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Rear Foyer Plumbing
Back in the early design stages, we realized that a toilet was needed on the workshop level. This would prevent me from having to walk through the house (tracking mud, dirt, and whatever with me) to use the bathroom while I was working in the basement or shop. It would also be nice to have a powder room near the back door. A small half bath was tucked in next to the stairs.
So, the plumbing for a toilet and sink would have to be put in under the slab. This area under the slab is also a critical junction point for other areas. 2 floors above the 2nd floor bath has drain piping coming down through the stair hall wall, next to the kitchen refrigerator and then under the slab beneath the stairs.
Another branch connects the original building sewer; (remember the one that was broken by the excavators). When it was broken, I connected the new PVC pipe to the 100 + year old clay pipe under the corner of the old house footing.
At that time I left a branch to connect this phase to. Pete helped me install the toilet drain and branch connection. He learned that you have only one chance to glue the popes together correctly.
On Monday, I called for a plumbing inspection. Tuesday night when I got home I found a red failed inspection sticker stapled to the framing.
There were 2 reasons noted. The first was that he needed to see a connection that was buried. It had to be exposed for him to check it. The second reason I couldn’t read clearly. The following day I called Sally the secretary at the building dept, I know her by now, and asked her to have the plumbing inspector give me a call to explain.
He called me back all right – and basically ripped me a new ---hole for screwing up. The second reason on the sticker was that I couldn’t run an 1 ½" pipe underground. That wasn’t so bad, but what really ticked him off was that I ran the new piping from the foyer to the driveway, with a tap for the master bath, installed the slabs over it without having him inspect it. I guess that he could have me chip the slabs so he could inspect it. At the time I didn’t think that it was significant enough to have him come over.
Furthermore, Bill the building inspector, saw the plumbing work when he inspected the footing forms. In fact, he had us step the footing over the pipe where it went under.
I mentioned this to the plumbing inspector, his name is Bill also, and he told me that he spoke to the building inspector, Bill, who categorically denied any knowledge of new sewer piping. Since the plumbing inspector was unable to see this work, he told me over the phone that I would have to hire an Engineer to certify that it was installed in accordance with the 1997 plumbing code. He was screaming at me by now. I tried to push this issue away and asked if he would reinspect the connection in the foyer on Friday. He said that he would be there between 11am and 2pm.
I left work at 10:30am to meet him. He took a look and said that the connection was ok. We had a discussion about what had to be certified by an Engineer. The issues were 1) the piping run from the foyer to the driveway and 2) the connection to the clay pipe under the old footing.
I tried to make him feel better by offering to replace the original clay pipe section about 10 feet into the house where it come out of the floor, but he didn’t bite. He was still clearly pissed. I guess that I don’t have to replace that old pipe section, but it probably the right thing to do. It is over 100 years old, and since it runs under the heated slab, it would be a major job to replace in the future. To replace it now is only a medium size job.
I tried unsuccessfully to get Asen's laborers to help did the trench. I did the job with Bob on Saturday November 20th, the day after I got back from Phoenix.
I rented a 40 lb chipping hammer and started to trench into what used to be the rear foyer. There was a section of concrete 2 feet thick. I wasn't getting anywhere with the 40 lb. hammer so I went back to rent an 80 lb hammer. This worked much better, but it was still some back breaking work for the two of us office boys. Nothing that some Advil couldn't fix later.
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The old clay pipe was partially above the slab or just below it. I was trying to be careful chipping the concrete around it, but I punched a few holes in it anyway. Then we were committed to getting the new section installed because the house sewer was blocked.
The trench was dug a couple of inches deeper and then backfilled with sand up to the elevation that was needed. The sand makes a nice soft, even bed for the pipe.
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