Plumbing drain redirect - legal?

Question

I am remodeling my house and have a PVC pipe that runs outside the house a couple inches above ground which drains the kitchen sink, it then runs through the garage and then right outside the garage the PVC pipe goes into the ground where it is connected to the main drain pipe from the house.

My question is would this configuration pass a city inspection? The city I live in follows the 2009 International Plumbing Code.

Matthew Paul · Answer

Friend of mine wouldnt buy a slab house , he didnt like the plumbing under the floor , So he bought a house with a basement . Guess where the plumbing was? ........................................................under the concrete floor

Sam Leon · Answer

Nick, what you described will not pass any inspection that I know of. the kitchen drain line as described does not have a vent, and most likely by dropping down to a few inches above ground you have created an "S- trap". However, will it drain? Yes it will. It probably will drain fine as long as everything is OK. You don't have another fixture draining into that branch before the 25-30' tie in to the main line so siphoning off the trap seal by another fixture discharge is not an issue. Where you have a problem is if and when you have a clog in that line, the positive pressure from the drain or garbage disposer will have no where to go...an atmospheric vent will solve that, an AAV wouldn't anyway.

Account Closed · Answer

https://archive.org/details/gov.tx.plumbing You can download the pdf ,Hope its of some use.

Patrick L. · Answer

I've had to do something like that 3 times in the last 5 years. Cast iron can be a bitch when it gets old and brittle and you can't just run a new drain line in a circle around the outside of your house so you have to dig up the old one and rerun the line. I love houses on slabs.....except when the plumbing goes bad. I had to replumb all new supply lines last month on one of my rentals when the old galvanized hot water line started leaking under the slab. If it were a wood frame house with a crawl space it would have been an easy fix instead it was a 2 day $3,000 job.

Mike Baker · Answer

Some inspectors care and some don't. You want to do it right? Pay a plumber to get it done, but make sure you check their consumer reviews, or recommendations. Worst thing you could do is go with the lowest bidder. They are quite often "beer money plumbers" , just looking for the next hack job to get them by. As a plumber I have done a ton of slab fixes. It's just dust, sweat, and elbow grease.

Jon Holdman · Answer

My picture is from a basement rather than a slab. But essentially the same issue. Looks bad, but cutting into concrete isn't really all that big a deal. Problem with a kitchen is you probably have cabinets that will be in the way. The tunneling method might work. But, really, you need to get a licensed plumber or three to give you estimates of what needs to be done. And @Bryan L. may well be right. It may be just fine.

Bryan L. · Answer

@Nick R. - Just because it's not "up to code" - that does not automatically mean that it has to be fixed. People buy and sell house every day that have items that are not "up to code". Take a good hard look at your purchase and sell agreement. In my state of TN, the standard TN Association of Realtors contracts has a statement in the inspection paragraph that says something to the effect of: "buyer can not require repairs to be made that are solely for the purpose of bringing items up to meet the current codes". Of course, they will often still ask for it, and a seller can say "pound sand", and the buyers can walk (or at least try to). Basically, it's an item of negotiation in TN. Take a look at your contract.

Sam Leon · Answer

@Jon Holdman I have also had situations where I need to cut open the slab. Hated it, the dust everywhere and all the mess. Last time I had to repipe a line it was a 30' run, I tried a different approach. Tunnel under. Starter hole: This is a 30' long tunnel UNDER the slab. Inspector came out and was too wimpy to go inside the tunnel, he made the contractor go inside, lay level down, take a pic, to prove to him it's the right pitch!

Mark Forest · Answer

This is why I am concerned with buying slabs. Is this typical?

Jon Holdman · Answer

I've had plumbing estimates vary by a factor of eight for the same work. It really may be more than just burying the pipe. I don't think the drain from a sink should be outside the slab at all. I think it need to tie into the main line somewhere inside the house. And you do need venting, though you might get away with an AAV (air admittance valve.) Can you post some pictures? Here's what I had to do one time to get drain lines to pass inspection: I'd guess you're looking at a grand or so, but with a huge range.