A 'contractor' removed the tub in our master bathroom about 7 years ago to install a much wider handicap-accessible shower. He moved the master toilet over about 12 inches to make room.

I am redoing his work because I have found many big 'mistakes. For example, using regular drywall behind the tile, cutting out the corners of the shower liner, etc. Nasty mold was everywhere.

After I removed the master toilet and looked down the hole in the floor, I noticed the toilet elbow was pointing in the wrong direction. Even though we haven't used this master toilet in over a year, I saw what looked like fresh sewage in the hole...must have come from the guest toilet. See drawing below for dimensions. Also note the guest tub drain points in the wrong direction.

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In the photo below, you can see the drain for the old tub in the right (see the old square tile which outlined the tub). In the middle is the old location of the master toilet, and to the left is the new location.

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I suspect he did not want to go through the trouble of cutting into the main sewer line to install a sanitary tee at the correct location, so he took the easy route and cut a 45 degree elbow into the branch line.

Since the master toilet has never had problems flushing, I wonder if it is worth me correcting this problem. I know sewer lines are suppose to slope down. Seems like they should point in the right direction too, otherwise why would sanitary tees and crosses be shaped the way they are.

Your drawing may just be your "concept" of how it was installed, and it tells me NOTHING about how the guest bath is connected, which has NOTHING to do with the direction of the drain. The plumber could NOT "just install a tee in the main line" for the toilet connection. That is something a DIYer or handyman would have done.

.... or a 'contractor'

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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

I don't know the qualifications of the 'contractor' (one man...jack of all trades) who remodeled the bathroom 7 years ago.

I am not a professional but I know the 'contractor' my mom hired 7 years ago made many major 'mistakes'. He was knowledgeable enough to move the toilet and build a shower in a very short time, so he must have known about the major 'mistakes' he made. After what I saw, I really don't trust anything he did.

It's possible he cut many corners to keep the price down low for my mom, who's on a fixed income. The changes he made did serve their purpose...my dad was able to bathe there in a wheelchair while he was alive, but he did not build it for the long term. Certainly not to code. Now, I have to rebuild it for my mom because she is getting to that stage, like we all will.

I am just asking if you see anything wrong with the direction of the toilet elbow (and the guest tub drain). Common sense says it should point in the general direction of the main flow, but maybe it IS allowable to have a counter direction as long as it slopes downhill. Like I said, it was working before I shut it down over a year ago. My gut reaction is to let lying dogs lay (or however you say that .

It may have some reverse pitch on it, but if it's been 7 yrs., why not leave it alone? But cutting the 'pig ears' on the shower pan liner at the corners is a huge mistake that will have to be corrected.

Thank you m&m. Pig ears...that's about what they look like. Good visual.

I thought about gluing a patch to replace the pig ears, but I lost faith in this guys work, so I ripped the shower bed out down to the original concrete floor. I am glad I did. He had no pre-slope under the liner either. The liner was directly on the 'flat' concrete floor. And the drain was sitting about 1/4" higher than the floor.

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Whatever water made it past the tiles and grout lines just pooled on the liner and eventually ran out the missing corner. Half the bottom wall track has rusted away.

Yeah, I think I will leave the sewer pipe alone. But I am curious if that is common practice when moving a toilet downstream closer to the septic tank (or city sewer) when the sewer lines are hard to reach...under a slab. It certainly is easier to install a 45 elbow on the branch line rather than installing a tee in the main sewer line.

re: toilet refit

as long as the lines are properly pitched and the proper fittings are used a 'change in direction' is A-OK

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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

Thank you, Bernabeu. That's what I was hoping for.



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NOT a "competant" contractor, however.

If the tub drain points in the general direction of the main line as you depicted below then how is the tub vented? May be it runs this way so it can be wet vented. Possible what's under the floor does not look like this at all?