Pop-up
P R O T I P
away from ledgers supporting
Water nut
stopper
it underneath.
If your area gets hard freezes,
3
you should drain outdoor spigots
/8-in.
Flange
supply riser
and indoor supply pipes in under-
heated areas such as crawlspaces
and garages. To make pipe drain-
Trap arm
ing easy, slope supply lines
slightly downward and install
stop and waste valves at the low
Threaded drain body
point of the line. These valves
Locknut
have small threaded caps that
you can loosen to drain the line
Drain tailpiece
and thereby avoid split pipes
Slip-nut coupling
caused by freezing water.
Angle stop
P-trap
connect the risers loosely to the threaded faucet
stems, allowing you to reposition them if needed
when attaching their lower ends to the angle stops.
For rimless and self-rimming sinks, first set the mounting device
zzzzzz sink-mounting Details
Set the unit. Sink (or lav) installations vary,
or sink edge in plumber’s putty, which will compress.
depending on whether the unit is surface
mounted, under mounted, flush mounted, wall
RIMLESS SINK
mounted, or set atop a pedestal. Self-rimming
Sink rim
units are among the most common. Once you’ve
Plastic laminate
Sink lip
attached the hardware, apply a bead of silicone
caulk to the sink lip, turn the unit over, and press
it flat to the surface (or underside) of the coun-
Rim clip
ter. Some sinks need nothing more to secure
them, although many have mounting clips
Plumber’s putty
similar to those shown at right. Wall-mounted
or caulk
models slip down into a bracket, which must be
SELF-RIMMING SINK
lag-screwed to blocking attached to studs—
preferably let into the stud edges. Level the sink
Clear
silicone caulk
front to back and side to side.
Enameled cast-
iron sink lip
Connect the drain. With the sink or lav in place,
Granite or marble
connect the drainpipe. To the drain stub sticking
out of the walls, glue a threaded male trap adapter,
Plywood or backer-board substrate
which will receive a slip coupling. Slide the trap
arm into the coupling, but don’t tighten it yet.
The other end of the trap arm turns down 90°
and, being threaded, couples to an adjustable
UNDERMOUNT SINK
P-trap, which you can swivel so that it aligns to
Cast-iron/
the tailpiece coming down from the lav. The other
Cultured marble,
porcelain sink
end of the P-trap has another slip coupling, into
Corian®, and so on
which the sink tailpiece fits. When trap pieces
Sink clip
are correctly aligned, tighten the slip couplings.
Kitchen sinks are much the same, except that
the upper part of a sink tailpiece is threaded to
plumbing
347
SeTTINg a PedeSTaL SINk
Check the sink for level one last time, tighten the lag
screws to secure the sink, and connect the supply risers
top and bottom.
It usually takes several tries and some
fine-tuning to level the pedestal,
level the sink in two directions, and
tighten to the bottom of a strainer body. To drain
lag-screw the sink to a 2x blocking
double sinks, use the hookups shown in “End-
let into the studs.
Outlet Continuous Waste,” at left. Back-to-back
lavs or sinks can also share a common drain, by
using a figure-5 fitting as shown on p. 333.
Because the slot in the bank of the pedestal is narrow and
Connect supply pipes. To each supply pipe
the wall is close, there won’t be enough room to tighten
stub-out, attach a shutoff valve, typically an angle
slip-nut couplings on the drain. Instead, after starting the
lag screws, lift and support the front of the sink while a
stop with a compression fitting. Slide the angle
helper slides the pedestal forward. after connecting the
stop’s 1⁄2-in. socket over the stub-out, and tighten
drain fittings, slide the pedestal back and lower the sink.
the fitting so that the ferrule inside compresses
and forms a positive seal. Alternatively, you can
sweat 1⁄2-in. male threaded adapters onto the
stub-outs, wrap Teflon tape on the threads, and
screw on a shutoff valve with a 1⁄2-in. threaded
female opening.
Riser attachments depend on whether you
zzzzzz end-outlet Continuous waste
11/4-in. or
install rigid chromed tubing, which inserts into a
11/2-in. tailpieces
compression fitting on the angle stop, or a flexi-
Slip-nut
ble braided supply line, which has nuts on both
trap adapter
ends. Rigid tubing must be shaped with a tubing
Sanitary tee
bender and cut to exact length, whereas braided
supply can be easily twisted or looped so it fits.
Elbow
Total pipe length includes
fitting sockets.
P-trap
FLaWed Toilets
A common assembly for double sinks
save fixture invoices and shipping boxes until
or lavatories.
you’ve inspected fixtures for flaws. You’ll need
both to return defective units. apart from
chipped enamel or cracks, the most common
toilet flaws are a foot that is not flat, a
deformed horn, or bowl and tank surfaces that
don’t mate correctly.
348 Chapter 12
P R O T I P
zzzzzz Factory-Installed Tank-to-Bowl Connection
Don’t overtighten closet bolt
Ballcock
nuts or you’ll crack the porcelain
(fill valve) stem
Overflow tube
on the foot. once the nuts seem
Flush valve
snug, gently try to rock the bowl.
If it doesn’t rock, the nuts are
Gasket
Rubber washer
tight enough, though you should
Spud nut
return after the toilet’s been
used for a few weeks and snug
the nuts one last time.
Tank
Locknut
Tank-mounting
Supply riser
bolts
attaches here.
Rubber
spud washer
Brass washer
Toilet bowl
Brass nut
To avoid corrosion, use stainless-steel or brass bolts and nuts.
InsTallIng a ToIleT
not visible. Don’t trim the closet bolts until you’ve
P R O T I P
attached the tank and tested the unit for leaks.
When you’re ready to install the toilet, remove
Mount the tank. Standard two-piece toilets have
the plastic bag you inserted earlier in the closet
use only noncorroding
tanks that bolt directly to bowls. In addition to
bend to block sewage gases. Place closet bolts in
(brass or stainless-steel) screws
bolt holes, tanks have two fittings on the bottom:
the closet flange if you haven’t already done so.
and bolts to secure the closet
a threaded ballcock stem, which is screwed to the
flange or the toilet bowl; other
Set the bowl first. Then attach the tank to the
supply riser, and a larger flush valve, which is
materials will corrode. To help
bowl. If you’re reinstalling an old toilet, as shown tightened to a spud nut. Typically, a rubber spud-
you align the bolt holes on the
in the bottom left photo on p. 350, leave the parts nut washer covers the spud nut and cushions the
bowl with bolts in the closet
connected, and set the toilet as one piece. But if
tank–bowl juncture to prevent leaks; there may
flange, buy extra-long, 3-in. by
it’s a new toilet, setting the base first is easier on
5⁄
also be a separate, preinstalled sponge-rubber
16-in. closet bolts. They’ll be
your back. Place the wax ring in the closet flange
long enough to line up easily,
gasket to cushion the tank and bowl. Tighten the
so that the ring’s plastic funnel centers in the
even when the wax ring is in the
spud nut and position the spud-nut washer, insert
flange. Some manufacturers recommend placing
way, and you can trim excess
the washered tank-mounting bolts into the bot-
the wax ring on the toilet horn and then inverting
length without difficulty.
tom of the tank, and set the tank atop the bowl so
the toilet bowl, but the wax ring may not adhere
that bolts line up with the holes in the bowl.
and the funnel may not align.
Carefully follow the manufacturer’s instructions
Have help aligning closet bolts to holes as you about caulking mating surfaces because some
set the toilet bowl. Don’t rock the bowl when set-
caulking compounds may deteriorate the gaskets.
ting it, which could excessively compress the wax
To prevent the tank-bolt threads from turning
ring on one side, creating a gap. Instead, press
and cutting into the rubber washers or gaskets,
the bowl down evenly, then use a small adjust-
hold the bolts steady with a long screwdriver as
able wrench to tighten the nuts gradually, alter-
you tighten the nuts on the underside of the bowl
nating sides, until the bowl is secure. Place a tor-
shelf, using an adjustable wrench. Moving from
pedo level atop the bowl edge to see if the unit is
one side to the other, tighten the nuts snugly. Use
level side to side and front to back. If the bowl
only brass or stainless-steel bolts and nuts.
needs shimming, use plastic shims, which can be Connect the water supply, fill the tank, flush the
chiseled or cut flush to the toilet foot so they’re
toilet several times, and check for leaks. If there’s
plumbing
349
leaking between the tank and the bowl, tighten
INSTaLLINg a ToILeT
the nuts. If there’s leaking only near the foot of
the bowl, the wax ring may have failed: In this
case, pull the toilet and replace the ring. If there
are no leaks, trim the closet bolts and caulk
around the perimeter of the foot.
Toilet-supply connections are essentially the
same as sink or lavatory risers. The standard
toilet-supply riser is 3⁄8-in. chrome tubing that
attaches (at the top) to a threaded ballcock stem
on the underside of the tank and a 5⁄8-by-3⁄8 angle
stop at the bottom. A better option is a 3⁄8-in. flex-
ible braided stainless-steel supply line: It won’t
dry-set and shim-level the toilet
crimp, attaches to the same fittings, and can be
bowl before centering the wax ring
easily disconnected.
over the closet flange. once the bowl Bidets. A bidet is easier to install than a toilet.
is placed on the ring, it can’t be lifted
once water-supply and dWV pipes are roughed in and
Although a bidet requires hot- and cold-water
without replacing the ring.
2x4 ledgers are nailed to the studs to support the tub lip,
connections, only liquid waste (drain water) is
slide the tub into its alcove.
produced, so a 11⁄4-in. drain will suffice. Mount
the bidet base securely, but it doesn’t need to be
solidly. The overflow plate inside the tub screws to
seated in a wax ring. In fact, the drain takeoff is
a mounting flange in the overflow ell. There are
similar to that of a tub, which is described next.
many types of drain cap (stopper) mechanisms;
follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
InsTallIng a BaThTuB
The last drain connection to be made is a
P-trap, which slides onto the tub tailpiece
First and foremost, follow the installation
descending from the tee. Adjust the trap so that it
instructions provided with your tub. Failure to
aligns with the branch drain roughed in earlier.
do so could void your warranty. For most models, Note: If the drain assembly will be inaccessible,
after framing the three-walled alcove around the
code requires a glued-together drain joint. The
tub, attach 2x4 ledgers to support the tub lip on
only exception allowed is the slip-nut coupling
three sides. Then cut an opening in the subfloor
that joins the tub tailpiece to the P-trap.
for the drain assembly, dry-fit the tub, and check
for level. For lightweight steel and fiberglass
Water supply. Next, attach the tub’s supply
tubs, many installers next remove the tub, apply
pipes. Level and mount a pressure-balancing valve
30-lb. building paper over the subfloor, place a
to the cross brace let into the end-wall studs.
mortar bed 1 in. to 2 in. thick, and set the tub
(The valve, also called an antiscald valve, is typi-
into it. The mortar bed stabilizes the tub and
cally set at a maximum of 120°F to prevent scald-
minimizes flexing, which could lead to leaks
ing.) Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for
around the drain or surface cracking. Of course,
attaching the pipe to the valve. Although gate and
In most cases, set the toilet base
place the tub in the mortar before it sets so the
before attaching the tank. Here, an
ball valves are usually closed when sweating cop-
already assembled toilet is being reset mortar will conform to the shape of the tub. If
per pipe to them, balancing valves may need to
onto a new wax ring after a new tile
the tub is made of cast iron, on the other hand,
be open or d
isassembled before sweating pipe to
floor was installed. after feeding
don’t bother with a mortar bed—cast iron doesn’t the valve bodies.
closet bolts through the bowl, apply
flex appreciably. But it’s famously heavy, so be
Like most shower/tub valves, a balancing
even pressure to seat the bowl on the sure to have at least three workers on hand to
valve has four pipe connections: one each for
wax ring.
move it.
hot- and cold-supply pipes, one for the pipe that
runs to the shower arm, and one that services the
drain and overflow assembly. Before the final
spout. To mount shower arms and spouts, screw
installation of the tub, preassemble the tub’s drain brass, threaded female drop-eared ells to the
and overflow assembly and test-fit it to the tub
cross braces. Because chrome shower arms and
openings. Slip-nut couplings make adjusting pipe spouts can get marred while finish surfaces are
lengths easy. Once the tub back is in the alcove,
being installed, screw in 6-in. capped galvanized
install the assembly in the tub: Put a layer of
nipples. The faucet stem(s) and the balancing
plumber’s putty between any metal-to-enamel
valve are protected with a plastic cover until the
joint that isn’t gasketed. While a helper holds the
finish work is done. Turn the water on and test
assembly to the end and underside of the tub,
for leaks. Once you’re sure there are none, you
hand screw the threaded strainer into the tub shoe are ready to close in the walls around the tub.
(waste ell). Then use a strainer wrench to tighten it
350 Chapter 12
Replacing a Water Heater
Most municipalities require a permit to replace a
water heater, primarily because they want to
zzzzzz Tub Drain-and-overflow assembly
ensure that the heater’s TPR valve is correctly
2x4 ledgers
installed. Even though most local codes allow
support tub lip.
homeowners to replace water heaters, hire a
licensed plumber for this job unless you have a
Overflow
lot of plumbing experience. Plumbers know
gasket
which brands and hookups require the fewest
Overflow
service calls and can assess the condition of vent
pipes and replace them if needed. Besides, thanks
to wholesale discounts, plumbers can probably
install a new unit for only slightly more than it
Strainer (threaded)
would cost you if you bought the heater and fit-
Plumber’s putty or gasket
tings at retail prices.
Renovation 4th Edition Page 81
