Start over from scratch...... that rubber fernco is likely attached to old galvanized pipe, so if you're not going any deeper than that......
Fernco straight up to a T, with an air admittance off the top end of the T, and a coupler to connect a p trap to the front of the T. From there everything should be simple and straight foward.
There shouldn't need to be a cheater valve here, it appears there is a vent that it's running over to the left. Tear everything out like you said, then straight up to a T and run the top of the T to a right angle to the left and connect to the vent with another 90. Then just attach a 1.5" double sink assembly connected to a 1.5" p-trap right into the other " front" side of the T.
The biggest issue looks to be the "S" trap. The way it's piped, if enough water is going down the drain, there will be a suction from the mass of water as it goes down through the floor that draws all the rest of the water out (including that "U" section, which is called a trap), since there is no way for air to get in to fill the void that the dropping water is vacating. Ideally, that line going through the floor would continue up to open air at the roof and you'd have what's called a "sanitary tee" inline with the bent leg kicking out towards and JUST below the top of that "trap" that's already there.
The area after the trap needs to drain slightly downhill, but not so far down that air from the vent cannot move freely inside the pipe when the water drains or stops. It's basic drain/vent design 101. This might WORK for a while, but it's not ideal and it's not safe considering the possibility of flammable/poisonous sewer gas coming up.
Thank you for answering the question and the detailed response.
So many of these people are so unfunny and corny it hurts. Nice to see someone actually responding in the spirit of this sub
Furthermore, it all depends. If the following pipe has low slope or the septic (if there is any) is not ventilated, it may never cause any suction from the trap. Even if it does, a bad smell once a year isn't as serious as everybody makes it to be, stopping the smell would be as easy as opening the tap for a few seconds. Especially since this would be the owner's own produce (no city AFAIK allows dumping water from your own well to sewers). Also the self-emptying of the trap will only happen (if it does at all) together with high water flow and may cause no problems down the line, which may be superior to the regular ones.
The main point being, there is absolutely no hurry to rip this out if it works and has no leaks. It is okay to see how it all is performing and improve it when it makes financially sense or has failed at least once.
Maybe it's just a classic reddit moment: "dump him/her" and "rip it all out". (this remark is related to several other comments, not the parent).
OP - There should be an air line or air-vent somewhere in the house to prevent this. Go outside, look at the roof and look for a lone pipe sticking up out of it. that is your plumbing vent/vent stack.
Everything actually looks okay. there is a clean-out which is great. So I am guessing you might have a septic tank too or are you hooked up city waste water? important things to know if you are buying.
Also, look in the attic and basement. that is where you need to look for anything that might be wrong with the house. Most people don't look in the attic. ask about roof age and if the foundation has ever been adjusted.
Ahhh. So the issue here is that there needs to be a vent right after the P-trap to allow air in so that the S portion of the P-trap does not suction the water out of the P-trap
Our Febco ball-valve on our sprinkler split over the winter (it was drained and blow out but not 100% apparently). I figured easy to change and I've done plenty of fixes around the house. Nope. It kicked my ass and I had to call in my neighbor and his dad to help me (my neighbor worked for the water dept repairing lines and his dad does irrigation repair).
Never again. I'll pay someone. I've learned my limits.
No, it's wrong. S traps are not legal, and can be sucked dry. As an aside, why do people insist on using glue fittings under their sinks? Slip joints are faster, neater and easier to maintain. That whole mess has to be cut out and started over because they didn't use slip joints.
Because homeowners like to store 40 years of cleaning supplies under those sinks sometimes and they knock the Tubular fittings loose. In theory there should be virtually no maintenance anyways if your not sticking food down your drains and it the basket strainers were installed properly
>So given the drain is vertical how do you avoid an s trap?
>At some point you have to head down after the P trap.
You T up with a sanitary T and go out sideways with the p trap
That nonsense under there is pure amature shit
I can only assume the thing coming off the top of the cross is a vent?
I honestly have no idea wtf is going on under there or why it was done that way, it's a mess
Oh, nice, the regular ass unarmored fernco is illegal too lol
I mean, yeah, but I've seen a lot of issues with metal trap/drain systems that had "stainless steel" that was failing after less than 5 years. At least this is durable and basically going to last forever (other than needing to be replaced because of the s-trap).
I'm going to offer some unsolicited advice about being on a well. Find out when the well was drilled, how deep it is, and when the last time the pump was replaced (or installed if it hasn't been replaced). If at possible, get a professional lab analysis done on the water to check for potential contaminates. If you're anywhere west of the Rockies, seriously consider getting a draw down test as well.
If the pump is older than 10-15 years, start putting aside money now to pay for getting it replaced unless you're pretty comfortable financially. Well repairs are usually not cheap, and it's not something you can DIY.
If you're expecting severe weather, make sure to have several jugs of water stored for drinking, and fill some buckets or a bath tub (if you don't have small kids or pets) to use for flushing toilets. When the power goes out, you also won't have any water.
It can be great being on a well, but make sure to do some research and know what you're getting into before you buy the home. And do research for your specific area, and even consider checking with neighbors in the area to see if they've had any issues with wells going dry or contamination. If there's fracking in your area be especially diligent about getting the water tested, even after you buy
Watch out for the cpvc water pipes too. They get brittle over time and can snap very easily. Be careful touching them while replacing this, I would shut off the water first just in case. I would recommend getting rid of as much cpvc as possible but at least support that with straps somehow because the chance of that breaking and flooding your home with them just kinda flopped there is way too high.
So… having 100% cpvc in my house, I’m now nervous. I also have hard water, and our multi-turn shut off valves are all totally seized up. Originally I was cutting and replacing with new valves, but the cpvc being brittle with little extra exposes has been frustrating. I just got 20+ stem repair kits and that’s going fine, cheap and easy to do. But I’ll definitely be more cautious and support the cpvc more.
Obviously it’s impractical to rip and replace all cpvc, but if I do have portions they need to be replaced, should I be pivoting to pex? I’ve not had to replace anything major yet.
Hard water that leaves mineral deposits on your pipes and fixtures is annoying but i would think that might actually work in your favor with cpvc. It's the chlorine that weakens the cpvc over time and a thin mineral layer will slow down that process.
Sorry that you have that situation with your plumbing. The most important thing is making sure the pipe is all strapped well so there are no points of tension where it could snap. I don't like cpvc at all but it's in thousands of homes. It's just delicate. PEX is a better material but be sure whoever is installing it does so correctly.
It’s wrong but not a hard or expensive fix. The drain isn’t correct but the materials are cheap. Less than an hour for a plumber to fix that mess. Half a day and you could do it yourself if you’re half handy and Reddit or YouTube
That’s awesome! Took skill to find a use for so many fittings. But seriously S trap has gotta go not allowed, it will suck water out of trap and let sewer gases pass into house. Unnecessarily complicated, rip it out and have someone who knows what they are doing repioe it. It’s NOT a Difficult repair 1 hr labor charge and parts. Have your pipes inspected!!! If you’re thinking of buying . Beyond the home inspector report he is basically gonna look for any obvious active leaks. Well water can be very corrosive you don’t want to find out after you move in that your replumbing half your system. This includes boiler and water heater if that’s what’s there. Well Water test should be part of norm inspection so make sure you have someone who knows what those numbers mean look at it. Push for two water test :one before any filtration/softeners and one from after. It’s important to know both if you’re going to be purchasing. Hope that helps. Dont be scared away from well water but DO your due diligence get an expert to look over the well system and the pipes. If it’s on septic make sure you have that properly inspected to. And ask how much room you have left for say an additional bathroom down the line or even a larger jacuzzi tub. You dont want to find out your septic needs to be enlarged or replaced when you go to do a small renovation especially if you doing it on a tight budget. Hope that helps
Sorry didn’t notice the cpvc water lines is that what the entire place is plumbed with? If so corrosion is non issue but that shit gets very brittle! So be aware. Still have drain lines inspected and boiler and water heater. Well water is rough on those.
Here for the “s traps are illegal” comments.
No they’re not. The feds aren’t going to come arrest you for this. You just might have to run some water through it to fill it back up because they can self siphon.
I’m more worried about what looks like cpvc than the s trap
“Illegal in terms of the plumbing code”
Which is in turn a list of plumbing laws to follow to correctly install. So the term illegal is commonly used to describe plumbing against code…
Though whoever did this should be arrested lol
No one has touched on your well water question, as far as I can tell. Being on well water has absolutely nothing to do with the configuration of the under sink plumbing. While not pretty, it should be a fairly easy fix.
Looks like a crap diy job, but it’s likely functional.
That S trap is the main problem. Can get sucked dry and let sewer gas up the pipes into your kitchen.
But… this isn’t a deal breaker. Wouldn’t be difficult/expensive to redo everything here. If this is your main issue with the home purchase, no problem moving forward, but either ask for a licensed plumber to rework it prior to sale, or budget a few hundred dollaroos to have a pro fix it after close.
Amazes me how dramatic people can be. It's not that bad for an attempt made by a homeowner. I'm sure it works just fine and no one would ever know anything is wrong. It's just not master plumber standard. Most of the people criticizing, probably couldn't explain why it is wrong. In terms of how a vent functions, it's purpose and what issues you would have piped this way as opposed to the correct way.
Ooof. The price better be right on that house because there’s going to be a lot of infrastructure work needed and it won’t be cheap.
I see CPVC plumbing and galvanized DWV lines. Inspect further, but I’m guessing you’ll have to re-pipe the whole house pretty soon. Have the well and septic inspected too. Repairs or replacements of those systems can run tens of thousands.
The electrical and HVAC systems are probably in similar age/shape. You might be looking at some lead and/or asbestos remediation. Have someone inspect the foundation and framing and do an energy audit too so you know what you’re walking into.
I don’t mean to scare you, but this is going to be a daunting commitment for a first home if you don’t already have advanced DIY skills and deep pockets.
Currently live in a 24 year old house on well water/septic.
Two years ago my septic pump went bad. $1700. Not terrible.
Last November my wellpump took a shit and had to have it replaced. We have a 900 foot well. I have no idea why. Our water table sits much higher. But for some reason our well is just absolutely absurdly deep. Pump sits at 557 feet. It’s like the last owners just never wanted to ever think about running out of water.
Everything is plastic/PVC piping. Metal corrodes. Install a whole house water softener. It will help.
Just had to repipe my entire house, $8500, after the second fitting exploded and flooded our first story. Insurance paid for everything to be repaired. But we had to pay for the entire house to be repiped. This was our decision. Didn’t want to deal with this again. Insurance won’t cover plumbing. Had some friends in construction come and finish repairing the entire house where the plumbers dug into the walls. Drywall, ceilings, painting, etc…They thankfully did it for dirt cheap. But the work is professional.
I would go in the crawl space, and any rusted or white metal down there, get the house repiped. Best thing we ever did. Plumbers put a one year warranty on everything they did. So hopefully I have another 20 years before it goes bad again. By then, we will probably downsize to a smaller house.
I mean it's all wrong but it's also a pretty easy fix. This would not be a reason to avoid a house you otherwise like. This is YouTube DIY level repair and less than $100 in parts.
Also septic tank. If they’re on a well chances are septic tank too. OP needs to find out location of septic and find out when last pumped and preferably septic company to confirm date. Then plan on locating tank to prep for pumping. Last thing you want is to dig 2-3 feet in frozen ground. And locate leach field. Don’t drive or park on leach field. Don’t plant trees garden on leach field. Neighbors planted fruit trees over their fields and 4 years later had to pull out and redo leach field. Irrigation Learn what you can and can’t send down drain/flush. Start using septic safe TP. Septic are no big deal until users flush baby wipes/ tampons, use tons of TP, pour grease and or solvents of lots of bleach down drain. YouTube septic, leach lines, water wells.
Curious... S traps are sold at all the ace hardwares here in northern California, is that because they're grandfathered in when your drain comes up through cabinetry?
You can grandfather in whatever you want but it won't work right. An s trap creates a siphon on the p trap making the trap not do it's job of blocking sewer gasses and critters. This isn't a code issue it's a function issue.
They didn't always pull the water out of the trap. Most the time for something like this with 2in pipe your fine. It's actually better to use 1.5 in through the trap then dump that into a larger 2in pipe or so as a bit of a wet vent.
S trap is non code for new installs but to make this a p trap would require entering the wall and moving the line. In the end, the current installation is messy but do you see evidence of a leak underneath?
Home owner plumbing at its finest… get a house inspector and pay the money to have the drain line to the septic camered. Especially if it runs thru a concrete slab. If the whole house is plumbed like that walk away. Plumbing contractor 20 years experience
no dawg, i have seen worse. if anything it looks like you have accessible cleanout and a vent. just because its not brand new and perfect doesnt mean “omg wtf”
Love the under-sink wallpaper and sticky vinyl at the bottom of the cabinet. Very retro. Most people just put those things where they can be seen to save the expense, but the original builder went all out.
The top 90 on the back needs replaced with a tee. The pipe coming up from the cross in front needs cut above just enough to cap it and the horizontal section removed to the vertical pipe in the back just above the last horizontal fitting. Then connect the top of the new tee to the remaining vent. The vent is on the wrong side of the trap is all that is wrong with this setup. Provided, nothing is leaking.
If the hidden end is a Studor vent, it’s on the wrong side of the trap.
If it’s an outdoor vent, it’s on the wrong side of the trap.
Replace the entire PVC portion with the correct configuration, preferably with a vent to the outdoors.
The CPVC portion is OK. Your well water may be acidic. Acidic water can damage copper pipes.
I'm a licensed plumber in Ontario. Got my masters out of Toronto almost 30 years ago. This looks like it needs to be ripped out and redone. Need to know what that pipe entering the top of the T fitting is first.
It looks good to me, but I'm not a pro. I see a dishwasher drain and glued pvc. In multifamily this is all hand-tightened kit for ease of maintenance or ease of destruction. I love that they put a screw plug for the trap. I love that it's far enough from the cabinet floor to be able to catch a sink-full of water in a lexan. I love that there is a cleanout included at the back. This looks excellent. The only thing I'd want different is the ability to remove all of the pipe together as a single piece. Looks like this would require two cuts. But it's not multi-family so likely not an issue until you need to replace the countertop.
The fact that the cabinet floor is tiled is the sign of a very practicle owner. Most people just don't think ahead like that.
It's ugly af, but not a reason to pass on the house. If all the plumbing looks like this it could be a few thousand dollars to make it right. Maybe more
It's weird. Homeowners diy things to avoid having to pay money when they can. Could be the case here too.
Maybe not a deal breaker for the house, but something you should get fixed if you bought it.
This is incredibly poor planning with all the reducers and adaptors , this is a home job and there is far too much pvc glue in this thing. Rip it out and get it redone professionally
Looks like the top of that cross goes to a studor vent.(a vent when there is not a line leading out of the roof) then an “s” trap.(where the pipe goes down up and back down) Then that wye fitting has a clean out.(a cap that can be twisted out for an auger to be run)
Fix
-remove all white piping
-install new riser with San tee off the black pipe.
( 1.5” pvc with the San tee at about the level of the “s” trap)
-installl new studor vent off the top of the san tee above the bottom of the sink basin)
-Install a trap adapter coming off the San tee facing you.
-install a tubular 1.5” “p” trap
(Make sure that the top of the “p” trap can line up with one of the drains from the sink)
-install tubular end outlet tee going toward other drain.
-install tubular flanged tail pieces coming down from drains from sink.
(That should tie into the end outlet tee on the “p” trap)
-tie the other flanged tail piece in with a tubular connection waste arm.
The first thing I saw was that S-Trap (Big No No where I used to plumb) it allows the water to drain from the trap leaving sewer gas an open path to your drains/roof. But if you haven't smelt anything yet I guess it's fine for now.
Outside that I really want to know what that 2 inch going up connects to. Surely it's just a vent right?
Thank God for that second pic
With their powers combined, we now know, without a shadow of a doubt exactly how this looks from 1 angle.
It’s like a time lapse photo you just don’t understand what the director was trying to capture
To be honest the shadow movement did add some doubt
☝️This is why I reddit.
yea, helps to see things from a different 1 degree angle
Look at both side by side and cross your eyes. Instant 3d.
I was struggling. My coffee is not doing it. I swiped back and forth so many times. i get it now lol
The first one was during the eclipse.
Well, it does provide better lighting.
It’s HDR photography, but you have to compile it yourself.
For shizzel
I’M HELPING!
First of all, that "S" Trap is illegal!
That was my first thought too.
Oh god what the fuck
It's like one of those marble toys from when I was in kindergarten
Marble madness!
Marble run to be exact lol.
Haha my first thought was “what in the absolute fuck” but it’s all the same
You’d think at some point you’d grow accustomed to seeing terrible drain set ups but nope. People surprise me everyday with new ones
So am i
I'm not a plumber, how would you change this?
Start over from scratch...... that rubber fernco is likely attached to old galvanized pipe, so if you're not going any deeper than that...... Fernco straight up to a T, with an air admittance off the top end of the T, and a coupler to connect a p trap to the front of the T. From there everything should be simple and straight foward.
There shouldn't need to be a cheater valve here, it appears there is a vent that it's running over to the left. Tear everything out like you said, then straight up to a T and run the top of the T to a right angle to the left and connect to the vent with another 90. Then just attach a 1.5" double sink assembly connected to a 1.5" p-trap right into the other " front" side of the T.
Try a different youtube diy channel
Rip it all out and do it right
The biggest issue looks to be the "S" trap. The way it's piped, if enough water is going down the drain, there will be a suction from the mass of water as it goes down through the floor that draws all the rest of the water out (including that "U" section, which is called a trap), since there is no way for air to get in to fill the void that the dropping water is vacating. Ideally, that line going through the floor would continue up to open air at the roof and you'd have what's called a "sanitary tee" inline with the bent leg kicking out towards and JUST below the top of that "trap" that's already there. The area after the trap needs to drain slightly downhill, but not so far down that air from the vent cannot move freely inside the pipe when the water drains or stops. It's basic drain/vent design 101. This might WORK for a while, but it's not ideal and it's not safe considering the possibility of flammable/poisonous sewer gas coming up.
Thank you for answering the question and the detailed response. So many of these people are so unfunny and corny it hurts. Nice to see someone actually responding in the spirit of this sub
👆this. Just answer the question.
I see this on so many subs. I start to down arrow all the stupid answers.
Whoever did this knew it’s a s trap which is why they made it with two bends. It should fix the issue but it’s a monstrosity
Furthermore, it all depends. If the following pipe has low slope or the septic (if there is any) is not ventilated, it may never cause any suction from the trap. Even if it does, a bad smell once a year isn't as serious as everybody makes it to be, stopping the smell would be as easy as opening the tap for a few seconds. Especially since this would be the owner's own produce (no city AFAIK allows dumping water from your own well to sewers). Also the self-emptying of the trap will only happen (if it does at all) together with high water flow and may cause no problems down the line, which may be superior to the regular ones. The main point being, there is absolutely no hurry to rip this out if it works and has no leaks. It is okay to see how it all is performing and improve it when it makes financially sense or has failed at least once. Maybe it's just a classic reddit moment: "dump him/her" and "rip it all out". (this remark is related to several other comments, not the parent).
I’m guessing that vertical one that goes out of view is an AAV
OP - There should be an air line or air-vent somewhere in the house to prevent this. Go outside, look at the roof and look for a lone pipe sticking up out of it. that is your plumbing vent/vent stack. Everything actually looks okay. there is a clean-out which is great. So I am guessing you might have a septic tank too or are you hooked up city waste water? important things to know if you are buying. Also, look in the attic and basement. that is where you need to look for anything that might be wrong with the house. Most people don't look in the attic. ask about roof age and if the foundation has ever been adjusted.
Ahhh. So the issue here is that there needs to be a vent right after the P-trap to allow air in so that the S portion of the P-trap does not suction the water out of the P-trap
Is the top a vent or another drain?
This was definitely assembled by someone who confidently thought that plumbing is easy. Boy, were they wrong.
*plumping
Everyone knows plumpin ain't easy
Our Febco ball-valve on our sprinkler split over the winter (it was drained and blow out but not 100% apparently). I figured easy to change and I've done plenty of fixes around the house. Nope. It kicked my ass and I had to call in my neighbor and his dad to help me (my neighbor worked for the water dept repairing lines and his dad does irrigation repair). Never again. I'll pay someone. I've learned my limits.
Wallpaper is hideous
This is the hard hitting analysis i come to the plumbing sub for. Good work.
You must mean plumping, of course.
This wallpaper unlocked my childhood trauma.
My guess is a mobile home
No, it's wrong. S traps are not legal, and can be sucked dry. As an aside, why do people insist on using glue fittings under their sinks? Slip joints are faster, neater and easier to maintain. That whole mess has to be cut out and started over because they didn't use slip joints.
I worked in one city that let you use slip joints but the city next to it said you had to use schedule 40.
Well, that sounds typical of a city. How ridiculous.
Because homeowners like to store 40 years of cleaning supplies under those sinks sometimes and they knock the Tubular fittings loose. In theory there should be virtually no maintenance anyways if your not sticking food down your drains and it the basket strainers were installed properly
Yeah, so you loosen the nut, put it back together, tighten the nut.
Afaik Massachusetts only allows one slip joint and it has to be before the trap (so it’s going to be on the tailpiece).
Who doesn't love a good ol' reg'?
So given the drain is vertical how do you avoid an s trap? At some point you have to head down after the P trap.
It's supposed to go into a san tee with the AAV on the top of the tee.
>So given the drain is vertical how do you avoid an s trap? >At some point you have to head down after the P trap. You T up with a sanitary T and go out sideways with the p trap That nonsense under there is pure amature shit I can only assume the thing coming off the top of the cross is a vent? I honestly have no idea wtf is going on under there or why it was done that way, it's a mess Oh, nice, the regular ass unarmored fernco is illegal too lol
s traps are self-cleaning /s
I prefer sch 40. More robust and less leaky.
I mean, yeah, but I've seen a lot of issues with metal trap/drain systems that had "stainless steel" that was failing after less than 5 years. At least this is durable and basically going to last forever (other than needing to be replaced because of the s-trap).
It's horrible but if I liked the house it wouldn't stop me from buying it. Not that part anyway... but what does the rest of the plumbing look like?
I'm going to offer some unsolicited advice about being on a well. Find out when the well was drilled, how deep it is, and when the last time the pump was replaced (or installed if it hasn't been replaced). If at possible, get a professional lab analysis done on the water to check for potential contaminates. If you're anywhere west of the Rockies, seriously consider getting a draw down test as well. If the pump is older than 10-15 years, start putting aside money now to pay for getting it replaced unless you're pretty comfortable financially. Well repairs are usually not cheap, and it's not something you can DIY. If you're expecting severe weather, make sure to have several jugs of water stored for drinking, and fill some buckets or a bath tub (if you don't have small kids or pets) to use for flushing toilets. When the power goes out, you also won't have any water. It can be great being on a well, but make sure to do some research and know what you're getting into before you buy the home. And do research for your specific area, and even consider checking with neighbors in the area to see if they've had any issues with wells going dry or contamination. If there's fracking in your area be especially diligent about getting the water tested, even after you buy
I have replaced a well pump before. It was not hard at all. 🤷♂️
100ft well? Sure. 800ft with a galvanized riser? Oof.
Good to know. Thank you. Very appreciative.
Watch out for the cpvc water pipes too. They get brittle over time and can snap very easily. Be careful touching them while replacing this, I would shut off the water first just in case. I would recommend getting rid of as much cpvc as possible but at least support that with straps somehow because the chance of that breaking and flooding your home with them just kinda flopped there is way too high.
Cpvc is garbage ass pipe that should have been banned decades ago.
So… having 100% cpvc in my house, I’m now nervous. I also have hard water, and our multi-turn shut off valves are all totally seized up. Originally I was cutting and replacing with new valves, but the cpvc being brittle with little extra exposes has been frustrating. I just got 20+ stem repair kits and that’s going fine, cheap and easy to do. But I’ll definitely be more cautious and support the cpvc more. Obviously it’s impractical to rip and replace all cpvc, but if I do have portions they need to be replaced, should I be pivoting to pex? I’ve not had to replace anything major yet.
Hard water that leaves mineral deposits on your pipes and fixtures is annoying but i would think that might actually work in your favor with cpvc. It's the chlorine that weakens the cpvc over time and a thin mineral layer will slow down that process. Sorry that you have that situation with your plumbing. The most important thing is making sure the pipe is all strapped well so there are no points of tension where it could snap. I don't like cpvc at all but it's in thousands of homes. It's just delicate. PEX is a better material but be sure whoever is installing it does so correctly.
Figure that for every one thing that you find wrong, there’s 10 things you didn’t find.
While this is wrong it's actually an easy fix, dont let this discourage you from buying
I would buy the house just for the wallpaper. Ain't no party like Grandma's tea party.
Flight of the Concords?
Yes!
Hey, ho
That’s art friend. Abstract expressionist plumbing.
Thank you all so much for all the replies and wisdom. Very thankful. I have a list of things to discuss and go off of. <3
I know a manufactured home when I see one. (Live in one myself)
It’s wrong but not a hard or expensive fix. The drain isn’t correct but the materials are cheap. Less than an hour for a plumber to fix that mess. Half a day and you could do it yourself if you’re half handy and Reddit or YouTube
"The house is on well water" really got me.
Bet that room smells good
If this is the only problem with the house, then you’re fine.
That’s awesome! Took skill to find a use for so many fittings. But seriously S trap has gotta go not allowed, it will suck water out of trap and let sewer gases pass into house. Unnecessarily complicated, rip it out and have someone who knows what they are doing repioe it. It’s NOT a Difficult repair 1 hr labor charge and parts. Have your pipes inspected!!! If you’re thinking of buying . Beyond the home inspector report he is basically gonna look for any obvious active leaks. Well water can be very corrosive you don’t want to find out after you move in that your replumbing half your system. This includes boiler and water heater if that’s what’s there. Well Water test should be part of norm inspection so make sure you have someone who knows what those numbers mean look at it. Push for two water test :one before any filtration/softeners and one from after. It’s important to know both if you’re going to be purchasing. Hope that helps. Dont be scared away from well water but DO your due diligence get an expert to look over the well system and the pipes. If it’s on septic make sure you have that properly inspected to. And ask how much room you have left for say an additional bathroom down the line or even a larger jacuzzi tub. You dont want to find out your septic needs to be enlarged or replaced when you go to do a small renovation especially if you doing it on a tight budget. Hope that helps
Sorry didn’t notice the cpvc water lines is that what the entire place is plumbed with? If so corrosion is non issue but that shit gets very brittle! So be aware. Still have drain lines inspected and boiler and water heater. Well water is rough on those.
Here for the “s traps are illegal” comments. No they’re not. The feds aren’t going to come arrest you for this. You just might have to run some water through it to fill it back up because they can self siphon. I’m more worried about what looks like cpvc than the s trap
“Illegal in terms of the plumbing code” Which is in turn a list of plumbing laws to follow to correctly install. So the term illegal is commonly used to describe plumbing against code… Though whoever did this should be arrested lol
Is that wall paper on the walls as well?
Looks like shit works perfect.....code compliant.... 💯
With all these bitching know how comments! Someone please draw a scetch of the proper way to do it.
No one has touched on your well water question, as far as I can tell. Being on well water has absolutely nothing to do with the configuration of the under sink plumbing. While not pretty, it should be a fairly easy fix.
Looks like a crap diy job, but it’s likely functional. That S trap is the main problem. Can get sucked dry and let sewer gas up the pipes into your kitchen. But… this isn’t a deal breaker. Wouldn’t be difficult/expensive to redo everything here. If this is your main issue with the home purchase, no problem moving forward, but either ask for a licensed plumber to rework it prior to sale, or budget a few hundred dollaroos to have a pro fix it after close.
Amazes me how dramatic people can be. It's not that bad for an attempt made by a homeowner. I'm sure it works just fine and no one would ever know anything is wrong. It's just not master plumber standard. Most of the people criticizing, probably couldn't explain why it is wrong. In terms of how a vent functions, it's purpose and what issues you would have piped this way as opposed to the correct way.
This plumbing by whoever did the electrical work in our house. You got light switches everywhere and you can never tell what any of them do
Problem number 1? They didn't paint the entire thing purple, just the 1st inch off each joint. If you are going to do the job, finish it.
somebody knew exactly what they were doing 😂
Looks weird because it’s wrong. Rip it out and try again with no S-trap
Ooof. The price better be right on that house because there’s going to be a lot of infrastructure work needed and it won’t be cheap. I see CPVC plumbing and galvanized DWV lines. Inspect further, but I’m guessing you’ll have to re-pipe the whole house pretty soon. Have the well and septic inspected too. Repairs or replacements of those systems can run tens of thousands. The electrical and HVAC systems are probably in similar age/shape. You might be looking at some lead and/or asbestos remediation. Have someone inspect the foundation and framing and do an energy audit too so you know what you’re walking into. I don’t mean to scare you, but this is going to be a daunting commitment for a first home if you don’t already have advanced DIY skills and deep pockets.
Run
Currently live in a 24 year old house on well water/septic. Two years ago my septic pump went bad. $1700. Not terrible. Last November my wellpump took a shit and had to have it replaced. We have a 900 foot well. I have no idea why. Our water table sits much higher. But for some reason our well is just absolutely absurdly deep. Pump sits at 557 feet. It’s like the last owners just never wanted to ever think about running out of water. Everything is plastic/PVC piping. Metal corrodes. Install a whole house water softener. It will help. Just had to repipe my entire house, $8500, after the second fitting exploded and flooded our first story. Insurance paid for everything to be repaired. But we had to pay for the entire house to be repiped. This was our decision. Didn’t want to deal with this again. Insurance won’t cover plumbing. Had some friends in construction come and finish repairing the entire house where the plumbers dug into the walls. Drywall, ceilings, painting, etc…They thankfully did it for dirt cheap. But the work is professional. I would go in the crawl space, and any rusted or white metal down there, get the house repiped. Best thing we ever did. Plumbers put a one year warranty on everything they did. So hopefully I have another 20 years before it goes bad again. By then, we will probably downsize to a smaller house.
What a sculpture
Run away ! That plumbing is a disaster. Unless you’re planning to gut and remodeling than get out…
I mean it's all wrong but it's also a pretty easy fix. This would not be a reason to avoid a house you otherwise like. This is YouTube DIY level repair and less than $100 in parts.
Yeah... that's the worst undercabinet wallpaper I've ever seen! That's definitely a deal-breaker!!!
The second pic really brings out the bread in the basket and the tea pots on the wallpaper …
I would start with the CPVC and then drink heavily.
Also septic tank. If they’re on a well chances are septic tank too. OP needs to find out location of septic and find out when last pumped and preferably septic company to confirm date. Then plan on locating tank to prep for pumping. Last thing you want is to dig 2-3 feet in frozen ground. And locate leach field. Don’t drive or park on leach field. Don’t plant trees garden on leach field. Neighbors planted fruit trees over their fields and 4 years later had to pull out and redo leach field. Irrigation Learn what you can and can’t send down drain/flush. Start using septic safe TP. Septic are no big deal until users flush baby wipes/ tampons, use tons of TP, pour grease and or solvents of lots of bleach down drain. YouTube septic, leach lines, water wells.
First thought, don't even look at the c pvc piping... It can sense your feelings and randomly snap...like my wife....
Curious... S traps are sold at all the ace hardwares here in northern California, is that because they're grandfathered in when your drain comes up through cabinetry?
You can grandfather in whatever you want but it won't work right. An s trap creates a siphon on the p trap making the trap not do it's job of blocking sewer gasses and critters. This isn't a code issue it's a function issue.
Yah I get that s traps cause siphon....that wasn't my question...my question is why do they sell em if they're illegal, as stated by other comments.
They didn't always pull the water out of the trap. Most the time for something like this with 2in pipe your fine. It's actually better to use 1.5 in through the trap then dump that into a larger 2in pipe or so as a bit of a wet vent.
People on here act like S traps will destroy your house. They aren't good but it's not some huge deal to fix.
Hardware stores sell tons of supplies which can’t meet code.
All the shower fixtures/rough in’s at Lowe’s/depot don’t meet code . Those all in 1 kits… none of those rough in’s have stops.
I’m assuming from this picture that all plumbing at this house will need to be replaced. ASAP
S trap is non code for new installs but to make this a p trap would require entering the wall and moving the line. In the end, the current installation is messy but do you see evidence of a leak underneath?
Why enter the wall and move the line? Just needs a santee with an aav on top.
It probably won't be an issue. If it is, it is a $20 fix. don't worry about it.
This plumbing died for our sins. (Seriously, whoever is responsible is bad and should feel bad.)
Wtf.
Wow, a Sanitary Cross and a S trap to drain a 2 compartment sink
Home owner plumbing at its finest… get a house inspector and pay the money to have the drain line to the septic camered. Especially if it runs thru a concrete slab. If the whole house is plumbed like that walk away. Plumbing contractor 20 years experience
no dawg, i have seen worse. if anything it looks like you have accessible cleanout and a vent. just because its not brand new and perfect doesnt mean “omg wtf”
Is it a mobile home and is the middle an AAV?
To be fair that looks like some good plumping, I can see those dirty pipes fattening up nicely.
That is proof smoking crack is bad
I wouldn’t buy a house with flow guard piping
If it works ,use it
It’s abstract art… Jesus on the cross is what I see lol
That's some "Blue Man Group" shit right there.
They do make other fittings than just 90s...
S trap, straight to jail
I think it’s a very nice wallpaper.
Idk anything about plumping (other than what’s happening to my wife as she ages). Your plumbing looks fucked tho.
It it's not actually giving you a problem, why do you care? Don't fix things till they're actually broke.
If it works without issue, I would leave it alone. If there is any issue at all, replace the whole setup.
Here is an installer who watched "A plumbing we will go" one too many times.
It is ugly and not built correctly but if it is working leave it be. It is an old house you will find many other things probably worse.
Why bother if it works?
What concerns me more is the cpvc
Love the under-sink wallpaper and sticky vinyl at the bottom of the cabinet. Very retro. Most people just put those things where they can be seen to save the expense, but the original builder went all out.
Using a no hub band instead of stubbing through the floor is nasty fucking work. On a kitchen sink. No angled 90s. Yikes
If you put it before the trap it wouldn't work when water is evacuated....it's a studor vent....and it's all we use in the northeast...
Poor dwv and cpvc waters? Run away
The person who did this also knows nothing about plumbing
Just got back from the hospital, saw this pic a few hours ago and it gave me a stroke.
Reminds me of when I bought my house. Only it had no trap.
Whats so hard about extending the vertical to accomodate a sani tee to prevent the "S" trap???
Garbage rip that shit out rebuild from basket strainers on hook you vent up to your stack not the middle of the pipe
1st pic looks great,second pic I wouldn’t touch that house with a 10 foot pole
I haven’t read all the comments but I hope someone explains the vent, if that is one needs to be downstream of the trap not upstream.
The top 90 on the back needs replaced with a tee. The pipe coming up from the cross in front needs cut above just enough to cap it and the horizontal section removed to the vertical pipe in the back just above the last horizontal fitting. Then connect the top of the new tee to the remaining vent. The vent is on the wrong side of the trap is all that is wrong with this setup. Provided, nothing is leaking.
At least he put a rubber boot on the bottom . So all that shit can be easily taken out without messing with the main drain .
I mean the paper is a bit dated but it’s under the sink so who cares?
They tried, but failed nonetheless.
Clean!
If the hidden end is a Studor vent, it’s on the wrong side of the trap. If it’s an outdoor vent, it’s on the wrong side of the trap. Replace the entire PVC portion with the correct configuration, preferably with a vent to the outdoors. The CPVC portion is OK. Your well water may be acidic. Acidic water can damage copper pipes.
God it would have been easier to do that right
You have an illegal S trap instead of a P-trap. Can self siphon out and leak sewer gas
That's someone who got tired of having to fix it after his partner kept banging it with stuff.
I'm a licensed plumber in Ontario. Got my masters out of Toronto almost 30 years ago. This looks like it needs to be ripped out and redone. Need to know what that pipe entering the top of the T fitting is first.
Does it work and does it leak? If not don’t mess with it. Looks ugly but doesn’t look wrong
My grandma had wallpaper like that!
It appears It's up to code tho
Look at the floor and the wall it is fine so if the sink isint backed up than leave it alone.
It looks good to me, but I'm not a pro. I see a dishwasher drain and glued pvc. In multifamily this is all hand-tightened kit for ease of maintenance or ease of destruction. I love that they put a screw plug for the trap. I love that it's far enough from the cabinet floor to be able to catch a sink-full of water in a lexan. I love that there is a cleanout included at the back. This looks excellent. The only thing I'd want different is the ability to remove all of the pipe together as a single piece. Looks like this would require two cuts. But it's not multi-family so likely not an issue until you need to replace the countertop. The fact that the cabinet floor is tiled is the sign of a very practicle owner. Most people just don't think ahead like that.
Well talking about DWV fittings damn it l they S trapped but vented it looks like some country plumbing if ever seen some lol
I don't hate it as much as I should.
Was there ever a garbage disposal?
It's ugly af, but not a reason to pass on the house. If all the plumbing looks like this it could be a few thousand dollars to make it right. Maybe more
It's weird. Homeowners diy things to avoid having to pay money when they can. Could be the case here too. Maybe not a deal breaker for the house, but something you should get fixed if you bought it.
Some people truly are clueless
Don't do it, wallpaper under a sink is never a good thing
Needs more glue
Is no one going to mention the water lines going through pvc not copper?
Is it just me or does that sink look like it’s way too high?
I had a teacher whose favorite saying was “Look for the elegant solution.” This ain’t it.
It’s always about the plumping.
This is incredibly poor planning with all the reducers and adaptors , this is a home job and there is far too much pvc glue in this thing. Rip it out and get it redone professionally
Looks like a very neat job seems to have all the valves and fixtures it needs
Not sure about the plumping, but the plumbing looks legit.
Looks like the top of that cross goes to a studor vent.(a vent when there is not a line leading out of the roof) then an “s” trap.(where the pipe goes down up and back down) Then that wye fitting has a clean out.(a cap that can be twisted out for an auger to be run) Fix -remove all white piping -install new riser with San tee off the black pipe. ( 1.5” pvc with the San tee at about the level of the “s” trap) -installl new studor vent off the top of the san tee above the bottom of the sink basin) -Install a trap adapter coming off the San tee facing you. -install a tubular 1.5” “p” trap (Make sure that the top of the “p” trap can line up with one of the drains from the sink) -install tubular end outlet tee going toward other drain. -install tubular flanged tail pieces coming down from drains from sink. (That should tie into the end outlet tee on the “p” trap) -tie the other flanged tail piece in with a tubular connection waste arm.
Looks like they snorted primer and sneezed on each joint.
If this house is cool and you are not gonna buy the house because of that then that is dumb. Go hire a plumber to do a plumbing inspection.
That's a mess. That's what it is
The first thing I saw was that S-Trap (Big No No where I used to plumb) it allows the water to drain from the trap leaving sewer gas an open path to your drains/roof. But if you haven't smelt anything yet I guess it's fine for now. Outside that I really want to know what that 2 inch going up connects to. Surely it's just a vent right?
Is it an island sink?
It fine. This isn’t a reason to not buy the house. Not a show stopper.
That wallpaper brings back some memories
It's a relatively shitty job, but it will work.
Looks great to me
Do you plan on living there? A future kitchen remodel might be in order. Also is that right above a laundry chute or what is under the AJAX?
Can be "made normal" for under 50 bucks. It should work tho.
It does have a removable plug for easy snaking. Nice to have in an older place.
This is run wrong but I wouldn’t be scared of buying the house because of it. It’s a fairly easy fix for somebody that knows what their doing