Plumbing

I have a laundry hookup I assume is similar to this:

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The drain is blocked so we have been draining the washer out the window to keep from opening up the wall to replace the drain section.

Well now one of the water valves is leaking so it seems like a good time to fix both problems. I called a plumber and told him what I needed and he said because of all the busted pipes that he could come out and replace the valves (so I can turn the water back on to the house), but the drain would have to be later.

So can he replace the water valves and then come back and shoe in the drain? I guess my question is can the trim piece be put in after doing the plumbing or does the drain, water, and trim piece have to go in together.

Reply to
Seymore4Head
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Why do you have to open a wall for a clogged drain? Typically they can be snaked. Where is it blocked? If it's further down the line there should be cleanout plugs along the way, eg in the basement, etc.

Why do you have to open a wall for a leaking water valve? If it's just dripping or leaking at the stem seal, they should be serviceable with a screwdriver and wrench.

Reply to
trader_4

The valves are roughly 45 years old and the bottom of the box is rusted because of a previous leak.

A few years ago I had a plumber try to snake it out and he said the drain was blocked.

Is the trim piece something that can go in at any time or does it have to be done in the rough in?

Reply to
Seymore4Head

I had to have pipes and drain like these rerouted as they were in an external wall and pipes burst in an unheated section. Been over 40 years and no trouble since.

Reply to
Frank

I don't distrust the plumber, but plumbing is not my strong suit. I have had 2 plumbers try to unstop the drain in the past and both said the same thing. The blockage is in the first 90 degree bend about 3 or 4 feet from the opening.

The plumber coming out tomorrow has never been here before, but he works for company everyone recommends. I explained what I had over the phone to him tonight.

Reply to
Seymore4Head

AFAIK, the "trim piece" is an assembly that has the valves and the drain opening and it goes in as a unit. If you want to see one, check it out at HD. The plumber should have told you how far along the drain the blockage is. If it's 6 ft away, tearing the top of the drain apart isn't going to solve it. You'd need access near the blockage, assuming there is no other way to access it. Hard to imagine what could get down that kind of drain, ie only used for a washer discharge hose, that could be a blockage that can't be snaked out. If that box is really rusted out and shot, then sure, changing it would make sense. If it;s just cosmetic rust and the real problem is the valves are leaking, you could fix the valves and repaint the box. And unless the blockage is right there at the end, whatever is going on with that is essentially separate from replacing the box. Where does that pipe go, ie is it accessible in a basement, crawl space, etc?

Reply to
trader_4

You're referring to the "trim" piece as the inner box? If so, then yes. If the entire box and outer trim is one piece, it needs to be inserted then the final connections of valves and drain. Some boxes have the inner section (wall inset) then a trim which will snap on the outside for cosmetic reasons. Either way, the insert (inner box) has to be installed with the valves and drain.

Reply to
Meanie

I was thinking the same thing about what could have made it blocked, but I am sure it is in the elbow at the floor. One side of the elbow you can see from the crawl space, but the other end is in the sheet rock wall.

I have one of these, but I can't get it unblocked. It is 4 feet max to the blockage.

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Reply to
Seymore4Head

That is what I was thinking. I think maybe the plumber had plans to just come out and replace the parts, but he did ask me what type pipes I had, so maybe he wasn't.

Reply to
Seymore4Head

PVC or ABS pipe? Enough room near the elbow to cut it, take out a section and put in a T with a cleanout? If you have room to do it, should be pretty easy.

Reply to
trader_4

It is not plastic pipe, it's metal.

I will check to see if putting in a T will work. Thanks for the suggestion.

Reply to
Seymore4Head

For metal you can use a Fernco type coupling, they might even have a Fernco type product with a cleanout plug as part of it. But I guess with a Fernco you don't need a cleanout plug. If it happens again, you can just loosen and slide the coupling for access.

Since it's metal, probably galvanized, next question is how old. Metal eventually succumbs to corrosion with age, and that may be part of the problem. Hope not, because then you might have to replace more and have more problems.

Reply to
trader_4

This is an inexpensive way to look inside:

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I bought something similar. As the wire is floppy, I taped it to a stretched out coat hanger.

Don.

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(e-mail link at home page bottom).

Reply to
Don Wiss

I would say roughly 50 years old.

Reply to
Seymore4Head

That looks like a pretty handy gadget, but even if I can tell what is blocking it, I still have to remove the pipe.

Reply to
Seymore4Head

Run a video camera down the pipe and see what's there...

Reply to
J.Albert

You're not getting past a joint with your snake. Try harder. Apply some pressure when the snake stops. Sometimes take a while.

Reply to
Vic Smith

That's at the age where typically you have problems with steel pipe failing. It actually corrodes and fails from the inside out, kind of like artery blockage in people. That could be contributing to the clog.

Reply to
trader_4

And try to orient the snake when it goes in so that when it gets to the elbow it's facing in the right direction to be able to bend.

Reply to
trader_4

I had some old "white" (zamac?) metal piping replaced several years' back. The inside was all "honeycombed" with builup that was hard as a rock (calcium in the water?)...

Reply to
J.Albert

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