you go. I did not have that same experience here in Kansas. I actually made a RUclips video with a rant about the inspectors.
I have been doing plumbing for 56 years, with the last 38 of those years working for myself in Australia as a licensed plumber, roof plumber, drainer, gas fitter and LPG installer
I have seen many changes in the industry, some not good but most were.
As an apprentice, I spent 5 years studying, 3 years to become a journeyman and 2 years of advanced plumbing to become licensed.
I began with earthenware drainage pipes joined with cement, copper for hot and cold water, with copper wastes into cast iron stacks in multistory buildings. Also galvanised steel pipes for gas lines.
Today, almost everything is in plastic.
The worst is that a plumber today is more interested in the money than the job.
Most of them think of a plumbing license as a license to print money.
Even though as I am approaching 72, I still work part time as a licensed plumber.
I like it too much to give up completely.
There is some differences with what we call the fittings.
For example; a sanitary 'T', we call an 88° square junction.
We don't have "a combo wye and 1/8 bend", we just add a 45° bend to a 45° junction.
We never use fractions to describe any fitting, only ever the degrees that it is, that reduces confusion.
Our sanitary bend fittings come in 5, 15, 30, 45, 60 and 88 degrees.
Kenneth Lyneham mi
Wouldn't the only 88 degree fitting be a sanitary tee?
Marti a....your comments and attitude is exactly why there are very few goog tradesman any more. They take it on for money and not a lifetime vocation. I'm a carpenter joiner and will never retire from learning more about my trade. More power to the dude still on the tools at 72. You see i know where he's coming from.😀😎
Martin Allen The man enjoys what he does.When you love what you do it isn't work.
Kenneth Lyneham
NononmlnikkiNJmp
This guy is doing the Lord’s work, I tell ya... what an incredible resource.
I know right! He's amazing
As a master plumber in Colorado and Washington I stand by this video. Thank you for giving folks this info.
Master Plumber in WA?
B-boo Duffy my apologies that some of us don't have all day to sit here and type the exact names for their licences for you. I'm a contractor in Washington state, I hold a C36/C20 in California, and am a Master plumber in Colorado. Currently working in Colorado Springs. Would you like my blood type as well?
Username checks out. All I need is your shop's name.
The Whole Truth and Nothing But ... combo ... Journeyman Plumber here .. peace ✌️
Matthew AZ boy same to you brother
recently corrected plenty of these mistakes in a house a bought and currently doing a full house remodel. as well as added more venting. Before they decided that the waist pipe going from upstairs to down stairs needed more venting so they just drilled 3/4 inch holes on top of the pipe... you cant make that shit up. they tried to make the upstairs sink and shower drain uphill into the main which of course doesnt work. They used Ts instead of wyes or combos, used short radius 90s instead of long radius, ran to small diameter piping in places and went from 1 1/5 down to 1 1/4 from a banch to the main. found several joints incorrectly mated. decided glue was all it needed. lacked true supporting of piping which had sagged over time. a lot of which wasnt noticed until you removed the 3 foot of insulation off of it, or pulled the drywall to see it. Or well lack of drywall and more paneling. Even the domestic water was a mess, PVC main, switch to cpvc to copper back to cpvc, back to copper. ripped it all out except the main, added a true main shut off inside the house back at the point it comes out of the ground. I know some will boo and hiss, but i went with pex as a replacement. In union commercial construction anyway. Most of the guys were telling me why not copper, pex isnt real plumbing. I said The price. Im doing it out of pocket, copper is nice and i dont mind it when im not paying for it. but I couldnt justify using copper in my house do to the price. so I went with pex and used the copper crimp rings vs the stainless pinch ring. No shark bites, ive seen those fail to offend. I have used the caps for temporary while testing or getting some plumbing working to at least have running water. I was going to use a pex manifold but for this house i couldnt justify the cost of one. but none the less i did install isolation between upstairs and down stairs as well as a shut off before and after the water softener and water heater. Might be over kill but if something happens i want to have control quickly.
There's a saying about the person that did the plumbing before you, "They know enough to be dangerous". Lacking Common Sence.
Thanks. I was getting ready to convert a single sink drain into a double and I think you just saved me a headache.
Amen Hammerpedia! I've been cleaning drains & sewers for over 30 years. You are dead on. Nothing more frustrating than a tee when there should be a combo or wye.
I recently cleared a bathtub line where the homeowner did his own plumbing. He said he couldn't get the trap to line up with the tub drain, so he built a "360 degree loop" followed by a p-trap. My stomach sank. This was in the basement with a concrete floor.
Getting a 1/4" cable through it was hell, but with lots of persistence I got the cable through and into the main sewer. The water drained great. There was just one problem.........I opened the back flow prevention device (it was about 5 feet away) and I saw the cable in there. Problem was, there was no water coming through. Hmmm. That means the pipe broke under the concrete.
Sorry mister homeowner, but if you don't know how to plumb, this can be the result.
Last I knew, he was jack hammering his basement floor.
Thanks for the video.
The item you are referring to is a Backwater Valve for drains.
A Backflow Preventer is for potable water.
As a drain tech I thank you for this, I hope an installer learns from this. One other thing that is code that I wish wasn't is the use of double wyes. A sewer cable has a very difficult time with making the turn. It almost always goes straight across unless there is a length of pipe between the wye and 45. Usually they are put in with street 45s into the wye or are part of the fitting itself. I have watched on camera cables going right across these fittings. I have also watched waste getting deposited up into the opposing branch after a toilet flush. The waste is pushed up and is left there as the water drains out. If the branch that is receiving this waste doesn't get used much it will eventually become clogged from the other branch line. This was a serious head scratcher for us until we actually witnessed in on video.
You actually gave a really cool explanation. Thank you.
Perhaps you should start a RUclips site showing your camera views of such issues as you come across them. Maybe you will be the next RUclips Star.
Thanks for sharing this. Great information. As a plumber for 35 years, I tell inspectors all the time to call me if this line backs up so I can watch a maintenance man pull a ceiling cleanout plug for a stoppage on floor above. He responds and said "It's the code" and I say "don't forget to call me!" Lol
I don't get it. Obviously you have to be a plumber. Something is code but stupid nonetheless?
Lisa O'Donnell oh indeed it is! In RUclips now watching music vids, saw your notification! Lol I'll send you a video of why ceiling clean outs shouldn't be used.
Can't find video of apprentice pulling plug from cleanout on floor below stoppage but it's classic.
Why would anyone pull a main line clean out plug inside of a building. I've been in the business for well over 40 years. I'm not sure I've ever pulled an inside clean out. Go outside and open the outside clean out. Run the snake back towards the building. 99% of the time mains do not plug inside a building anyways. The weight of the water will push anything you can put down a toilet clear out of the building. What stops up then. Is roots, broken pipes, pipes don't plug unless the waste has something to hang up on.
No matter when you recorded this video; it will always be relative as long as there is “PLUMBING “!
I Am going to use this info.
Now!
Wow! This is among the best-produced and thorough youtube videos I've ever watched. I'm preparing (watching lots of videos and reading plumbing books!) to replace my entire DWV stack and the bathroom fittings in my 1920 house. As soon as I can scrape together $50 for your ebook, I will definitely buy it. Again, great video.
Today is the last day of 41 years of doing plumbing. And it's not like I took time off to do something else. Too bad. All that I've learned in that time will now disappear into the mist. It will have to be learned by a newby all over again. Nobody is interested. Mistakes will be made, over and over. And the clients will bear the brunt. The march of time.
richard wysham So ypu did it wrong for 41 years?
Yeah, That's right. I can retire as a plumber, but a Bitch is a Bitch forever
Richard, thanks for your 41 years of service to the plumbing industry!
richard wysham make videos!
Thank you,Sir.
Can you make more videos please? I'm an apprentice plumber and your videos are the best I can find.
I swear our computers are listening in on us, only last night my neighbours emptying of her bath tub resulted in much gargling in my bath waste. Her dad is a plumber! and ever since he made an alteration in her bathroom my bath drain is noisier, To cut along story short, it woke me up, the computer must have heard my rantings and low and behold just the following day the 'potential' answer, come source of my troubles is most likely in this video. Thank you for posting, so nice to hear from people with a really professional outlook and conduct. I do a bit of plumbing myself sometimes so I am without doubt taking on board what you have said.
I've had this argument many times with my Foreman that we need to use sweeps instead of 90's. In Georgia its common to use 90's. I think the reason my company and foreman are so cool with using 90's is that they cost less, but I also feel its because they've always been new construction plumbers and not service plumbers. They don't realize how much more of a pain in the ass a 90 can be to snake a cable through. A sweep is much easier to service.
Going from a new con plumber to a maintenance plumber, I agree. Though we would use long sweeps where applicable in the code.
I thought sanitary tee joints were primarily used in venting applications.
I'm a ga GC, and caught that instantly...
a sweep is a 1/4 bend! 90's are technically not a callout for drain fittings per code books!
Get away from those Ratty non-union plumbing shops in the South. If you work in a union shop, you learn how to do things correctly. Thnx.
This is the first video of yours I've seen, fantastic information and providing things free is above and beyond, sir. Thank you and Godspeed Mr. Spitz!
The National Standard Plumbing Code used in New Jersey allows short pattern fittings to be used in horizontal to horizontal changes in direction. But only for individual fixtures.
Trick I learned from a Australian plumber years ago. Have to install a toe tap tub waste on a slab? With plastic tee,boot and overflow? Lay a piece of plywood on the floor and tack a piece on the studs. Use a pencil to mark the plywood through the holes. Then, pull aside the tub, make your measurements, using your marks. You'll never have a boot too low or too high. Same with the overflow.
Thanks for posting this - best I've seen so far. I'm not a plumber, but I like to know what's going on so I can make sure work is done right when plumbers do it, and for easier tasks, when I do it.
After observing failure after failure during inspections of master plumbers installations/ rough-ins, I’ve just come with a few simple rules that guarantee avoidance of most issues. In the case of this video, the rule is simple: NEVER use a sanitary T in drainage except in a vertical orientation at a trap arm connection. No need to learn all the do’s and don’ts when following one rule is all that’s needed
Everything depends on what your code book in your area calls for.
Makes sense, thanks
Old Builder here (72) and it makes me chuckle to see how many "master plumbers/inspectors/pros...." comment here after watching! :-) You figure they wouldn't need to be watching any of this on YT, right? haaaaa.... Me...I just like pretty pictures :-) Thanks for the show!!
Anyone running DWV, should have these basics in the forefront of their minds when slinging pipe
Useful information. In short, when in doubt, use the largest radius bend that you can fit in the available space.
This is especially the case in apartment buildings where clogs and buildups are far more inaccessible in many cases and a snake trying from horizontal drain trying to go down a T , is really frustrating ,even with a floating head on the snake why oh wye didn't they figure this stuff out long ago
I am an apprentice but Ive ran into this a lot surprisingly, Im glad my boss taught me up on the subject
You Sir are the Best at Plumbing Knowledge & a Life Saver for providing your Amazing guides to you're viewers.
I have Liked, Subscribed & now commented on you're video
..this is the least I can do, to show my appreciation for you're work...thank you!
Thanks!
Most of the problems are back flow and or sucking the P trap dry. I agree with your video. However I would do a back up video of why these codes exist. To explain proper venting, back flow or P trap safety. Such as keeping out sewer gas and the reason these codes exist to prevent future problems, or dangers of not having proper flow, vrs suction. Good video by the way. I believe the more people understand why these codes exist, the more likely they will follow the codes. ;)
Great points Chris.
Or if you want to do the plumbing...go get trained properly maybe? Stop relying on the professionals to make free videos on how to.
Dan Bedard
He clearly stated in the video that even professionals are guilty of making this mistake. It helps to have some cursory knowledge of these things so you can potentially spot an error that is being done on your house. It also could keep the help honest and in top form if they know the person understand the basics
Dan Bedard You've been making this mistake, that's why you came here to get educated! LMAO
Or they can just follow this or do ur 5 year apprenticeship like most do
I'm so glad that I live in an area that doesn't have any building codes. No added expense, and no problems.
Michael Michael ...... Talk about an oxymoron.
Great video. You showed us handymen important complex information in an easy to understand way. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
Watching this as I'm driving back with the sanitary tee to do the job. I guess I'll turn around and take you back. Thanks for clarifying
if you are watching this video to learn plumbing may i suggest buying the illustrated plumbing book. also attend a class about backflow. Find a plumber that has years of experience doing residential and commercial construction. Check with your local utility and see if thay have seminars on heating. Learn about controls regulation venting and venting.
Thanks Dylan! I could have saved myself a failed rough-in drain plumbing inspection had I seen this video first. :) I just received your free PDF download cheat sheet for this. Thanks! I got the impression it was going to be more than what you showed on the screen during the video, but I like it and saved it for future reference nonetheless! Looking forward to more videos! :)
Thanks Tom!
This is why I always call a pro for larger projects
I wish I could do videos like this. I save your videos to show Construction apprentices that get assigned to my big jobs.
As a Master Plumber & Gas Furnace Installer in Scotland, I 100% approve of this video. It's the same over here.
;)
Hydroponicist here and I found this very enlightening but not usually what I do with PVC pipes.
0:20 Every tract home in my town is plumbed like this, the left being from the kitchen and the right coming from the washer in the garage. Every house has problems and all have back ups in both. Plus a 1/2 inch ONLY drop in 40 ft. of line. LOL My job, inform and replace for money. Tract homes will keep plumbers busy for years to come.
Indeed, workers just haphazardly build your house anyway and close it up, people have no idea how crappy a lot of builders are but the phrase "lipstick on a pig" comes to mind.
We keep it real simple, no quarter bends or sanitary tees allowed on any job; even with venting.
Awesome! Laymans description of what to use. This will be quite helpful when I get to the plumbing portion of my house build.
Great job. You have a really good voice for narration. Very clear and articulate.
Thanks Peter!
I purchased the course and it is excellent.
Thanks Roy!
Exactly what I found under my house that’s clogged🤦♂️ Great video-answered every question in minutes!
As a master plumber in West Virginia I stand by it as well.Unfortunetly I see it FAR to much.And what's worse than someone laying a tree on its side is the inspector is the person who should have caught it.But u say dwv code doesnt allow a tee on it side but it does when it's a vent.So what u are saying is only partially right.The appreciation dwv means drain waste vent.So your right but wrong.If it's a drain u cannot lay a tee on its side.But if it's a vent u can.By the way I dont lay tees on there side ever.I just know u can in a vent.Most people dont even know that the pipe that drains the water out of the fixture was only designed to have liquid in its bottom 1/3 rd.The other 2/3 rds is for air to pass back and forth.
but you can put a san tee on a 45 degree to the vertical and use it to connect a horizontal pipe
Yeah a gravity drain needs that air in it work properly and a bigger pipe imparts less resistance to the liquid, hence why a 3" or 4" pipe is used enough though the trap portion on a toilet is a lot smaller.
I've worked in both UPC and IPC areas. I always preferred the UPC due to its higher standard (fewer allowances.)
I am plambar in India . You. Are knowledge is very good.
Not all Codes. I'd suggest reading The National Standard Plumbing Code (IAPMO) 2.3.1a 2 Short radius fittings may be used in the drain piping of an individual fixture.
In San Diego we just shit in the streets. Toilets are for the millionaires.
Cfass1 in Michigan we shit in the woods.
Thank you very much for the information, just moved to a house with this problem, toilet so closeto a T that waste backs up!!! now I now how to solve the problem
I don't always turn 90, but when I do I use a long sweep! Keep it long my friends!
Always have a 45 degree angle dumping TOWARDS the drain flow to prevent blockages!
I’ll make sure to print this out and put it in my tool box so that when I do need it it’ll look like garbage and I will have thrown it out months ago.
Hahaha sounds like my operation method
Put it in a Ziploc baggie with a Sharpie to label. Problem solved!
Cover it with shipping tape to give it some protection. Worked for us in the Army.
😂😂😂
Congratulations, I am soon retiring too,it's a journey that challenges you everyday, good luck.
very nice vide. the descriptions of why it is you cannot use the sanitary tee will help people remember.
Thanks Kenneth!
I love pointing out this mistake to homeowners that are proud of their DIY.
I've seen some serious disasters because a homeowner told me "yall charge way too much, I can look it up on the internet". 6 months later, we had to come back and tunnel under his remodeled bathroom and redo the entire plumbing. Backfall on pipes, santees on horizontal, 1 1/2 trap on shower, incorrect venting, santee on toilet dropping straight down on horizontal line that caused sewage to wash into shower drain. Hot and cold water backwards on shower. We had to cut holes in shower wall to redo the shower valves. Hot water to the toilet. One of the worst hack job ive seen in 20 years. People like him keep plumbers slammed with so much work we have a hard time getting to all of it.
That's why we have plumbing codes and inspections.
I am late to the party but the biggest take away from this is the liquid traveling through your drain should never have to make a sharp 90. Ever. If it is, it's not up to code and you need to rethink you fittings. The only time sharp 90s are okay is with vents.
In Australia if homeowners performed their own plumbing work especially on sewer drainage systems, hot or cold water supply or gas fitting works they would be subject to prosecution by law.
The only advice a Plumbing Inspection would give a homeowner here is to use a licensed Plumber for all of the above work and to ensure the Plumber provides a Certificate of Compliance upon completion of the work.
It's really unbelievable the mistake's I find, lately it's been no traps on laundry tubs. I can't figure out why anyone would think it isn't necessary.
Scary!
I had noticed smells at the top of the landing in my cousins house. Where the laundry room is. I poured a glass of water under the washer, and fixed it. 😉
Everything you’ve said is 100% correct. Absolutely No PVC nor Pex is Allowed in New York City. No Hub & Copper only for us
No pex in nyc?
@@mattek519 nopeeeeeeee.copper and copper pipes only. Some idiots do it but if get caught problems be real big.
And then there was the crew sent out by ServiceMaster that made up a drain line with a santee in the reverse direction! But at least they were consistent. They also hooked up the bathroom supply lines to the old, abandoned iron piping!
Thank you! I am turning a washing machine drain into a shower drain and appreciate this info :)
Thank you for referencing the code. Very much appreciated.
I immediately subscribed to your channel because of the informative code and extra details in your video,
Thank you so much for your time and efforts sir,
God Bless.
The old timers rule of thumb. Always use the smallest drains the code allows and the largest water lines the owner can afford.
True, Also the authority having jurisdiction can approve the change if necessary. Is on the code book.
Oscar it not likely to happen in this case . It is a improper use of a sanitary tee .
@@johnnyvannoy8931 true. But not impossible, I've seen it happen before in tight spaces for other uses. That's the whole idea of knowing how to use the code.
Well you are right on that knowing how to use the code references . Most codes do leave it up to the AHJ to make rulings on these situations. Normally it’s done thru the code modification process, where one has to show and alternate method to meet the spirit and intent of the code .
The only time to use a elbow is either for a toliet or venting. Dont let a inspector see a elbow on your lines. Use 90s or 45s u can never fail with those
Hello Dylan, My question is, Is it allowable to drain a toilet toward the front and have venting coming from behind?
I can attest to this. I have a washing machine drain that spits almost every time into the floor. Some doofus installed a straight TEE in a crawl space....that is under a garage addition, so we can't get to it until the whole thing is replaced and floor ripped up.
Unfortunately, the sunny side is not that bright, as the married widow drowned, the propane tank sang to the porpoise. When the helicopter proposed lunch, the propeller saw the midnight daylight yesterday at you. Laughingly, the robin gasped, while moonbeams ate marshmallows inside the deer. Aware of pencils, aroma heard floor tiles selling whales. Branded as lost is the umbrella, as it elopes at tires. When confronted with ice cream, the garage saw the doom of entrapment by neighbors yet to be seen.
The video only covers one of the issues that is displayed in the picture provided. The other issue is with the pipe that is upstream of the fitting that was discussed. It is one of two things, either a vent or a stack, but whichever it is, the configuration is wrong. "Dry" vents are not allowed on a horizontal, they require a fixture will wash the pipe so as displayed it cannot be just a vent. If the verticle pipe goes up and leads to a bathroom group or any other fixtures, it would require a sanitary tee with a cleanout or a "y" with a 45 * fitting going up with a cleanout at the base of the stack, which isn't there. This is added info, not a crique of was shown in the video.
I had to make a trip to Lowes after this video.
I used sanitary ts as shown on horizontal piping during my remodel a bunch of years ago. It passed rough inspection no problem, only afterwards did I realize what I had done. I spent a couple days and redid all the waste piping to have proper y's. It made sense then, and now. Local code required it too, which made me pretty disappointed in the local inspection office.
Good for you for making it right. Can't believe your inspector missed that one.
Hammerpedia
I live in a major metropolitan area with over a million people in the area. My little "suburb" has their own inspection department. Believe it or not I don't even need a permit for gas piping but I need 2 permits and 3 inspections for a garden shed. Their plumbing inspector just graduated college and works for numerous areas. I felt like a complete idiot when I realized what I did. At least due to cleanouts and access to all the plumbing it likely wouldn't have been end of the world had I left it. I felt a lot better knowing it was right. The inspector never commented on the final on anything, and I didn't mention it to him since he was in a hurry. Pretty crazy to think that's the best a 500$ permit fee could get.
That is crazy...a garden shed
Hammerpedia
Yes.. a pre pour inspection to check gravel depth/forms, after pour to verify concrete depth, and a final after the shed is on it. The type of shed doesn't matter, plastic or do it yourself. You also have to pay 300$ for a certified lot survey, plus 45 for the permit. You also have to prove it will handle something like a 25 to 45 pound per square foot snow load rating even though we barely get a a foot of snow in a month. Yet there are no inspections or permits for gas piping. So strange how things differ in every city lol.
Another reason why people have so little confidence in so-called inspectors. Also when in some places there is no fee schedule for permits but instead it's a percentage of the job estimate it becomes obvious that the permits are really just a tax and not actually for safety.
This is for directional flow having to do with drain cleaning. I believe it’s still code in my area to use a double wye but if it were up to a lot of local plumbers they would make them illegal to use , either above or below ground.
I can’t believe UPC says no to a 1/4 bend for a vertical to horizontal line! That’s crazy. What’s maximum 2” pipe mean though for diameter? Like IPC says you can use one but with an asterix.
About 30 years ago a company I worked for hired a plumber and set him to topping out a group of apartments. For the K/S drain trap arm he came off the 2" riser using a 2" X 11/2" X 1 1/2" sanitary tee. Cool. But then he put a 1/4 bend turned up and then another 1//4 bend turned horizontal before using a 1/4 bend to stub out of the wall. "What are you doing?" I said. He said. "What's wrong with that?" What is wrong with that? What is wrong with that is he had just created a S- Trap. Tsk,tsk. Violation of the U.P.C.
That'll break the vent, great tip Richard!
Make sure u put the 45 in the direction the drain waters going to lol
Aside from a wye and eighth bend, I would also put a cleanout fitting on that particular example.
Hi sir Dylan. Thank you very much! your videos helps me a lot to do my job right hence I am fixing my own house plumbing.
Virgillo, you are welcome. Best of luck on your plumbing project!
This is great info and it’s nice to have a short to the point presentation but it leaves a lot of questions unanswered. Does this formation also apply to ABS? Does this formation apply to only certain diameter pipe?
I'm remodeling a bathroom and find this video to be of great help. Thanks for posting.
Very well explained on waste vent piping and sweeps..Thank you
Henry, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I try to make these tutorials short and sweet!
Not talking about venting! Talking about moving shit!! And shit don't move in a vent,! Just air
Not sure if or why code book says you can't connect 2 horizontal pipes with a T because you can. You just can't lay a T on it's side. You can however bring a horizontal pipe in on a higher elevation and turn the T up to a minimum of 45 degrees.
Thanks Dylan! Big up to you sharing when the people!!!!🌺💚🔥
I'm a DIY person but I learned this watching Holmes on Homes
Hey thanks for taking the time to do this. Awesome information!
Dylan, can you help plan out the upgrade of an historic house? I have unfinished areas and areas to be updated like the empty kitchen, and need more bathrooms, a real full bathroom, kitchen drains, laundry maybe on the second floor, well everything. Do you make house calls? I could use some help in the planning parts. I downloaded your papers many years ago and use the pictures often.
I was planning on putting a laundry on the back porch once I finish cutting out the gigantic oil burning sheet metal vents because the HVAC guys won’t use them so I have no heat, or AC but Ned bathrooms and laundry. So then I thought why not put it upstairs…. Ugh help please.
Thanks for the free guide brother! God Bless!
Thanks!
Gr8 vid … Thx for your time, effort and energy in putting together this concise informational video. Kudos.
Cheers,
New Jersey has it's approved codes online free pdf as laws in the state. NJUCC gives the plumbing codes to National Standard Plumbing Code. The right year's is listed as law and can be read.
Thanks! I was able to use this information when I plumbed my brother's bathroom. I put up a video to show how I was able to DIY with confidence now that I know how NOT to do it.
Excellent information! You sound so much like Owen Wilson. I love it.
Glad you found it helpful.
basic stuff......
Pipe dope is not a sealant. Teflon tape is not a sealant. If you use it as that, you'll have grief. They are lubricants. That's it. When two surfaces pass across one another, the friction creates heat. Heat is the enemy of proper threaded installations. A thread is often discarded as unfit many times due to damage. But dirt on threads is more likely to cause a leak than a damaged thread. By the way, in no code is a street fitting allowed on gas piping. Nor is a close nipple.
You can never lay a sanitary tee on the side era where you're from but you got to use PVC pipe schedule 40 or foam core depending what city
Before i watched this video, i used to make that same mistake all the time; Now i won't do it again, i promise, or you can Spitz on my face!😂😂
This is a great comment. Thank you Dennis!
@@Hammerpedia 2 14th
Lol
Highly precious material, in most condensed, best-presented format.
Congratulation to put such great content in such a short and valuable clip.
All, please value and do the least, LIKE this clip and subscribe.
I am a plumber and I approve this video is correct
You worry about this, but your houses are built from matchsticks. and blow away when it's windy. so the pipe will never get the chance to block up.
Well presented information video too
Glad I found your channel.
Heck with 90's use all wye and 1/8 bends with a fitting clean out on back when there's room in your own home the future accessibility is great
And here I was thinking the biggest mistake was pooping in the sink. Learn something new every day I guess.