The tee facing down with the clean out in your second picture is most likely your main issue. That should be removed and replaced with a straight run of piping. Any grease or solids that are in the line are going to collect in that fitting and create a blockage.
IANAP and I try very hard to limit my work on "away" plumbing to fixtures and maybe traps, but that T fitting seemed odd to me, hard to tell without the context but seems like an unusual location and orientation for a cleanout and likewise for a future fixture. Also the color looks different than the adjacent tubing, almost like a repair or a misapplication of a T as a union.Originally Posted by Rob79
Is there a suitable vent for whatever fixture uses this drain? And is the outlet to the left of the Y fitting?
I dabble in plumbing at work, but I'm not a plumber. Mostly commercial. That clean out looks like a problem waiting to happen to me. It's goin to catch shit. Or grease. Or whatever. Having a cleanout is super important for clogs... but that one looks like it would make clogs.
This weekend I got to walk through sewage backup at a public beach restroom, and then close it to the public on labor day. Pump had to get reset. So I got that goin' for me I guess.
I thought the opening for clean outs were supposed to be above the flowline, not below. That looks weird. Easy to fix with a Sawzall and good instructions to your wife as she makes the repair.
Word of caution. Don't send her to Home Depot for parts. Do that yourself.
I would wait a month for a plumber and 2 months for an electrician. Painters are easy because Hispanic and a general contractors license.
Last edited by Borderland; 09-07-2021 at 08:04 PM.
In the P-F basket of deplorables.
It looks like the problem pipe is actually running up hill. Probably because of the three fittings theres just not enough room. Id say it needs to have a 90 at the end then drop straight down into the larger pipe.
Id calculate the drop over the length of the run and see if there is enough room to turn the 90 and tie in. If not its going to need to be shortened on the other end.
Doesnt look like a big job for a plumber. I would think less than 300. A whole lot less if you do it yourself. Is the pipe currently clogged?
ETA Im a sparky not a plumber
Also Id give some thought to how I would get 2 straight cuts on that larger pipe. Id also buy all the parts and hold them up to the large pipe to make sure I know exactly where to cut. Id buy a length of both pipe sizes and couplings plus the fittings the cleaner and the glue. Id rather take parts back than run to get more. And gloves. I think id also try to flush the pipes before I made a cut. Probably be a good idea to call a plumber. 😝
I dont know how much movement that larger pipe has but looking at it more my concern would be how im going to get the large pipe back togather. In electrical Id use a three piece coupling to cut into an existing pipe. Surely plumbers have something like that but I have no idea what it would be called. Id probably get one for the problem pipe too if you are going to remove that tee/clean out.
Last edited by UNK; 09-07-2021 at 11:11 PM.
I'll wager you a PF dollar™ 😎
The lunatics are running the asylum
I followed along all those pics, thought “the clean out is jacked, but otherwise not a huge deal” until I got to this last pic.
The main issue, and probably what happened to the original guy that installed it, is that your larger main is too high and needs to be lowered. What this pic shows is fittings that are bald to back to back, which means you have no room for adjustment at this end of the pipe without lowering the main.
You might get away with what they call a “street 90” at the top, which might buy you an inch, but depending on the length of pipe that might not get you much.
I also agree with those that said your clean out is probably collecting gunk and then backing things up. A straight T that’s turned so the clean out is facing horizontal Instead of down might help. I can’t help but wonder, however, if a previous owner didn’t install that due to the clogging flat pipe…
ETA:
I’d call a plumber. You’re likely going to have a hard time getting through to anyone, etc. I would call the biggest residential/service plumbing company in your area, and I would NOT hire someone that lives in your neighborhood nor try to cheap out by getting a guy for cash on the weekend.
I work in the construction industry. Very often I *could* get someone for cash on the weekends. We also live in a neighborhood with a lot of tradespeople. I hire both name companies and I take the hit, whenever possible. Little guys are rarely professional enough (or have the staff) to return phone calls, and neighbors that fuck things up are very uncomfortable to run into at the grocery store and the school. A big name company may tell you things you don’t want to hear (it’ll be three weeks before someone can come out, and it’s a $500 service call credited against your total bill if you have us do the work) but it’ll be done and you won’t have to go chasing people around.
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I've done plumbing, and I hate it. Now I hire it out. I used to have a retired guy from Rhode Island for little jobs. He came to the house, didn't talk, and fixed the problem for a hundo. For big stuff, I call big companies because they can send tools, parts, and reinforcements if the job turns out to be bigger than expected.
"Gunfighting is a thinking man's game. So we might want to bring thinking back into it."-MDFA
Beware of my temper, and the dog that I've found...
I had to call a plumber recently for my business. It was not an emergency, so I could wait the three days he needed to finish up some jobs. The one I used, use to be a silent partner in my LGS, so we had an established relationship. If you know someone that owns rentals, you might ask them if they have someone they use. Our old landlord used to, and I expect our current landlord does.
The other thought, was local places that specialize in snaking drains, typically have either someone that does DWV for them, either internally or externally.
Looking at that picture, I would think you could drop the problem line if you cut out the tee on the larger main and install a new tee further to the left. It would give you enough room have a section of PVC between the tee and the elbow off the problem line. Drop the problem line and change the angle of that elbow on the end of it, as LL was thinking.
@LittleLebowski We need to see if you can shorten the pipe at the drain end (originating end). Can you take a pic of that?
I'll wager you a PF dollar™ 😎
The lunatics are running the asylum
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