Hello All.

So great to have found this amazing resource and I'm hoping one of you big brained folks can help a first time homeowner/newby DIY'er out.

I'm going to apologize right up front for the long winded post but I am definitely out of my element here and a bit out on a limb so I want to make sure I'm framing my question and describing my problem correctly.

My wife and I recently bought our first home and along with the purchase came the immediate task of becoming a carpenter/ roofer/ landscaper/ electrician/ designer and now apparently plumber?!

When we bought the house the previous owners had finished the basement, and one area was set up like a little kitchenette type thing. Basically, it was a sink and some cabinets and space for a fridge.

The existing "laundry room" is more like an afterthought and a cramped space in a far-off corner and completely not functional.

We decided to do a light remodel with the main purpose of creating an actual, proper laundry room.

I removed the existing sink and framed a partition wall where the sink was which left us with a partition wall with about a 1' gap between the framing of the wall itself and the foundation wall behind it.

My original plan was to tap into the existing drain left behind from the sink however that plan had a variety of hassles and was going to be a difficult install.

In the process of running new electrical for lights & switches I removed a large portion of drywall along an exterior furred out wall and found a 2" drain with a clean out which comes from the kitchen sink directly above. Why this pipe, with a clean out - had no access panel whatsoever is a mystery to me.

But anyway, this 2" line seems like it would be an a much more convenient method of connecting any new drainpipes for our new laundry room.

I am attaching two photos. One just showing the existing conditions locations etc and the other one I have sketched out what I have planned for the drain lines and venting.

With the pictures as reference my plan is to put the washing machine to the right backed up against the partition wall.

We would also like to add a utility sink to the left side of the photo against the other wall ( the exterior wall that contains the vertical drain line from above.)

I'm a little unsure (completely clueless) on how to plumb all of this but I'm going to try and take a crack at it
and this is my best guess...

First, I will cut a 3-4 foot section of the existing vertical drain line away. This allows for replacing of that section with new ABS, a new cleanout as well as my added drain connections for the sink and washer.

However, exactly how to layout these drain connections has me literally wandering in circles around my yard muttering outloud to myself and I'm pretty sure my neighbors are thinking "Oh great, Rainman has moved in next door, lucky us!"

Should I make sure the new cleanout is as low as possible and route the sink drain directly above the cleanout and connect the drain from the washer standpipe above that? For some reason I feel like the orientation of which drain is on top is important and there is a right way and a wrong way and the hell if I know which is which.

However, it also seems to reason that where exactly each pipe starts will determine where each pipe ends up. In other words the height of the p trap for the sink will determine at what point its going to connect to the new vertical section of drain and this is also true of the laundry drain...what height the p trap is at the end id the standpipe and the distance the rest of the discharge pipe has to travel and slope to where it eventually intersects the drainpipe.

My plan for the washer standpipe is to install a laundry box directly behind the washer in the partition wall. The standpipe would drop directly down vertically approximately from 40" A.F.F. to about 20" A.F.F. where I will install a "P" trap and then continue the discharge line from right to Left, around the corner with a sweep 90 and tap into the newly added section of vertical drainline.

See my masterful sketch for "clarity"!

The next steps are where I'm really getting stumped. #1 because I don't really understand venting and #2 From what I do understand about it my site conditions don't seem to offer many simple solutions.

If I could just go up a bit in the wall and out to the exterior I would, but it's all below grade until you get to the corner where the two basement walls meet and at an elevation of where the floor joists above are located.

This location is already the planned route of the dryer vent - up behind the partition wall and then out through the rim joist. So I'm hoping I can just add a vent pipe up and out in the same general area? (see sketch)

I guess my only concern is this is the front of my house so hopefully any vent covers won't end up being too much of an eyesore.

What I am really struggling with is the exact starting point and routing layout of each vent. Am I correct in thinking the drain line for BOTH the washer and the drain line for the sink each need their own vent pipe?

If so, can they then be spliced together at some point and exit the building as one pipe, one point of penetration to the exterior, one termination point? Where should the vent piping start? I think if I could understand some of the do's, don't, must, and must nots and nevers - of the venting system I might be able to grasp this a little better.

As far as supply lines go I will tap into the existing copper supply lines which are off to the right out of frame of the photo - by way of a cooper to PEX connection and running PEX for the new supply lines.

As the supply lines reach the washer location coming from right to left - I will create a "T" fitting in the new Hot and Cold PEX lines with one arm of the "T" running up and terminating in the laundry box for the washer hot and cold valves and the other arm continuing right to left, around the corner, and branching into hot and cold valves for the utility sink.

Am I in the ballpark?

If any of you experts could provide me with either some guidance/reassurance that I'm on the right track or some expletive laced replies telling me what a completely hairbrained plan this is and why it's going to be a miserable failure I would truly appreciate it. Either way.

Because quite honestly, I really have no idea where I'm at between these two extremes...between this being the exact perfect way to do this or the worst possible way to do this. Am I a making it to complicated? Am I oversimplifying it? Am I not considering some very crucial detail? NO IDEA!!

So, if anyone could let me know which end of the see-saw I'm on, I would greatly appreciate it. I'm hoping the pictures I'm going to attempt to add actually make it into my post and they provide some clarity.



Thank you in advance.

Rob In Seattle

you are dumping an awful lot of water into one 2" pipe.

being a single family home you would quickly learn what fixtures to drain at the same time.

the vent for the sink can not go horizontal unless it is 6 inches higher than the flood rim of the sink.

other than that you have the concept correct..

Hey Packy, thanks for your reply. Yes the volume was a bit of a concern but I think I'm thinking since it's just my wife and I we can probably moderate how much we are using a particular device at any time. Hers something that I hadn't considered that I would like to ask....since the drain line that I uncovered is from the sink and the sink is vented separately via w vent stack through the roof, does this cover me if I tie the new washing machine and utility sink drains into that drainline? In other words does a drainline that is vented upstairs allow for venting of any discharge lines added ? If so then I'm golden right?

You can't vent the lower floor fixtures through the upper floor drain pipe. Are the existing kitchenette/laundry drains vented?

Steve,

Thank you for your reply. To answer your question honestly, I don't know. Currently my washing machine is far away from this new proposed location, I would have to rip apart all the drywall to get behind it and see exactly what is going on and if that's what I have to do then so be it.

As for the sink from the kitchenette, I do believe it was vented.

I am adding some pictures that may help give you a better idea of what I have to work with and a new proposed idea.

As you can see from "Image 1" the kitchenette drain line went left to right into a closet. (Ignore the PEX I added that recently from the existing copper supply lines)

In images 2 and 3 - taken inside the closet you can see the drain line entering, turning the corner and running past my hot water heater for a distance of about 10 feet.

Image 4 shows where the drain eventually tees into a 2" line which I believe is also acting as a vent as it goes up through the floor above where the upstairs bathroom is and exits through the roof. This line is definitely not the drain for either the bathroom sink or the bathtub, those I have located and verified that they tie into the main waste stack.

Image 5 is my modified plan. If I tied the proposed sink drain into the drain line that is coming from the kitchen sink above and since you say I can't utilize the vent from that line could I just add a vent line up and run it to a 45 bend up and then out through the rim joist where I have just cut a vent hole for the dryer? Would this cause any issues with the kitchen sink and how it is currently vented? Additionally I would tie the newly relocated washing machine drain into the existing drain for the kitchenette sink. Does this work?

If I keep my current proposed locations the total distance from the washing machine trap to the 2" vertical pipe would be about 15 feet.

Image 6 is another idea. Since it appears that the existing kitchenette sink drain is indeed vented can I just utilize it for both the washing machine and utility sink? The more I think about this option the more I think this is how I should probably have planned it to begin with.

Since I plan on building a wall (shown in green lines) to separate the laundry room from the rest of the basement...what if I moved the location of the utility sink to be against that wall and ran its drain into the existing kitchenette drain. In addition, relocate the washing machine to the right side and also tie its drain into the existing kitchenette drain. Is this workable?

With this option the distance from the washing machine trap to the 2" vertical pipe would be about 11-12 feet and the utility sink would be about the same. Is the distance an issue?

Any thoughts

I really appreciate all the feedback and advice.

Rob