Plumber came to kitchen to take care of my clogged drain after I failed to do it myself. Below the sink, he took off the trap that had what he called a 3" pipe attached to it. Well as he was trying to remove it, part of the thread broke off. it was old and rusted. Now, he told me to have it replace. His job did not call for replacing pipes and had me sign a waver for that. That's fine. Now what I want to know is how to go about getting that pipe. I'm sure its not ready made, or maybe I am wrong. I know it probably won't be available in a regular hardware store. He said to ask for a 3" pipe, threaded on both ends and 3" long. Isn't that what they call a 'coupler"?

"novel" wrote in message
...

Plumber came to kitchen to take care of my clogged drain . . .
part of the thread broke off. it was old and rusted. Now, he
told me to have it replace. His job did not call for replacing
pipes and had me sign a watver for that. . . .
He said to ask for a 3" pipe, threaded on both ends and
3" long. Isn't that what they call a 'coupler"?

What happened when you asked the supplier for a 3" pipe,
threaded on both ends and 3" long ?
--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

On Friday, June 20, 2014 8:49:16 AM UTC-4, novel wrote:
Plumber came to kitchen to take care of my clogged drain after I failed to do it myself. Below the sink, he took off the trap that had what he called a 3" pipe attached to it. Well as he was trying to remove it, part of the thread broke off. it was old and rusted. Now, he told me to have it replace. His job did not call for replacing pipes and had me sign a waver for that. That's fine. Now what I want to know is how to go about getting that pipe. I'm sure its not ready made, or maybe I am wrong. I know it probably won't be available in a regular hardware store. He said to ask for a 3" pipe, threaded on both ends and 3" long. Isn't that what they call a 'coupler"?

Troll alert! Troll alert!

On 6/20/2014 8:49 AM, novel wrote:
Plumber came to kitchen to take care of my clogged drain after I failed to do it myself. Below the sink, he took off the trap that had what he called a 3" pipe attached to it. Well as he was trying to remove it, part of the thread broke off. it was old and rusted. Now, he told me to have it replace. His job did not call for replacing pipes and had me sign a waver for that. That's fine. Now what I want to know is how to go about getting that pipe. I'm sure its not ready made, or maybe I am wrong. I know it probably won't be available in a regular hardware store. He said to ask for a 3" pipe, threaded on both ends and 3" long. Isn't that what they call a 'coupler"?


Couplings are threaded inside.

Pipe and nipples are threaded outside.

Local hardware store probably does not have 3" pipe.

This is one source
http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-metal-pipe/=sho3sf

On Friday, June 20, 2014 10:07:36 AM UTC-4, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On 6/20/2014 8:49 AM, novel wrote:

Plumber came to kitchen to take care of my clogged drain after I failed to do it myself. Below the sink, he took off the trap that had what he called a 3" pipe attached to it. Well as he was trying to remove it, part of the thread broke off. it was old and rusted. Now, he told me to have it replace. His job did not call for replacing pipes and had me sign a waver for that. That's fine. Now what I want to know is how to go about getting that pipe. I'm sure its not ready made, or maybe I am wrong. I know it probably won't be available in a regular hardware store. He said to ask for a 3" pipe, threaded on both ends and 3" long. Isn't that what they call a 'coupler"?





Couplings are threaded inside.



Pipe and nipples are threaded outside.



Local hardware store probably does not have 3" pipe.



This is one source

http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-metal-pipe/=sho3sf

Ed, you really think a plumber came to unclog a drain,
broke off a 3" pipe, and then told the customer to just
go get a new one and put it in? If the trap is attached
to a 3" pipe and the 3" pipe needs to be replaced, it sure as
hell isn't something that someone asking these questions has
any hope of replacing. It would be very unusual for the trap
in a kitchen sink to be connected to a 3" pipe to begin with.

My vote is troll.

On 06/20/2014 07:49 AM, novel wrote:
Plumber came to kitchen to take care of my clogged drain after I failed to do it myself. Below the sink, he took off the trap that had what he called a 3" pipe attached to it. Well as he was trying to remove it, part of the thread broke off. it was old and rusted. Now, he told me to have it replace. His job did not call for replacing pipes and had me sign a waver for that. That's fine. Now what I want to know is how to go about getting that pipe. I'm sure its not ready made, or maybe I am wrong. I know it probably won't be available in a regular hardware store. He said to ask for a 3" pipe, threaded on both ends and 3" long. Isn't that what they call a 'coupler"?



If the so called plumber could not replace it, time to call a real
plumber. They'd be equipped for any situation.

Plumber came to kitchen to take care of my clogged drain after I
failed to do it myself. Below the sink, he took off the trap that had
what he called a 3" pipe attached to it. Well as he was trying to
remove it, part of the thread broke off. it was old and rusted. Now,
he told me to have it replace. His job did not call for replacing
pipes and had me sign a waver for that. That's fine. Now what I want
to know is how to go about getting that pipe. I'm sure its not ready
made, or maybe I am wrong. I know it probably won't be available in a
regular hardware store. He said to ask for a 3" pipe, threaded on both
ends and 3" long. Isn't that what they call a 'coupler"?

Is the pipe 3" long, or 3" wide?

3" wide pipe for a kitchen drain sounds a little suspicious. Every
kitchen drain I've ever seen uses 1.5" or 2" pipe. Also, I can't imagine
any professional plumber who would break a pipe and not fix it. In any
case, I've seen a lot of oddball stuff in old houses, so I'll respond
anyway.

You said the pipe was old and rusted, so I'm going to assume the pipe is
galvanized steel pipe (copper doesn't rust). You said part of the thread
broke off, so a threaded adapter is probably not an option. Having worked
with old galvanized pipe, I know that trying to take apart old rusted
fittings often results in more damage to the plumbing.

I would probably use a hacksaw to cut the pipe below the area it rusted.
Then I would use a rubber "Fernco" coupling to adapt to an ABS or PVC
pipe that I can install a proper drain fitting on (the nut and washer
that seals around the drain tailpipe). If you have 3" wide pipe, you
would need to find a reducing Fernco coupling, or use a regular Fernco
coupling and transition to the smaller size in the plastic pipe.

If your pipe is really 2" pipe threaded on each end, that would be called
a "pipe nipple". Most hardware or big box stores should stock a 3" long
pipe nipple. But as I mentioned, trying to take apart old galvanized
fittings can be hit or miss, especially since you already had a piece
break off. I would soak the fitting with WD40 or something before trying
to take it apart. Then carefully use a couple of pipe wrenches to remove
the broken pipe nipple. If you're lucky, maybe it will come out without
breaking. If you're not lucky, the fitting may break and you'll end up
replacing even more pipe and fittings. That's why I would probably opt
for the Fernco approach.

Good luck!

Anthony Watson
www.watsondiy.com
www.mountainsoftware.com

On Fri, 20 Jun 2014 07:39:13 -0700 (PDT), trader_4
wrote:

This is one source

http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-metal-pipe/=sho3sf

Ed, you really think a plumber came to unclog a drain,
broke off a 3" pipe, and then told the customer to just
go get a new one and put it in? If the trap is attached
to a 3" pipe and the 3" pipe needs to be replaced, it sure as
hell isn't something that someone asking these questions has
any hope of replacing. It would be very unusual for the trap
in a kitchen sink to be connected to a 3" pipe to begin with.


Anything is possible in Brooklyn.

My vote is troll.

On Fri, 20 Jun 2014 16:34:03 +0000 (UTC), HerHusband
wrote:

Is the pipe 3" long, or 3" wide?

3" wide pipe for a kitchen drain sounds a little suspicious. Every
kitchen drain I've ever seen uses 1.5" or 2" pipe. Also, I can't imagine
any professional plumber who would break a pipe and not fix it. In any
case, I've seen a lot of oddball stuff in old houses, so I'll respond
anyway.

You said the pipe was old and rusted, so I'm going to assume the pipe is
galvanized steel pipe (copper doesn't rust). You said part of the thread
broke off, so a threaded adapter is probably not an option. Having worked
with old galvanized pipe, I know that trying to take apart old rusted
fittings often results in more damage to the plumbing.

I would probably use a hacksaw to cut the pipe below the area it rusted.
Then I would use a rubber "Fernco" coupling to adapt to an ABS or PVC
pipe that I can install a proper drain fitting on (the nut and washer
that seals around the drain tailpipe). If you have 3" wide pipe, you
would need to find a reducing Fernco coupling, or use a regular Fernco
coupling and transition to the smaller size in the plastic pipe.

If your pipe is really 2" pipe threaded on each end, that would be called
a "pipe nipple". Most hardware or big box stores should stock a 3" long
pipe nipple. But as I mentioned, trying to take apart old galvanized
fittings can be hit or miss, especially since you already had a piece
break off. I would soak the fitting with WD40 or something before trying
to take it apart. Then carefully use a couple of pipe wrenches to remove
the broken pipe nipple. If you're lucky, maybe it will come out without
breaking. If you're not lucky, the fitting may break and you'll end up
replacing even more pipe and fittings. That's why I would probably opt
for the Fernco approach.

Good luck!

Anthony Watson

Outstanding!

"novel" wrote in message ...
Plumber came to kitchen to take care of my clogged drain after I failed to do it myself. Below the sink, he took off the trap that had what he called a 3" pipe attached to it. Well as he was trying to remove it, part of the thread broke off. it was old and rusted. Now, he told me to have it replace. His job did not call for replacing pipes and had me sign a waver for that. That's fine. Now what I want to know is how to go about getting that pipe. I'm sure its not ready made, or maybe I am wrong. I know it probably won't be available in a regular hardware store. He said to ask for a 3" pipe, threaded on both ends and 3" long. Isn't that what they call a 'coupler"?

Which broke - pipe or trap? If trap, take the old one to the store and match it up. If it was the pipe, take it to wholesale pipe supply (not Home Depot) and ask for 2-3 plumber referrals. Or ask a respected friend in the construction business for a referral. Asking a neighbor for a referral is trouble.

On 6/20/2014 10:39 AM, trader_4 wrote:


This is one source

http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-metal-pipe/=sho3sf

Ed, you really think a plumber came to unclog a drain,
broke off a 3" pipe, and then told the customer to just
go get a new one and put it in? If the trap is attached
to a 3" pipe and the 3" pipe needs to be replaced, it sure as
hell isn't something that someone asking these questions has
any hope of replacing. It would be very unusual for the trap
in a kitchen sink to be connected to a 3" pipe to begin with.

My vote is troll.


Hard to say. Not a legit plumbe4r, but a local handyman or a drunk one.
Having 3" pipe is unlikely, but in an older house or aaprtment
building, anything is possible.

On Fri, 20 Jun 2014 10:07:36 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

On 6/20/2014 8:49 AM, novel wrote:
Plumber came to kitchen to take care of my clogged drain after I failed to do it myself. Below the sink, he took off the trap that had what he called a 3" pipe attached to it. Well as he was trying to remove it, part of the thread broke off. it was old and rusted. Now, he told me to have it replace. His job did not call for replacing pipes and had me sign a waver for that. That's fine. Now what I want to know is how to go about getting that pipe. I'm sure its not ready made, or maybe I am wrong. I know it probably won't be available in a regular hardware store. He said to ask for a 3" pipe, threaded on both ends and 3" long. Isn't that what they call a 'coupler"?


Couplings are threaded inside.

Pipe and nipples are threaded outside.

Local hardware store probably does not have 3" pipe.

This is one source
http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-metal-pipe/=sho3sf

It's called a "nipple"

novel wrote:
Plumber came to kitchen to take care of my clogged drain after I
failed to do it myself. Below the sink, he took off the trap that had
what he called a 3" pipe attached to it. Well as he was trying to
remove it, part of the thread broke off. it was old and rusted. Now,
he told me to have it replace. His job did not call for replacing
pipes and had me sign a waver for that. That's fine. Now what I want
to know is how to go about getting that pipe. I'm sure its not ready
made, or maybe I am wrong. I know it probably won't be available in a
regular hardware store. He said to ask for a 3" pipe, threaded on
both ends and 3" long. Isn't that what they call a 'coupler"?

Any chance that you could take a digital photo or two and post it here?
That would make it easier for people to understand what you have now and
what you are asking.

If you don't know how to upload photos, post back here and I an others can
show you how to do that.

trader_4 wrote:
On Friday, June 20, 2014 8:49:16 AM UTC-4, novel wrote:
Plumber came to kitchen to take care of my clogged drain after I
failed to do it myself. Below the sink, he took off the trap that
had what he called a 3" pipe attached to it. Well as he was trying
to remove it, part of the thread broke off. it was old and rusted.
Now, he told me to have it replace. His job did not call for
replacing pipes and had me sign a waver for that. That's fine. Now
what I want to know is how to go about getting that pipe. I'm sure
its not ready made, or maybe I am wrong. I know it probably won't be
available in a regular hardware store. He said to ask for a 3" pipe,
threaded on both ends and 3" long. Isn't that what they call a
'coupler"?

Troll alert! Troll alert!

Maybe yes, maybe no -- I'm not sure. I see prior posts by this person and
once in a while he does respond back here when others post responses to his
original question.

novel writes:
He said to ask for a 3" pipe, th=
readed on both ends and 3" long. Isn't that what they call a 'coupler"?

That would be called a nipple.

On Friday, June 20, 2014 3:09:36 PM UTC-4, TomR wrote:
trader_4 wrote:

On Friday, June 20, 2014 8:49:16 AM UTC-4, novel wrote:

Plumber came to kitchen to take care of my clogged drain after I

failed to do it myself. Below the sink, he took off the trap that

had what he called a 3" pipe attached to it. Well as he was trying

to remove it, part of the thread broke off. it was old and rusted.

Now, he told me to have it replace. His job did not call for

replacing pipes and had me sign a waver for that. That's fine. Now

what I want to know is how to go about getting that pipe. I'm sure

its not ready made, or maybe I am wrong. I know it probably won't be

available in a regular hardware store. He said to ask for a 3" pipe,

threaded on both ends and 3" long. Isn't that what they call a

'coupler"?



Troll alert! Troll alert!



Maybe yes, maybe no -- I'm not sure. I see prior posts by this person and

once in a while he does respond back here when others post responses to his

original question.

HI TomR, thanks for giving me the 'benefit of the doubt'...some guys here just get a kick out of calling someone a "troll', just because it be in their eyes against the norm...Not everything is perfect in this world. Perhaps I am to be blamed for the wording of my OP..so I will try to straighten it out here the best I can. I did call this guy a plumber mainly cause he does plumbing work for a company that just does drain cleaning. If the 'troll' caller actually read my OP thoroughly, he would of read that he made me sign a paper wavering any liability in breaking a pipe...his company does not do that. Right now, so I could use the sink, its working just fine, so picture taking would not show anything, mainly cause the threaded pipe area that he screwed in was covered with 'plumber's tape', which I had from previous problems. He gave me the measurements. I wanted this info here so I could be prepared the next time if and when it would clog, I will have it available to have the 'plumber' or 'handy guy' insert it. Guys like you make it a pleasure in this forum not to rush to judgement.

On Friday, June 20, 2014 3:07:43 PM UTC-4, TomR wrote:
novel wrote:

Plumber came to kitchen to take care of my clogged drain after I

failed to do it myself. Below the sink, he took off the trap that had

what he called a 3" pipe attached to it. Well as he was trying to

remove it, part of the thread broke off. it was old and rusted. Now,

he told me to have it replace. His job did not call for replacing

pipes and had me sign a waver for that. That's fine. Now what I want

to know is how to go about getting that pipe. I'm sure its not ready

made, or maybe I am wrong. I know it probably won't be available in a

regular hardware store. He said to ask for a 3" pipe, threaded on

both ends and 3" long. Isn't that what they call a 'coupler"?



Any chance that you could take a digital photo or two and post it here?

That would make it easier for people to understand what you have now and

what you are asking.



If you don't know how to upload photos, post back here and I an others can

show you how to do that.

Even a troll caller? LOL

Novel,

Perhaps I am to be blamed for the wording of my OP.

Mistakes happen, don't sweat it. As with most areas of life, it only takes
one or two bad apples (trolls) to cause trouble for everyone else. It's
easy for people with DIY experience to forget that not everyone knows the
correct terminology for things. Heck, I've been doing this stuff for
decades and still discover new things.

When it comes to stupid questions, I'm an expert!

I did call this guy a plumber mainly cause he does plumbing work for
a company that just does drain cleaning.

OK, that makes more sense.

picture taking would not show anything, mainly cause the threaded
pipe area that he screwed in was covered with 'plumber's tape'

Photos are always helpful. In my previous reply I was picturing the drain
pipe coming up out of the floor, mainly because that's the setup I dealt
with at my in-laws. After I posted my response, I realized your pipe may be
coming out of the wall instead. If that's the case, you may not have the
space to use a Fernco coupling.

Post a photo if you can, it helps make sense when text doesn't necessarily
explain the situation.

He gave me the measurements.

Armed with these responses you should have no trouble explaining what you
need to the sales people at the hardware or box store. For that matter, you
could probably find it yourself.

Good luck!

Anthony Watson
www.mountainsoftware.com
www.watsondiy.com

On 6/20/2014 5:32 PM, Scott Lurndal wrote:
novel writes:
He said to ask for a 3" pipe, th=
readed on both ends and 3" long. Isn't that what they call a 'coupler"?

That would be called a nipple.


Inny, outie. Not a nipple's worth of
difference.

--
..
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

On Friday, June 20, 2014 11:47:58 PM UTC-4, HerHusband wrote:
Novel,



Perhaps I am to be blamed for the wording of my OP.



Mistakes happen, don't sweat it. As with most areas of life, it only takes

one or two bad apples (trolls) to cause trouble for everyone else. It's

easy for people with DIY experience to forget that not everyone knows the

correct terminology for things. Heck, I've been doing this stuff for

decades and still discover new things.



When it comes to stupid questions, I'm an expert!



I did call this guy a plumber mainly cause he does plumbing work for

a company that just does drain cleaning.



OK, that makes more sense.



picture taking would not show anything, mainly cause the threaded

pipe area that he screwed in was covered with 'plumber's tape'



Photos are always helpful. In my previous reply I was picturing the drain

pipe coming up out of the floor, mainly because that's the setup I dealt

with at my in-laws. After I posted my response, I realized your pipe may be

coming out of the wall instead. If that's the case, you may not have the

space to use a Fernco coupling.



Post a photo if you can, it helps make sense when text doesn't necessarily

explain the situation.



He gave me the measurements.



Armed with these responses you should have no trouble explaining what you

need to the sales people at the hardware or box store. For that matter, you

could probably find it yourself.



Good luck!



Anthony Watson

www.mountainsoftware.com

www.watsondiy.com

Here is the picture the red tape is covering the pipe in question..sorry, its the best i can do http://s349.photobucket.com/user/Nov..._0172.jpg.html

"novel" wrote in message
...
On Friday, June 20, 2014 11:47:58 PM UTC-4, HerHusband wrote:

Here is the picture the red tape is covering the pipe in
question..sorry, its the best i can do
http://s349.photobucket.com/user/Nov..._0172.jpg.html

I don't understand what is broken. Is the trap broken? Is the vertical Tee
broken? Does the Tee have broken pipe stuck on its threads? Where is the
3" long piece of 3" pipe?

On 6/21/2014 8:27 AM, Pico Rico wrote:
....

I don't understand what is broken. Is the trap broken? Is the vertical Tee
broken? Does the Tee have broken pipe stuck on its threads? Where is the
3" long piece of 3" pipe?

The threads on nipple with the red tape wrapped around it to prevent the
drip were apparently twisted off at the junction when the cleanout guy
removed the trap. Seems that was able to rethread the trap onto
remaining threads enough to get by for a while. One can see the nipple
is now short by the offset from the sink drain now required to hit the
trap entrance.

--

On Friday, June 20, 2014 6:29:28 PM UTC-4, novel wrote:
On Friday, June 20, 2014 3:09:36 PM UTC-4, TomR wrote:

trader_4 wrote:



On Friday, June 20, 2014 8:49:16 AM UTC-4, novel wrote:



Plumber came to kitchen to take care of my clogged drain after I



failed to do it myself. Below the sink, he took off the trap that



had what he called a 3" pipe attached to it. Well as he was trying



to remove it, part of the thread broke off. it was old and rusted.



Now, he told me to have it replace. His job did not call for



replacing pipes and had me sign a waver for that. That's fine. Now



what I want to know is how to go about getting that pipe. I'm sure



its not ready made, or maybe I am wrong. I know it probably won't be



available in a regular hardware store. He said to ask for a 3" pipe,



threaded on both ends and 3" long. Isn't that what they call a



'coupler"?







Troll alert! Troll alert!







Maybe yes, maybe no -- I'm not sure. I see prior posts by this person and



once in a while he does respond back here when others post responses to his



original question.



HI TomR, thanks for giving me the 'benefit of the doubt'...some guys here just get a kick out of calling someone a "troll', just because it be in their eyes against the norm...Not everything is perfect in this world. Perhaps I am to be blamed for the wording of my OP..so I will try to straighten it out here the best I can. I did call this guy a plumber mainly cause he does plumbing work for a company that just does drain cleaning.

That's right, a drain cleaner isn't a plumber. Saying someone is plumber
implies that they have skills way beyond cleaning out a drain a line. If
you said a drain cleaner told you to call someone else to fix it, that
would make sense.



If the 'troll' caller actually read my OP thoroughly, he would of read that he made me sign a paper wavering any liability in breaking a pipe, his company
does not do that.


I read where you said he had you sign a waiver of liability. No way from
that for us to figure out that this "plumber" is actually a drain cleaner,
who works for a drain cleaning company that doesn't do more than clean
drains. A full service plumbing company might also have you sign a
waiver..... "Customer acknowledges that we need to remove plugs, open
access points, etc and with any plumbing system, especially old ones, there
is a risk of parts failing. If that happens, it is not our responsibility",
etc.



Right now, so I could use the sink, its working just fine, so picture taking would not show anything, mainly cause the threaded pipe area that he screwed in was covered with 'plumber's tape', which I had from previous problems.

Plumbers tape or dope is routinely used on threaded fittings, including
brand new ones. Has nothing to do with seeing what the plumbing in
question looks like. And picture taking would show a lot, in particular this
mysterious 3" nipple.


He gave me the measurements. I wanted this info here so I could be prepared the next time if and when it would clog, I will have it available to have the 'plumber' or 'handy guy' insert it. Guys like you make it a pleasure in this forum not to rush to judgement.

You could do that. But I would be careful about getting some "handy guy"
to screw around with the described 3" pipe. There may be better, safer,
easier solutions to the problem. For example, if that nipple really exists
and is screwed into a T inside the wall, and some "handy man" type tries
to take it out, because you hand him a piece of pipe and tell him to put
it in, you could wind up with more expensive and bigger problems.
Someone with experience might figure out a better, easier solution that
doesn't even require the 3" nipple. They also might tell you that other
stuff under there needs to be replaced too, and it changes things so the
parts required are different, don't require that 3" nipple, etc.

If you really want to go buy it, based on the limited info you've given,
what you want is a 3" long, 3" galvanized nipple. Which brings us to the
next problem. Very short nipples are called "close nipples". I just did
a quick search and it appears that a 3" close nipple is 2 5/8" long. The
next size up is likely going to be a lot longer than 3". If this pipe
really is 3" diameter, it's highly likely what's there is just a 3" close
nipple. That's why it's probably not a good idea to be going buying stuff
based on a drain cleaner's recommendations and to let whoever is going to
fix it determine what it needs, the best solution, etc.

On Saturday, June 21, 2014 9:08:30 AM UTC-4, novel wrote:



Here is the picture the red tape is covering the pipe in question..sorry, its the best i can do http://s349.photobucket.com/user/Nov..._0172.jpg.html

I'm not sure that's 3", it might be, but it looks like it could
be smaller. But whatever the diameter, it's what I described in
my previous post, ie a close nipple. It would be a 3" close nipple.

The way it's done there is not the best design. You can see that
the tailpiece from the sink is not straight vertically, because
you can't control the horizontal dimension. That presents the
potential for a leak. Before going the close
nipple route, I'd look at what is available in new P traps. You
may have enough room so that you could could get a new slip-joint
type P trap in there, using a reducing bushing on the existing T,
etc.

On Saturday, June 21, 2014 9:27:22 AM UTC-4, Pico Rico wrote:
"novel" wrote in message

...

On Friday, June 20, 2014 11:47:58 PM UTC-4, HerHusband wrote:



Here is the picture the red tape is covering the pipe in

question..sorry, its the best i can do

http://s349.photobucket.com/user/Nov..._0172.jpg.html



I don't understand what is broken. Is the trap broken? Is the vertical Tee

broken? Does the Tee have broken pipe stuck on its threads? Where is the

3" long piece of 3" pipe?

The 3" piece of pipe is the close nipple between the trap and the
Tee. It's covered in red tape. I'm not so sure it's actually 3"
diameter, it looks like it could be smaller to me.

On Sat, 21 Jun 2014 06:08:30 -0700 (PDT), novel
wrote:

Here is the picture the red tape is covering the pipe in question..sorry, its the best i can do http://s349.photobucket.com/user/Nov..._0172.jpg.html

Get some penetrating oil and soak down the pipe in question. Do it a
couple times over two days - before I'd put pipe wrenches on it....

On 6/21/2014 9:28 AM, trader_4 wrote:
....

The 3" piece of pipe is the close nipple between the trap and the
Tee. It's covered in red tape. I'm not so sure it's actually 3"
diameter, it looks like it could be smaller to me.

I agree on that on the size--2" more like it, methinks...unless that
drain from the sink is 2" which would be remarkable...

--

Novel,

Here is the picture the red tape is covering the pipe in
question..sorry, its the best i can do
http://s349.photobucket.com/user/Nov..._0172.jpg.html

Thanks. As I suspected, the photo tells a lot more about the situation.

1. The existing plumbing does appear to be galvanized steel.

2. Using the plastic tail pipe as reference, it looks like 2" pipe, though
it could be 1.5" (width, not length).

3. The piece you need is a pipe nipple. However, with the limited space you
probably need a "close" nipple. Basically, this just means the short
segment of pipe is threaded from end to end so the fittings can fit
"close" together.

4. The tee the pipe nipple threads into appears to be installed upside
down. The side inlet should slope downward so water can flow down the drain
properly. Yours looks like it slopes upwards toward the vent. Ideally, that
should be replaced.

5. It's hard to tell from the small photo, but it looks like there's
another piece of tape (duct tape?) wrapped around the pipe below the tee.
Was that another leak?

If it was me, I would replace the existing trap and tee with all new PVC or
ABS pipe. To avoid issues with trying to dismantle old corroded fittings, I
would probably just cut the galvanized pipe with a hacksaw below the tee
and use a Fernco coupling to add the new parts. You may want to support the
pipe above and below the point you're cutting it so it doesn't drop into
the floor if it's not properly anchored.

Good luck!

Anthony Watson
www.mountainsoftware.com
www.watsondiy.com

On 6/21/2014 12:21 PM, HerHusband wrote:
....

4. The tee the pipe nipple threads into appears to be installed upside
down. The side inlet should slope downward so water can flow down the drain
properly. Yours looks like it slopes upwards toward the vent. Ideally, that
should be replaced.

5. It's hard to tell from the small photo, but it looks like there's
another piece of tape (duct tape?) wrapped around the pipe below the tee.
Was that another leak?

If it was me, I would replace the existing trap and tee with all new PVC or
ABS pipe. To avoid issues with trying to dismantle old corroded fittings, I
would probably just cut the galvanized pipe with a hacksaw below the tee
and use a Fernco coupling to add the new parts. You may want to support the
pipe above and below the point you're cutting it so it doesn't drop into
the floor if it's not properly anchored.
....

Good catch on the the swept-tee being upside down--I didn't notice it
was anything other than an ordinary tee.

If it were mine, the idea of fixing the T is good; I'd go w/ a reducing
sweep tee if can find one; if not use a bushing to go to standard 1-1/2"
drain and then can go to the run-of-the-mill currently available
selection of drain parts from any corner hardware.

The tee may be a bit of a challenge locally at anything other than a
full-supply plumbing supply house, however; a quick search of the BORG
stock didn't show that they had any sweep tees at all, what more a
3x3x1-1/2 or whatever it actually is (I'm still thinking that isn't 3"
line, too). It really doesn't look like there's anything wrong w/ the
one there itself altho the question of what the tape below is doing
there is a possible worry.

In fact, now that I look at that again, wondering about the question of
dissassembly, there's a bushing in the bottom outlet and it may well be
that it's a reducing tee itself as I can't now convince myself the
bottom D is as large as the inlet and tee sides. It may be 3x2x3; the
top surely is pretty-good-sized.

Looking at the practicality of it, unless there's an issue from the tee
down, I'd just plan on replacing the nipple w/ a reducer as above--the
reversed sweep clearly worked for a long time; I'd probably wait until
there were reasons to redo a bunch before tackling that much unless OP
just wants to do it now...

--

On Saturday, June 21, 2014 1:58:09 PM UTC-4, dpb wrote:
On 6/21/2014 12:21 PM, HerHusband wrote:

...



4. The tee the pipe nipple threads into appears to be installed upside

down. The side inlet should slope downward so water can flow down the drain

properly. Yours looks like it slopes upwards toward the vent. Ideally, that

should be replaced.



5. It's hard to tell from the small photo, but it looks like there's

another piece of tape (duct tape?) wrapped around the pipe below the tee.

Was that another leak?



If it was me, I would replace the existing trap and tee with all new PVC or

ABS pipe. To avoid issues with trying to dismantle old corroded fittings, I

would probably just cut the galvanized pipe with a hacksaw below the tee

and use a Fernco coupling to add the new parts. You may want to support the

pipe above and below the point you're cutting it so it doesn't drop into

the floor if it's not properly anchored.

...



Good catch on the the swept-tee being upside down--I didn't notice it

was anything other than an ordinary tee.



If it were mine, the idea of fixing the T is good; I'd go w/ a reducing

sweep tee if can find one; if not use a bushing to go to standard 1-1/2"

drain and then can go to the run-of-the-mill currently available

selection of drain parts from any corner hardware.



The tee may be a bit of a challenge locally at anything other than a

full-supply plumbing supply house, however; a quick search of the BORG

stock didn't show that they had any sweep tees at all, what more a

3x3x1-1/2 or whatever it actually is (I'm still thinking that isn't 3"

line, too). It really doesn't look like there's anything wrong w/ the

one there itself altho the question of what the tape below is doing

there is a possible worry.



In fact, now that I look at that again, wondering about the question of

dissassembly, there's a bushing in the bottom outlet and it may well be

that it's a reducing tee itself as I can't now convince myself the

bottom D is as large as the inlet and tee sides. It may be 3x2x3; the

top surely is pretty-good-sized.



Looking at the practicality of it, unless there's an issue from the tee

down, I'd just plan on replacing the nipple w/ a reducer as above--the

reversed sweep clearly worked for a long time; I'd probably wait until

there were reasons to redo a bunch before tackling that much unless OP

just wants to do it now...



All of the above is why I said it's probably not a good idea for the
OP to be going out to buy a 3" close nipple. A lot of possible factors
that could go into how the repair is done. I agree it was a good catch
by HH, that the T looks like it's installed in the wrong direction.
Hard to tell for sure though from the pic. Also interesting is what that
tape below is doing there. If all is sound except the nipple, and
the cause of problems hasn't been the T, then I'd agree with you, I'd
just leave the T alone and work from there. But I'd leave it for the
person doing the work to decide how to proceed.

I'd suggested previously that maybe there is enough room so you could
put a reducing bushing in the T, then go to a new P trap with a slip
joint so that it can properly align. The way this thing was done, it
depends on the length of that nipple, how far it goes in when tightened
up to get a vertical alignment with the sink tailpiece. Not a good
way of doing things.

On Sat, 21 Jun 2014 17:21:46 +0000 (UTC), HerHusband
wrote:




If it was me, I would replace the existing trap and tee with all new PVC or
ABS pipe. To avoid issues with trying to dismantle old corroded fittings, I
would probably just cut the galvanized pipe with a hacksaw below the tee
and use a Fernco coupling to add the new parts. You may want to support the
pipe above and below the point you're cutting it so it doesn't drop into
the floor if it's not properly anchored.

That seems to be the best solution. Fernco couplings are your friend.

On Saturday, June 21, 2014 1:21:46 PM UTC-4, HerHusband wrote:
Novel,



Here is the picture the red tape is covering the pipe in

question..sorry, its the best i can do

http://s349.photobucket.com/user/Nov..._0172.jpg.html



Thanks. As I suspected, the photo tells a lot more about the situation.



1. The existing plumbing does appear to be galvanized steel.



2. Using the plastic tail pipe as reference, it looks like 2" pipe, though

it could be 1.5" (width, not length).



3. The piece you need is a pipe nipple. However, with the limited space you

probably need a "close" nipple. Basically, this just means the short

segment of pipe is threaded from end to end so the fittings can fit

"close" together.



4. The tee the pipe nipple threads into appears to be installed upside

down. The side inlet should slope downward so water can flow down the drain

properly. Yours looks like it slopes upwards toward the vent. Ideally, that

should be replaced.



5. It's hard to tell from the small photo, but it looks like there's

another piece of tape (duct tape?) wrapped around the pipe below the tee.

Was that another leak?



If it was me, I would replace the existing trap and tee with all new PVC or

ABS pipe. To avoid issues with trying to dismantle old corroded fittings, I

would probably just cut the galvanized pipe with a hacksaw below the tee

and use a Fernco coupling to add the new parts. You may want to support the

pipe above and below the point you're cutting it so it doesn't drop into

the floor if it's not properly anchored.



Good luck!



Anthony Watson

www.mountainsoftware.com

www.watsondiy.com

It's hard to tell from the small photo, but it looks like there's
another piece of tape (duct tape?) wrapped around the pipe below the tee.
Was that another leak?

Anthony, yes a 'real plumber' did that years ago before I bought the house according to the previous owner in order to snake it straight down and then taped it. I am a diy..but particularly not in plumbing of that nature so i would have to leave all to the discretion of a real plumber. To the best of my knowledge, PVC's are not allowed or were not allowed in NYC.

On Sat, 21 Jun 2014 03:47:58 +0000 (UTC), HerHusband
wrote:

Novel,

Perhaps I am to be blamed for the wording of my OP.

Mistakes happen, don't sweat it. As with most areas of life, it only takes
one or two bad apples (trolls) to cause trouble for everyone else. It's
easy for people with DIY experience to forget that not everyone knows the
correct terminology for things. Heck, I've been doing this stuff for
decades and still discover new things.

When it comes to stupid questions, I'm an expert!

I did call this guy a plumber mainly cause he does plumbing work for
a company that just does drain cleaning.

OK, that makes more sense.

picture taking would not show anything, mainly cause the threaded
pipe area that he screwed in was covered with 'plumber's tape'

Photos are always helpful. In my previous reply I was picturing the drain
pipe coming up out of the floor, mainly because that's the setup I dealt
with at my in-laws. After I posted my response, I realized your pipe may be
coming out of the wall instead. If that's the case, you may not have the
space to use a Fernco coupling.

Post a photo if you can, it helps make sense when text doesn't necessarily
explain the situation.

He gave me the measurements.

Armed with these responses you should have no trouble explaining what you
need to the sales people at the hardware or box store. For that matter, you
could probably find it yourself.

Good luck!

Anthony Watson
www.mountainsoftware.com
www.watsondiy.com
In DRAINS it is common to have threaded brass" tail-pieces" that
corrode and break off. Generally they thread in one end and have a
"compression sleave" type connection at the other end to seal what is
in reality a slip fit joint.

On Sat, 21 Jun 2014 06:27:22 -0700, "Pico Rico"
wrote:


"novel" wrote in message
...
On Friday, June 20, 2014 11:47:58 PM UTC-4, HerHusband wrote:

Here is the picture the red tape is covering the pipe in
question..sorry, its the best i can do
http://s349.photobucket.com/user/Nov..._0172.jpg.html

I don't understand what is broken. Is the trap broken? Is the vertical Tee
broken? Does the Tee have broken pipe stuck on its threads? Where is the
3" long piece of 3" pipe?

What he needs is a proper plumber to replace the whole messed up
abortion of a drain system he has there. The T-Y into the drain is
installed upside-down, for starters. I've not seen a galvanized drain
system in over 40 years - And the tailpiece into the trap doesn't line
up straight - so the nipple, if he was going to just replace it, needs
to be about half an inch longer. Removing the broken nipple from the
fitting without breaking the pipe above or below is a crap-shoot at
best.
I don't blame the drain-cleaner for not getting involved in the
repair. It's got trouble written all over it. Impossible to give an
estimate on, because there is no way to know where you will eventually
be able to stop.

On Sat, 21 Jun 2014 07:32:09 -0700, Oren wrote:

On Sat, 21 Jun 2014 06:08:30 -0700 (PDT), novel
wrote:

Here is the picture the red tape is covering the pipe in question..sorry, its the best i can do http://s349.photobucket.com/user/Nov..._0172.jpg.html

Get some penetrating oil and soak down the pipe in question. Do it a
couple times over two days - before I'd put pipe wrenches on it....
And he'll need an "inside" pipe wrench too- - - -.

On Sat, 21 Jun 2014 17:21:46 +0000 (UTC), HerHusband
wrote:

Novel,

Here is the picture the red tape is covering the pipe in
question..sorry, its the best i can do
http://s349.photobucket.com/user/Nov..._0172.jpg.html

Thanks. As I suspected, the photo tells a lot more about the situation.

1. The existing plumbing does appear to be galvanized steel.

2. Using the plastic tail pipe as reference, it looks like 2" pipe, though
it could be 1.5" (width, not length).

3. The piece you need is a pipe nipple. However, with the limited space you
probably need a "close" nipple. Basically, this just means the short
segment of pipe is threaded from end to end so the fittings can fit
"close" together.

4. The tee the pipe nipple threads into appears to be installed upside
down. The side inlet should slope downward so water can flow down the drain
properly. Yours looks like it slopes upwards toward the vent. Ideally, that
should be replaced.

5. It's hard to tell from the small photo, but it looks like there's
another piece of tape (duct tape?) wrapped around the pipe below the tee.
Was that another leak?

If it was me, I would replace the existing trap and tee with all new PVC or
ABS pipe. To avoid issues with trying to dismantle old corroded fittings, I
would probably just cut the galvanized pipe with a hacksaw below the tee
and use a Fernco coupling to add the new parts. You may want to support the
pipe above and below the point you're cutting it so it doesn't drop into
the floor if it's not properly anchored.

Good luck!

Anthony Watson
www.mountainsoftware.com
www.watsondiy.com

+1 on the "good luck"

On Sat, 21 Jun 2014 12:58:09 -0500, dpb wrote:

On 6/21/2014 12:21 PM, HerHusband wrote:
...

4. The tee the pipe nipple threads into appears to be installed upside
down. The side inlet should slope downward so water can flow down the drain
properly. Yours looks like it slopes upwards toward the vent. Ideally, that
should be replaced.

5. It's hard to tell from the small photo, but it looks like there's
another piece of tape (duct tape?) wrapped around the pipe below the tee.
Was that another leak?

If it was me, I would replace the existing trap and tee with all new PVC or
ABS pipe. To avoid issues with trying to dismantle old corroded fittings, I
would probably just cut the galvanized pipe with a hacksaw below the tee
and use a Fernco coupling to add the new parts. You may want to support the
pipe above and below the point you're cutting it so it doesn't drop into
the floor if it's not properly anchored.
...

Good catch on the the swept-tee being upside down--I didn't notice it
was anything other than an ordinary tee.

If it were mine, the idea of fixing the T is good; I'd go w/ a reducing
sweep tee if can find one; if not use a bushing to go to standard 1-1/2"
drain and then can go to the run-of-the-mill currently available
selection of drain parts from any corner hardware.

The tee may be a bit of a challenge locally at anything other than a
full-supply plumbing supply house, however; a quick search of the BORG
stock didn't show that they had any sweep tees at all, what more a
3x3x1-1/2 or whatever it actually is (I'm still thinking that isn't 3"
line, too). It really doesn't look like there's anything wrong w/ the
one there itself altho the question of what the tape below is doing
there is a possible worry.

In fact, now that I look at that again, wondering about the question of
dissassembly, there's a bushing in the bottom outlet and it may well be
that it's a reducing tee itself as I can't now convince myself the
bottom D is as large as the inlet and tee sides. It may be 3x2x3; the
top surely is pretty-good-sized.

Looking at the practicality of it, unless there's an issue from the tee
down, I'd just plan on replacing the nipple w/ a reducer as above--the
reversed sweep clearly worked for a long time; I'd probably wait until
there were reasons to redo a bunch before tackling that much unless OP
just wants to do it now...
The scary part is that pipe just MIGHT also be the vent stack - - -
- - -

On Sat, 21 Jun 2014 14:35:39 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

On Sat, 21 Jun 2014 17:21:46 +0000 (UTC), HerHusband
wrote:




If it was me, I would replace the existing trap and tee with all new PVC or
ABS pipe. To avoid issues with trying to dismantle old corroded fittings, I
would probably just cut the galvanized pipe with a hacksaw below the tee
and use a Fernco coupling to add the new parts. You may want to support the
pipe above and below the point you're cutting it so it doesn't drop into
the floor if it's not properly anchored.

That seems to be the best solution. Fernco couplings are your friend.
And if using a fernco, (actually 2 of them) you WILL want the ones
with the stainless steel wrap on them (Fernco Sheilded Couplings) if
that pipe is, as I suspect, the vent stack.

On Saturday, June 21, 2014 8:21:46 PM UTC-4, wrote:
On Sat, 21 Jun 2014 06:27:22 -0700, "Pico Rico"

wrote:





"novel" wrote in message

...

On Friday, June 20, 2014 11:47:58 PM UTC-4, HerHusband wrote:



Here is the picture the red tape is covering the pipe in

question..sorry, its the best i can do

http://s349.photobucket.com/user/Nov..._0172.jpg.html



I don't understand what is broken. Is the trap broken? Is the vertical Tee

broken? Does the Tee have broken pipe stuck on its threads? Where is the

3" long piece of 3" pipe?



What he needs is a proper plumber to replace the whole messed up

abortion of a drain system he has there. The T-Y into the drain is

installed upside-down, for starters. I've not seen a galvanized drain

system in over 40 years - And the tailpiece into the trap doesn't line

up straight - so the nipple, if he was going to just replace it, needs

to be about half an inch longer.

That's probably because it's just a close nipple. Nipples don't
come in any size you want. Which is why I suggested that if he's lucky,
there might be enough room to go with a new P trap that has a slip joint fitting on the end that goes to the tee, so the length doesn't matter.



Removing the broken nipple from the

fitting without breaking the pipe above or below is a crap-shoot at

best.


It's not clear, but the drain guy may have already unscrewed the
nipple from the tee. If not, I agree, that could be a PIA.
And it sure looks like the tee is upside down. I guess if it's
worked relatively trouble free for 50 years, it can be left there,
unless, as you say, it's shot too. If this sink has had regular
trouble though, the incorrect tee may be part of the problem.





I don't blame the drain-cleaner for not getting involved in the

repair. It's got trouble written all over it. Impossible to give an

estimate on, because there is no way to know where you will eventually

be able to stop.

Agree. Which is why I advised that going out to buy a 3" by 3" nipple
might not be a good idea.

Novel,

Here is the picture the red tape is covering the pipe in
question..sorry, its the best i can do
http://s349.photobucket.com/user/Nov..._0172.jpg.html

Anthony, yes a 'real plumber' did that years ago before I bought the
house according to the previous owner in order to snake it straight
down and then taped it. I am a diy..but particularly not in plumbing
of that nature so i would have to leave all to the discretion of a
real plumber. To the best of my knowledge, PVC's are not allowed or
were not allowed in NYC.

As far as I know, PVC and ABS are standard in the national plumbing codes.
Of course, it's entirely possible you have a local code that supercedes the
national code. If that's the case, you would probably have to go with
galvanized again. Here in Washington state, I don't think I've ever even
seen a galvanized P-trap.

From the photo and what you're describing, it sounds like the plumbing has
been pieced together and patched up over the years. It probably needs
updating, but then you run into the old issue of how far do you go.
Problems tend to escalate when you're dealing with old pipe. It could turn
into a real headache.

As another poster mentioned, if you can get that old pipe nipple out
without breaking things, it might be smart to just replace that and leave
the rest alone. At least until you can afford to update the rest of the
plumbing.

Good luck!

Anthony Watson
www.mountainsoftware.com
www.watsondiy.com