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Topic:   anyone know what this is - 387 visits (1 today, 2 this week)

william siegel
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From:Hialeah, Florida
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posted January 04, 2007 04:18 PM            

This was in an office building in one of hte bathrooms. The pipe appears to be PB, but I haveClick for photo (22741 Bytes)
no idea what it is for.

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Bill

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John Smith
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From:Alvin, Texas
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posted January 04, 2007 04:47 PM         

Maybe its some type of bypass for when the ptrap clogs. Is there hot water on this sink? It looks like there is only one shut off valve on the right side. Its difficult to gauge length from the photo, but is the tail piece too long?

Gunnar Alquist
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From:Santa Rosa, CA
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posted January 04, 2007 04:49 PM         

Bill,

Is that coming off of the drain or supply. In the pic, it looks like it is from the drain.

Bathrooms with floor drains are typically required to have a trap primer. Is there any possibility that this is a primer? However, trap primers should come from the supply, not the drain.

william siegel
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posted January 04, 2007 04:54 PM            

There is no hot water to the sink.

This pipe come off the drain.

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Bill

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John Smith
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From:Alvin, Texas
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posted January 04, 2007 05:08 PM         

Thanks William. I was only kidding about the bypass for the Ptrap.

I dont think you could reasonably consider this plumbing for a trap primer. If that was the case, it looks like it would be an excellent opportunity for cross contamination.

I guess in Florida (like Texas), cold water is hot water about 6 months out of the year. Hot water the other 6 months would certainly be a good thing though.

Gunnar Alquist
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posted January 04, 2007 05:22 PM         

John,

Cross contamination? How? Assuming that this is a trap primer, the water would go from one drain to another. They are both drains.

My concern would be - would it work?

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I didn’t fight my way to the top of the food chain to be a vegetarian.

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Terre G
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From:Astoria Oregon
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posted January 04, 2007 09:00 PM            

Looks like an Illegal fitting.

See UPC, "Drainage fittings" 701.2 & 704.1,

Write it up.

Terre Gift, BCO
Astoria, Oregon

Tim Moreira
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From:New Port Richey, Florida
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posted January 04, 2007 09:12 PM            

I'll guess a poorly installed trap primer.

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Tim Moreira
Suncoast Home Inspections
Suncoasthomeinspections@yahoo.com

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Jerry Peck
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From:Ormond Beach, Florida
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posted January 05, 2007 07:21 AM            

Tim is correct: a trap primer for a floor drain, and poorly installed.

Whenever water runs down a drain pipe, it runs down around the inside of outside of the pipe (i.e., does not run down the air space in the center, but clings to the inner surface of the pipe).

That fitting allows a small portion of that water to run off down the pipe to a trap for a floor drain. Being as most floor drains are seldom used, the trap seal evaporates, and this water (from each use of the sink) helps keep the floor drain trap full.

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Jerry Peck
Ormond Beach
(i.e., Daytona Beach area)

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John Arnold
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From:Philadelphia PA
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posted January 05, 2007 09:47 AM            

Jerry - You da man, as usual. But, you and Tim said it was poorly installed - how so?

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John Arnold
Philadelphia PA

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Jerry Peck
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posted January 05, 2007 11:37 AM            

You do not want that PB pipe exposed to damage outside the wall.

It could (should?) have been run using copper instead.

Of course, if that bathroom is supposed to be for the handicapped too ... well, it in no way meets any ADA requirements. It most likely 'should' be HC accessible.

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Jerry Peck
Ormond Beach
(i.e., Daytona Beach area)

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