Under sink plumbing? - what is this?

[75gmck25]

I used an AAV on a couple bathroom sinks and they work fine. However, I noticed that a fitting was installed and glued, and then the AAV is threaded onto the fitting so you can easily remove it. I assume this means there may be a replacement cycle for them. Mine were inspected and approved as part of a renovation.

 

[housewolf]

This is the builders doing. is there something I can show them, code wise, that would require them to rework the piping and water lines?

I see you are in Houston. I’ve probably done/supervised/permitted $200MM of plumbing work in Harris County alone. The city plumbing inspectors in Houston are overworked but generally pretty good. I’m not a code geek, never have been, but I do have a thorough understanding of how plumbing works. My inability to quote plumbing code chapter & verse has never been an issue passing plumbing inspections in the dozens of states/codes I’ve worked in. Ideally a vent goes 6” above the flood rim of a fixture before going horizontal so if it backs up solids can’t be trapped and block the vent (permanently). You have two 90* turns making a short distance horizontal. IMO; post #5 shows the best way to vent an island sink. The only significant difference is he’s using two 1/8 bens (45*) and one 1/4 bend (90*) to avoid going horizontal. Regardless of what any code says, there’s no advantage to raising this above the bottom of the sink even if you could. Water is not going above that tee unless there’s a blockage somewhere. I think I would probably ask the builder (or have the plumber that installs the new sink do it) to reconfigure it where there is no horizontal section there. I wouldn’t loose sleep over it as is though. Those island sinks are kind of wonky anyway.

 

[nbpt100]

I have noticed the Garbage Disposal industry is now selling 2 and 3 stage garbage disposals to entice homeowners in to upgrading. Never paid much attention to it until someone last week asked me to replace their leaking garbage disposal.

It is Pretty pricey to go to a 2 stage that claims to grind the waste into finer particles and handle more challenging waste. About $100 more based on my observations at the 2 big box stores near me.

Where I live more people are composting and use their disposal less and less. We have city sewer as well. The city is encouraging it.

 

[8Line]

With all due respect, you may want to do some research on this, as powder coating (as I know it) will not hold up to the daily abuse a kitchen sink will endure.

Oh for sure have, there are certain type of coating additives that will improve resilience and longevity. We are planning to remodel the kitchen island and stove top in 2yrs once the builder warranty ends. so as long as its lasts that timeline we should be good. we are contemplating getting the faucet coated to match as well. but if we keep the faucet after the remodel then it may not match the new island.

 

[thr3squared]

At first when I saw that plumbing I thought "WTF?!"

Glad I kept reading because I never thought about how a vent for a island sink would be plumbed (and I'll need to do this in the future)....learn something everyday, gotta love this forum!!

Questions though (sorry if they're dumb) - why the foil on the floor of the cabinet? What is the blue thread sealant on the clean-outs? I've always just used a little Teflon tape, if anything. And last - are the black pipes going into the floor of the cabinet ABS? Looks like runny white paint around them

 

[billconner]

Good questions. Add that the 2 houses I did plumbing on, I was required to use a colored primer, not clear (if any) as done here.

 

[rlitman]

...Questions though (sorry if they're dumb) - why the foil on the floor of the cabinet? What is the blue thread sealant on the clean-outs? I've always just used a little Teflon tape, if anything. And last - are the black pipes going into the floor of the cabinet ABS? Looks like runny white paint around them

The tape looks to be a hack escutcheon. Even hackier are the chromed plastic wall escutcheons clipped onto the PEX rising from the floor that serve absolutely no purpose (there's one on the drain pipe too).

The blue has to be some form of pipe dope. Most of the blue dope I'm familiar with hardens, but I sure hope it isn't that.

I do wonder if that's ABS coming up from below. ABS to PVC requires a transition cement, and a quick search doesn't show me any of that in white, so um...

 

[billconner]

I thought that was PVC with black goop on it, but you think ABS with white? Hmmm.

 

[thr3squared]

The tape looks to be a hack escutcheon. Even hackier are the chromed plastic wall escutcheons clipped onto the PEX rising from the floor that serve absolutely no purpose (there's one on the drain pipe too).

The blue has to be some form of pipe dope. Most of the blue dope I'm familiar with hardens, but I sure hope it isn't that.

I do wonder if that's ABS coming up from below. ABS to PVC requires a transition cement, and a quick search doesn't show me any of that in white, so um...

I noticed the plastic escutheons as well, thought id leave that alone.

I know different areas have different codes for transitioning PVC to ABS - some require the green transition glue (which is what I've used), and others (or so I've heard) will allow you to use ABS glue.

 

[housewolf]

I thought that was PVC with black goop on it, but you think ABS with white? Hmmm.

The black stuff is probably a tar/mastic. They make you coat PVC when it goes through concrete here. I usually bought the guys spray on bed liner, or plasticoat it’s much neater than trying to wipe roof mastic around pipe.

 

[billconner]

The black stuff is probably a tar/mastic. They make you coat PVC when it goes through concrete here. I usually bought the guys spray on bed liner, or plasticoat it’s much neater than trying to wipe roof mastic around pipe.

That makes sense. Not ABS. Not use to slab on ground so couldn't figure out why mastic to go through floor.
Foil? Rodents?

 

[mike93lx]

Guessing the foil tape is just an attempt at waterproof air sealing

 

[housewolf]

Guessing the foil tape is just an attempt at waterproof air sealing

I don’t know the exact percentage of slab on grade vs pier & beam in residential here but my guess is 95%+ is slab on grade.

If you look real close it looks like the base of the cabinet was notched so it could be slid in. Maybe the plumber already had the two pipes tied together before the millwork went in My guess is they needed something to cover that large hole up. They certainly could have used a different method there and provided a nicer finished product even though it isn‘t readily visible.

 

[billconner]

And I didn't consider s.o.g. because vast majority of houses where I've lived have basements.

 

[8Line]

I don’t know the exact percentage of slab on grade vs pier & beam in residential here but my guess is 95%+ is slab on grade.

If you look real close it looks like the base of the cabinet was notched so it could be slid in. Maybe the plumber already had the two pipes tied together before the millwork went in My guess is they needed something to cover that large hole up. They certainly could have used a different method there and provided a nicer finished product even though it isn‘t readily visible.

I'll take a look at this when I get to the house again, maybe in a week haha. but I do intend on cleaning this up, and putting in a sort of topper tray for cleaners and what not to sit in, should cover up the foil and improve presentation.

 

[LOW1]

I used an AAV on a couple bathroom sinks and they work fine. However, I noticed that a fitting was installed and glued, and then the AAV is threaded onto the fitting so you can easily remove it. I assume this means there may be a replacement cycle for them. Mine were inspected and approved as part of a renovation.

I do not know if there is a schedule for replacement but they can fail and create quite the smell if they do.
I buy an extra and keep it in an old mesh onion bag hung on the bottom of the top side of the lav cabinet.
The old one screws off and the new one screws on.
So if installing an AAV make sure you leave enough room to screw off the broken AAV and screw on the replacement.