Complete newbie to DIY-ing as well as Plumbing.
My wife and I decided to upgrade our kitchen sink and we chose a single basin, 9" deep model. I've been reading a lot on plumbing best practices and racking my brain at how best to move my garbage disposal to the right ( given that the new sink has it's drain on the R.H.S )
the following are a few of the obstacles that I can't figure out how to deal with ( see images )
namely:
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There is little clearance from either one of the drain pipes coming from the wall as well as being glued to a wye and a tee? ( respectively ) So I don't know if cutting the fittings is advisable.
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The vent is very high at this point and will definitely be an obstacle for the newer deeper sink So I don't even know how to deal with it, should I cut and recap? can I cut and recap? If I cut won't the lower diameter portion of the existing fitting be stuck in there?
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What could I do with the p-trap coming from the lower drain's wye which I intend to connect to the disposal ( which again, I want to move to the RHS ) given that I think the trap would have to sit low-ish and the RHS drain is high.
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Where can I install the new vent IFF I can somehow figure out what to do about the other one, my Idea is to use the capped branch on the lower wye.
I apologize If I used terms incorrectly, again, I'm a newbie ( for what it's worth I'm incredibly excited about this project and have nothing but the utmost respect for the professionals who do this challenging job every day )
I have attached a couple of pictures in hopes of making this a bit clearer.
I'd appreciate any input.
Ps: while I appreciate any kind of input, please do not suggest "leave it to a professional" as my goal is learning, personal growth, and a nicer sink than what I have right now… let's be constructive if we can.
Best Answer
Good pictures. You have an unusual configuration for that drain. Typically, there is only one drain line coming from the wall into the kitchen cabinet. That would have one trap and upstream of the trap are the sink, disposal, and perhaps a dishwasher drain (you don't appear to have one in this cabinet.)
What you have is not necessarily wrong, but if you search for garbage disposal drain on Google Images you will see many examples of more typical configurations. Yours could be like that if you re-orient the disposal and re-configure the drains to combine into one trap.
If it's easiest for you, you could use only the lower drain, and stop using the upper connection. It seems like you need room for a deeper sink and that may help.
Why is your sink drain unusual?
The gotcha question is -- why is your drain setup unusual? And why is that Air Admittance Valve (AAV) (not exactly a vent but it has a specific purpose) connected to the upper drain? Does this drain lack a proper vent at all? Check outside your house and see if there is a roof penetration for the vent above your sink or elsewhere in your kitchen area. If not, that AAV -- which is not a total substitute for a vent -- will need to stay in there somewhere downstream of the trap -- but you could cut some drywall away and see if there's room to relocate it into the wall cavity (just don't cover it with new drywall after; you cannot cover up an AAV because they have a limited lifespan and need to be serviceable.)
FYI the Black & Decker The Complete Guide to Plumbing book is great, well illustrated, and you can find it at many libraries. I recommend you read it or another plumbing book so you can have a better understanding of traps & venting. That may help you understand your options for making changes to this drain better.