I got a bathroom. I'm adding a second downstairs right below. I know the ideal setup would have a source manifold and separate feed lines. Is there some kind of guide for the cheapskate ? Copper is currently used, although I still have to reroute existing pipes.
Greg
Run from hot water tank 20-25 feet, and cold tap. Still going to use the
1/2 feed from regulator and hot water tank.Greg
...
I think you'll be sorely dissatisfied by the result if there's any possibility whatsoever the two are being used together. That line needs to go to 3/4"...
A big unstated factor is if the new bathroom is a full one, ie with shower or tub, or just a half bath. Half bath, 1/2" would be fine.
I'd say "marginal"...
Agreed. Usually the purpose for a second bathroom is if the first one is in use. This negates that purpose.
Oh, it'll "work", just be annoying forever with slow-filling toilet, low pressure/flow at the sink, etc., any time there's demand in the other bath simultaneously. It's trivial to fix at the beginning but a lifetime of aggravation thereafter if don't.
And for the "cheapskate" in the original post, the 1/2" there can be salvaged and re-purposed for the runs in the new bath after the reducing tee where it taps off the new main run. And, the 3/4" new run can be plastic with transition to copper if _that_ concerned about cost.
I don't see why it's marginal. I have a 1/2 bath plumbed with 1/2" copper, works perfectly. The tubing on the fixtures is down to just 3/8". What flow rate do you think you need at a sink and toilet?
Unless they are on separate floors. You use the one that's closest and requires the fewest stairs to be climbed.
...
Bet it's not also on a main feed to a full bath _both_ of which are fed only by 1/2".
The bath itself will be fine if the flow to it's main isn't restricted.
How good/bad it will be will, of course, also depend on what the other bath actual configuration is, but I'd err on the side of larger rather than smaller unless given further details.
It can't cost that much; he can even likely reuse virtually all the existing 1/2" anyway...
Unless, of course, it's already occupied and you're in a hurry... :)
But, in general, I agree unless it's a household w/ a large number of occupants it's generally simply a convenience factor probably as high a reason for multiple as the actual contention in time. FIL raised family of eight girls with only one for quite a number of years before finally putting in a small second one in the basement...
Well of course not, but I don't see any evidence that the OP is proposing sharing that new line either. In my house, the half bath uses 1/2" pipe that taps off the 3/4" line that serves the master bath. MB has two sinks, toilet, shower and tub.
At the other end of the house, I have a long run, at least 25ft, that uses 1/2". It feeds the kitchen sink, dishwasher, utility sink, the washer and a hose bibb. No problems there either.
The other full bath, upstairs, uses 3/4"
It all works fine.
I don't know where the reusing is coming from. All I saw was that he's putting in a new bath in the basement.
On 03/09/2015 1:32 PM, trader_4 wrote: ...
His second posting (followup to his own first) says "Still going to use the 1/2 feed from regulator and hot water tank." Seems pretty clear to me his plan was to simply tap onto the existing 1/2" feed for the second by cutting in a tee. I'm saying run new 3/4" to that point and reducing tee there; can reuse that 1/2" run he replaces of whatever length out of the 20-ft it happens to be. He didn't say about the cold supply but same idea applies.
OK, I'm with you now. I agree if it's all 1/2" cold and hot water to supply the whole house, then I'd do 3/4" for the portion that will serve everything up to where the new bath will split off.
Precisely. And, as I reread his posting I'm guessing the idea was to tap into the cold comes from the point after the regulator and the hot from the existing run so it's very possible both H&C are affected.
Either way, the correct way that can't cost much actual cash outlay will be to make it 3/4" to the split-off and will be "garonteed" to be adequate whereas other may/may not, depending...
Because, as you note, unless there's another water heater it's got the kitchen as well to supply besides the bath. It would have been marginal w/ a dishwasher now methinks altho again there's more we don't know than what we do...
Grew up second of 8 - 5 boys and 3 girls - only one bathroom. Mother grew up oldest of 14. The "bathroom" was in the corner of the orchard - - - -
If it's like my house it IS. 1/2 bath on main floor, full bath upstairs AND the kitchen, all on one half inch line. Laundry too. 3/4 inch from the meter to the softener, 1/2 inch from the softener to the water heater and to the cold water feeds.. Cold hard water to the toilets and one tap in kitchen, cold soft water to kitchen and both bath sinks, and tub. Cold hard water to outside hose bib. Sum total of water supply lines in the house.
I have one bathroom. The feeders to tub and sink are 3/4". About 5' runs. The kitchen gets 1/2", about 4' runs. The washer gets 1/2", about 6' runs. The garden hose valves are both 1/2", short runs off 3/4". It was done to Chicago code in 1960. Galvanized. There are no problems except when one valve is opened the others slow. That's normal to me. Some of that is because the pipes are getting scaled up. When I had a 2-flat with 2 full baths, 2 kitchens, 2 washers everything was on 1/2" feeders. Chicago code circa 1928. Galvanized. No problems, except when one valve is open the others slow. If that's not acceptable, go with 3/4". It'll slow less.
Second full bathroom. The use of both would be very occasional. I'll have to think about this a while and look things over. Things do slow down when any two things are being operated. The house I grew up in didn't have any fancy piping. I never really noticed a huge problem. The regulator might be a factor too. I know air compressors regulators limit flow if undersized.
Greg
its always best to do a job right the first time, than do a half way job then be forced to do it again. redos cost tons more.......
I woud run PEX lines directly from the meter, and upgrade around te hot water tank to mimize issues down the road. even at resale time many years from now a smart home inspector could catch the issue costig you big bucks, and perhaps even a home sale......
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.