Removing The Old Floor Drain
This article will provide useful information about how to install floor drains in the basement of your home, however, before jumping right on the project, it is important to notice that, even though, such a project can be done by anyone, the nature of the task is to be considered a very hard one to the majority of people, independently of physical shape. Preparing For The Project:Before starting replacing the floor drain, one must make sure that he or she has everything that will be needed to complete the task on hand.Just like any plumbing project, one needs to make sure that safety is a top priority, so, make sure that the following items are arranged before continuing with the job: Safety glasses (goggles), latex and leather gloves, masks, earplug and knee pads; these items will be vital to protect and prevent you from incidents during the job.
Analyzing The Work Area:If the bad floor drain is located in the basement of the home, it is most likely that the home will have concrete slab, so, if that is the case, you will need the following tools:1 – Jack hammer with GFCI power cord. 2 – Sledge hammer 3 – Small metal bar 4 – Small and big shovels 5 – Large piece of tarp 6 – Electric Sawzall with metal blades. 7 – Hand saw 8 – Torque wrench or flat head screwdriver You can rent the sledge hammer at any local store, such as Home Depot or Lowes; it usually cost you about $15 to $20 for hours or about $35 for the whole day. Be advised that the jackhammer usually waits over 100 pounds but, you can also rent a smaller size, however, it might not be as effective as the full size one. The rental place will provide you with all the details in how to use the equipment.
The Needed Material:If you want to work smart, don’t buy the materials until the old floor drain is exposed. Why? Once the broken or leaking drain is exposed, you will find out the correct type and size of the pipe that you will be cutting out and then, you should also know the exact parts that will be needed to complete the task. So, if the pipe is 2” or 1 ½” in diameter, you will have to buy the parts accordingly. 1 – Buy an abs p-trap (2” or 1 ½”) the 2” will be the best option for future access. 2 – Buy a new abs floor drain (2” or 1 ½”) 3 – Buy abs fittings (2” or 1 ½”) that will work with the angle of the drain. 4 – Buy abs piping (2” or 1 ½”) 5 – Buy 1 No Hub gasket (2” or 1 ½”
Before Breaking The Concrete Floor:
Breaking the concrete floor is a very massy job, you will have dust all over the place, so, before you even start anything, make sure that the basement is well ventilated and that you have enough room for your working area. Also make sure that everything in the basement is covered with plastic or tarp, this will protect your stuffs from the dust and, it will reduce the amount of cleaning that you will likely have after the job is done.
Breaking The Ground:
If the floor is really old and it has a cleanout inside the
drain,
the direction of the cleanout will indicate where the piping is going, so, once you know that, you should be able to prevent from breaking the pipe with the jackhammer.
If you have taken all the safety measures and you are ready to begin the job, then, let’s get started! 1 – Make sure you are protected with safety glasses, earplug, knee pads and leather gloves. 2 – Break the concrete around the drain. 3 – Remove the debris until the drain is completely exposed. Make sure that is enough space around the drain because the new will probably bigger in diameter than the old one. 4 – Check to see if the floor drain is connected with the piping by a no hub fitting or if it is a continuous piping. 5 – If it continuous piping, you need to cut the pipe with the electrical Sawzall but, if there is a no hub fitting, you only need to unscrew the screws with the torque wrench or cut the fitting with a pair of pliers. 6 – Take all measurements of the piping and write down all the parts that it will be needed to replace the old system and go to the local plumbing supply store to get what you will need. Don’t forget the concrete mix (sand mix). 7 – Time to put everything back together, make sure that the drain is at least 1/8 of an inch lower than the floor level to promote proper drainage into the drain. 8 – Back fill the whole with dirt or grave but leave at least 1 to 2” of gap between the dirt and floor level to fill in with the new sand mix. Let it dry for a few hours, pour water into the floor drain p-trap, this will prevent sewer gas from coming back into the house. 9 – Clean all the mess, mission accomplished. Good job!
Home DIY Plumbing Fixing Drains SBI-TV |
