What’s the right way to shorten an abs pipe. I’d like to move my basement sink over 3 inches to make room for a wall.
Should I simply cut a chunk out of the Horizontal pipe and join the ends with a coupler ?
See attachment.
Thanks!
Plumbing – How to shorten ABS pipe to move a drain trap
absbasementdrainplumbingsink
Related Solutions
A 1 1/4" female FIP adapter worked perfectly. As soon as I saw it, I was embarassed for not having thought of it earlier.
I used some teflon tape, screwed the FIP adapter onto the adapter coming out of the wall, then just glued my 1 1/4" pipe directly into it. No reduction in pipe sizes, and 100% ABS parts.
The correct way to fix this is to cut some of the pipe out coming from the Y, and replace it with glued-in fixtures. I don't think silicone would hold and it is certainly not up to code -- epoxy I would have no problem with myself but is also probably not code. Sand the plastic and make sure it is really clean if you go this route!
If you are inclined to re-glue, you can cut a section out of the pipe -- one cut right at the Y's hub, and another about a foot away. Then you need to remove the 3/4" that is in the hub, being careful not to damage the hub itself. This is a huge pain as you can imagine, and I usually use a rotary tool with an aggressive grinding bit to simply carve it out.
Your third option is to replace the Y which might not be as hard as you imagine, depending on the access you have -- just chisel out the concrete surrounding it enough to get a coupling on the pipe.
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Best Answer
If the union on the trap can be loosened so the sink end of the trap can be swung on an arc, then you could cut out a piece in the horizontal section and reconnect with a rubber connector which would allow axial rotation and would allow some in and out repositioning to properly line up all the parts for a leak free drain. If the union on the trap is cemented (which it is NOT supposed to be), then I think you would have to redo much of the drain to get it properly positioned if you move it. If the white on the union is just joint compound, then it could just be wiped off. A union does not need any joint compound and certainly is not to be cemented.
Normally in the horizontal section there would be a slip joint with smaller tubing from the sink fitting inside slightly larger tubing going into the wall. This allows axial rotation and in-and-out translation needed to properly mate all parts.
EDIT See this video https://youtu.be/hzLqWu4DNO0. The teflon tape is strictly not necessary because the sealing of the slip joints is done by the plastic seals. But this video shows all the elements necessary to have a drain in which all the parts can be in the correct positions and angles. Also in the video the narrator incorrectly calls a slip joint a "union". The only union in the drain is on the wall side of the trap. There are two faces which are held together with a nut and there is no separate seal needed.