Electricity & Pluming

[cynie1234]

Hi,
I am inquiring about making a two car garage into a living space for my grandmother. I need to know if pluming and rewiring the electricity in the garage something that be a easy fix or should I hire someone. If it is not complicated can someone walk me through doing these things.

 

[kaiser715]

I'll say that with something that could go bad and do expensive damage (plumbing), or go bad and kill somebody (electrical), that if you don't have any experience with it at all, you need to hire it out. In other words, if you have to ask...

 

[grantw]

I'm an avid DIY-er and have no problems researching NEC (cal-NEC) and wiring my own electrical. But I won't touch plumbing with a 10 foot clown pole. Not hidden in the walls anyway.

I'm planning on plumbing a waterline to my espresso machine in the new garage, but that will be on unistrut and I'll see any leaks I may have missed.

But, inside the walls? I don't trust myself for that. Knowing your limits does not make you a bad person.

 

[mm08822]

heating/cooling also important. Location??

 

[The Cobbler]

IMO, if you have to ask, it's probably out of your league & you should hire it out.

 

[klassenl]

Knowing your limits does not make you a bad person.

It makes you a smart person.

 

[ard]

For OP? No, you cannot be 'walked through'.

However, if you gave some guidelines on what you want, maybe you will get feedback so you get less screwed.

 

[rburke65]

Well I am guessing if you feel the need to ask itontbea DIY job.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Plumbing for a dwelling unit is a lot bigger job than say plumbing in a shop sink that drains to the backyard swamp via ABS laying on the ground.

U need to plumb in a toilet, sink, shower and/or tub, etc.

Seeing as u didnt provide much detail about what exactly needs to be plumbed and since u have to ask, Id say hire a pro.

Plumbing can be alot more complicated than electrical and more time consuming since each damn fitting needs to be properly cleaned and soldered or in the case of PEX cut and fitted properly to assure no leaks.

Or in the case of waste lines, proper amount of pitch to assure proper flow of waste water.... im sure you've heard the adage, sh*t dont flow up hill.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

Pvc doesn't bend like romex!

 

[Norcal]

Pvc doesn't bend like romex!

ABS is the common DWV pipe around these parts, although some arseholes are using PVC around here, they need to be drowned in a septic tank, although if PVC was prevalent & someone started using ABS, the same fate should befall them.

 

[ddawg16]

The OP needs to find out if it's allowed in his area.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

ABS is the common DWV pipe around these parts, although some arseholes are using PVC around here, they need to be drowned in a septic tank, although if PVC was prevalent & someone started using ABS, the same fate should befall them.

We stopped using that abs junk around here in the 90s,too many lawsuits.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

So what do u use?

Cast??

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

So what do u use?

Cast??

We use cast iron in omaha for comm/indust,pvc for anything residential.
We can use pvc for most commercial stuff outside of omaha.
There were so many law suits over abs breaking/splitting at joints around here in the 90s that most guys run like hell from it except for repairs/additions to existing abs.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Interesting.

Ive never heard of issues with ABS like that.

I wonder if it has to do with freezing temps...

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

Interesting.

Ive never heard of issues with ABS like that.

I wonder if it has to do with freezing temps...

It doesn't expand/contract well,literally rips itself in half at joints.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

Google abs lawsuits,lots of info out there.

 

[The Cobbler]

using ABS here since the 70's and very rare are there problems with it.

 

[Norcal]

There was a issue where a manufacturer was using reground plastic rather then virgin ABS material & huge failures occurred.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

There was a issue where a manufacturer was using reground plastic rather then virgin ABS material & huge failures occurred.

Several manufacturers had problems.

 

[prostreetamx]

Not a plumber but a real electrician. Wired and plumbed my new garage myself with owner/ builder permits. Allowed here as long as I don't resell house within 1 year which is not an issue. Have done some plumbing repairs in the past as well as relocating some supply and drain lines at my old house. I watched a bunch of YouTube videos and did some other research before I did the underground drain system and tied it into the existing sewer line. Ran all plastic Pex supply lines after buying the correct crimper. Bought my supplies at Amazon and Home Depot. This garage has a full bath with tub/ shower, slop sink and several outside spigots. So far only the shower and slop sink are installed but everything passed inspection and works great. You do need to pay attention to drain slope, size and proper trap installs ans well as vent size for combined appliances but certainly within a handy guys ability with all the info out there. I used ABS for the drains.

 

[grantw]

Not a plumber but a real electrician...I used ABS for the drains.

I bet you approached this with the mindset of, "what does code require?". I'm sure you had no issue wiring everything up, but I would also wager that you read building and plumbing code until you understood fully.



I know when I upgraded my service from 100A to 200A, I read PGE's greenbook a few times over, calNEC a few times over, and still found something new every iteration I read it. I passed inspection the first go around with a skeptical inspector. I'm sure if I really set my mind to it, I cold plumb in a sink to code, but have no doubt I would need a few weeks of research first.

@ the OP: What you are planning requires a lot of research and planning if you are doing this properly and to code. The guys in this particular forum can help guide your choices based on a few hundred years of combined experience. But, we can't plan and build your spare guest suite for you.

If you're not doing it to your local code, we can't help very much.

 

[ard]

There were failures with ABS in the mid 1980s due to using recycled raw stock. Lots of investigations, lawsuits, settlements.

I've used a lot of it on my projects- most after 1990.....never had an issue...and haven't really heard much about the horrors of ABS since then. ('Ripping apart at joints', etc). So I read this thread and kinda wonder .....

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

I've seen it used on projects in California carmel/monterrey area over the years.
You won't see much new construction stuff after early 90 around here with it.
Everything went to pvc around these parts,nobody wants the headaches/liability involved with it it.
I haven't even seen anything bigger than a fitting around here for it in the box stores for years for repairs.
I deal with ferguson in omaha several times a week,nothing but cast and pvc in the yard.

 

[acer66]

I just helped the plumber to redo my complete house which will be inspected and the waste lines are 100% pvc all the way into the septic.

I picked up all the material at a plumbing store and they do not even have abs pipes anymore.

 

[Norcal]

I just helped the plumber to redo my complete house which will be inspected and the waste lines are 100% pvc all the way into the septic.

I picked up all the material at a plumbing store and they do not even have abs pipes anymore.

The use of ABS vs PVC is regional.

 

[alfredeneuman]

My plumber friend switched from ABS to PVC for drain lines a couple of years ago.
The reason he gave was that ABS tends to bow, and PVC stays rigid and doesn't.

 

[acer66]

The use of ABS vs PVC is regional.

Thanks, I was wondering about that.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

I've seen it used on projects in California carmel/monterrey area over the years.
You won't see much new construction stuff after early 90 around here with it.
Everything went to pvc around these parts,nobody wants the headaches/liability involved with it it.
I haven't even seen anything bigger than a fitting around here for it in the box stores for years for repairs.
I deal with ferguson in omaha several times a week,nothing but cast and pvc in the yard.

We have ferguson here in town as well and they have all 3...