Forum
« boiler repair Be careful what you wish for,,, »
October 31, 2007
New York Pipes for Plumbing?
Hi,
Recently had a new bathroom built out of a small room in a house in a New York City borough.
The toilet seems to get stuffed up to often. We spoke with the plumber who said it was because the toilet is a European make and the trap is made smaller then the American types. He suggested we replace the toilet.
On a separate note we just had an unrelated flood in the basement. We called out a different plumber to help us with that. He did us a favor and looked at the toilet to give his opinion. He said that the style of the toilet wasn't the issue, but instead that the plumber who did the job used 1/4-inch pipe instead of 1/2 inch. He said that it would never drain well. Also he said the pipe was plastic and will not hold up well. He couldn’t see inside the walls to see what else was used.
I am curious what some of you think?
Is plastic piping okay in New York?
Does the second plumber’s assessment have merit?
We just don't know from this.
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Leslie
Comments
If the plastic pipe is white, it might be pvc,
In certain boroughs it is illegal because of fire it melts.
Posted by: Ysabelle at October 31, 2007 4:46 PM
Are you sure he said 1/4" pipe vs. 1/2" pipe or did he say 2" pipe vs. 4" pipe? That would make more sense. As for the drainage piping, the use of plastic, i.e. PVC, piping is illegal in New York City.
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 4:48 PM
Legal use of plastic piping is restricted in New York City to one or two family homes.
I think you must have gotten the pipe diameters you mention above wrong. There's no way that a toilet waste pipe would be either 1/4" or 1/2", it's typically 4". Maybe when you say "toilet" you actually mean the lavatory, or sink, in the bathroom and you missed the "1" in front of those sizes. Bathroom sinks do typically have 1 1/4" drain pipes as compared to the typical 1 1/2" diameter used for kitchen sinks. Reason: the pipe usually has to accommodate less solid matter than found in a kitchen sink. Unless you're allowing extraneous matter to be washed down the drain, the 1 1/4" diameter should be fine.
Most likely you just have a blockage somewhere in the piping. Start by removing the trap under the sink (I'm making the assumption here that it is a sink you're talking about) and checking whether it's full of hairs, kids' miniature toys, q-tips etc. (the kind of crap I've found in my drain on examination). If there's no blockage there then either you get a plumbing snake and attempt to get to the blockage further down the piping (probably within the wall) or hire a plumber to sort it out. The last time it happened to me a plumber had to get physical access to a section of pipe inside the wall to cure the problem.
Posted by: johnife at October 31, 2007 4:53 PM
Hi,
sorry my original post had some mis information. I meant to indicate that the second plumber vieiwed the pipe connecting the sink and said it was 1 1/4 inch instead of 1 1/2 inch. Is that okay for plumbing in the Bronx.
Also is PVC pipe usage okay for a single family house in the Bronx?
Thank you for your help
leaslie
Posted by: leslie at November 1, 2007 11:52 AM
Yes, and yes.
Posted by: johnife at November 1, 2007 12:23 PM
PVC pipe is generally not code in NYC.
Posted by: guest at November 1, 2007 3:15 PM
PVC piping is illegal in nyc. the waste lines must be 4".
Posted by: guest at November 1, 2007 3:25 PM
PVC piping is most certainly legal in many instances within the 5 boros. It is best to get a permit for the scope of the work to ensure that the job is done properly and in accordance to code. Every job will not be inspected by a DOB inspector upon completion depending on what is actually being done but you can most certainly request an inspection on your particular job. NYC unfortunately does not have enough inspectors to inspect small jobs or even keep up with the large scale construction projects.
Posted by: guest at November 1, 2007 3:36 PM
October 31, 4:48 PM, November 1, 3:15 PM, and November 1, 3:25 PM:
It's legal in the OP's single family.
Posted by: johnife at November 1, 2007 4:18 PM
Remember that PVC expands and contracts quite a lot so should never be used for waste or vent stacks because, in long lengths, may have too much movement. I believe NYC does not allow PVC to be used in this way, that you should use cast iron pipes.
Posted by: guest at November 1, 2007 6:05 PM
guest at November 1,2007 6:05PM must be a plumber protecting his turf.
Posted by: johnife at November 1, 2007 7:37 PM
I'm having a new trap put in and all new piping put in the basement in a 3 family house in brooklyn for the waste lines.
The plumber told me pvc plumbing was legal and better than cast iron because it doesn't rod and fall apart.
Posted by: guest at November 1, 2007 8:31 PM
Post a comment
Please be patient while your comment is published. It may take a moment.