This trade is super cool. I'm now done with my first year of school in the Local 286, and you and this channel are the reason I got into the trade in the first place. Thanks, Roger!
Tennessee Plumber here. I’ll start by saying we do mainly small new commercial. $60K or less. My local inspector is VERY particular on ADA standards, he will double check the bathroom measurements on underground, rough in, and final inspections. Which I personally like because it has made me become critical of getting those measurements right the first time and alleviate busting out concrete during the rough in stage. Just food for thought. Love your videos Roger, keep up the good work. Stay Plumb!
I wish the plumbing commission would make a few fittings illegal with the exception of vents only. Like sanitary crosses and double 90’s. Makes it’s hard to snake if there’s ever a problem. Also I see today a lot of old school plumber using and 1/8” inch/foot fall….with these new low flow fixtures they now require a 1/4 inch/foot fall. Also I wish they would change the code as well for rough in cleanouts (above slab) and make them to be 6 inches higher than the highest flood room. There’s nothing less useful than a toilet bank backed up and the only cleanout is at the lowest point of the drain. Every plumber know what happens when you pull that cleanout. I always install cleanouts as high a possible. If you have to pull a toilet or urinal off the wall to clean the line….then the plumber who installed it has never done service work
I work in wastewater/pretreatment - 2 most common mistake I see plumbers make are not installing clean outs going both directions and not installing vents
We inherited a property and had a good friend that is a master plumber & has a company look at said issue with basement floor drain. He walked in and spots a Trap on a Trap in the rafters for the 1st floor tub drain. I'm like so that's why that tub drains so slow, I'm always finding little surprises like that. Thank Goodness for Inspections and Roger Wakefield🔎🔍🚽
I was helping on a commercial job about eight years ago and all of our vertical pipes going into the slab had to have a test tee near the slab and installed blow up balls and the vents themselves had to hold water for a test. That’s only one county I had to do that in my state. But before that they failed it just for that reason. Always check with your county to see what your codes are if you’re a homeowner before doing work on your own home if your county lets you.
Inspections are one aspect that makes me like commercial more than residential at least in Austin. I don’t know about other cities but in Austin, commercial has plumbing inspectors and residential just has building inspectors. I’d much rather be inspected by someone who’s background is plumbing rather than someone who just learned it out of a book. I had this inspector who failed me on a house remodel because I didn’t have a check valve on the delta handheld shower. I told her they come with them already inside. She said “I don’t know that it does so you need to prove it to me”. Maybe this would have been a relevant conversation 20 years ago but not now. I had to find a manual online and send screenshots and then call the inspection back in. This is in Austin. It’s been one of the fastest growing cities for 2 decades. 99% of showers are by delta, moen, or kohler. She probably inspects 10 a day.
It's amazing how often, even in new construction that you see washing machine setups done wrong. And they'll even do them wrong so that they will try to fool the inspector. I have frequently seen plumbers install a 2" standpipe that is going to a 1 1/2" waste. My rule of thumb on that tends to be exactly the opposite. I use nothing smaller than 2" on any vertical waste pipe. I started doing that because I saw people that would remove a bathroom to put in a laundry room. Well, nobody wants to upgrade the waste pipe to put in the proper laundry hook up. It's easy enough to downsize a lav drain into a 2" waste pipe. Going the other way, not so much. To be honest the only inspection trouble I have ever had has to do with licensing. When I started plumbing I was too young to get a license.And because of the laws in my home state it wasn't really necessary. I did a lot of work under guys that had a license even though they weren't present on site, it was considered legal and no problem as long as it passed inspection. Those rules changed in my state about 10 years ago now. I still do a lot of work for licensed guys when they get more than they can handle or when they get some customer that really needs help but can't afford it. But I own other businesses so the amount of involvement required to go back and get a license this just wasn't worth the trouble. Recently I've started having difficulties because the the charity type work I would do, say grandma from the church needs a new sewer line but she can't afford to hire the contractor, is no longer being deemed acceptable. They want you to have a license even though they know you're not making any money off of the job. And what's more, they don't want somebody without a license, apprentice or otherwise, working on a job without the licensed journeyman present. I really wish somebody could tell me a way to get a license without having to go back and try to do an apprenticeship for a guy that's been doing it nearly 30 years. But from what the state licensing office tells me, that's not an option at least not where I live. Don't misunderstand me, I support the building codes and I agree with getting licensed to make sure the quality of work persists. But you would think that there would be some simpler path, at least for somebody that can demonstrate their abilities.
In Idaho you can go to an apprenticeship program and test out. At least test into 3rd year if not 4th year. We got guys coming in from CA where they don’t require a journeyman on site but here in Idaho, we do. Maybe not the best solution, safe to say you’re probably better then a guy that just got his jcard but it is what it is
Here in So Cal if your permit is on single family to 4 units you get a combination inspector - which are jack of all trades, master of none and usually don't know squat about real plumbing. They sweat the small stuff due to limited knowledge and no real experience....Anything over 4 units or commercial we'll get a real Plumbing Inspector and these guys were usually plumbers before they became inspectors and they know their $heet ! Now that I'm an old timer and have learned to take extra pride in my work, these inspectors take one glance and it's obvious I know what I'm doing and they lighten up immediately and usually start shop talking with me. It's a good feeling when they show you respect like that. When I was coming up, one of my mentors once told me to do your work so that if another plumber ever looks at it - he'll say, "Wow this guy knew what he was doing, nice job"....Keep things straight and well strapped, use the fittings properly and take your time. And if you end up getting a jerk inspector, remember you can always go over his head when you're in the right....
I'm agree i know what u talking about bcz is a big difference between a jack all trade inspector or dealing with a real plumbing inspector I a plumber in city of chicago and here plumbing inspector are another hard level
I'm in East TN. My county doesn't have a code for out in the country. I am getting a 2022 newly built Double wide manufactured home. I'm waiting for it but it is not on the land yet. Moving from an old single-wide to upgrade to my new Double-wide. I am going to have 2 inspectors. I think the home dealership I got them home from will hire contractors. This will be interesting.
when I remodeled my house, I got failed because the inspector couldn't figure out how to get in through one of the 3 unlocked doors or the hole where the front door wasn't installed, because the sheathing couldn't go on until the plumbing was inspected.
The IPC doesn’t prevent the use of a san-tee or vent tee on its back to connect a dry vent to a fixture drain above the drains center line, They go as far as publishing a diagram showing it used this way in Figure 706.3(8) in the IPC commentary version, which is only an advisory but also published in cooperation with the ICC. However you may have a bit of a fight with the inspector
Local rotorouter installed my hot water heater. Replaced the pipes, moved them around, and ran the hot water pipe 3" above the annode rod. Currently they are refusing to come in and do it correctly.
its more about good practice because he wants it to drain faster. the shower base doesnt include an overflow like the tub does( which acts as a shotgun vent )
I'm a license plumber and it upsets me. Handyman are doing these jobs. They are not properly insured or bonded. But they play the customers ignorance. This is a huge problem where I live in Oregon. Out-of-state liars claiming to be plumbers and electricians at the same time. A person would have to have around 18000 hours of training to hold both of those licenses. Or be an elderly man uncapable of doing the job. Cause he was grandfather's in.
my woman walked past saying the number one reason my plumbing fails the inspection is all the feces is coming out of the wrong end so uhmm that i guess
Need to make sure every thing you just is to a certain code because there is a couple things in you list you are incorrect on to other codes that the state adopted.
There's evidence that man learned about proper "fall" of a gravity draining pipe at least 3000 years ago (probably considerably longer) and some plumbers still get it wrong... Very small range of slope that actually works. But if you have it right it works for miles until you change slope.
No, and-or poor strapping, No, and-or set incorrectly within conventional water heater seismic earthquake straps, within states; also required zones within regions. Vents not terminated within outside, some terminate within attics, inside walls. Pex pipe/,fittings, and-or Pvc pipe/fittings set above ground outside within elements/sun.
I know it's plumbing code, I get that, but can anyone explain exactly why a shower and a bathtub require two different size drain pipes. The actual valve that controls the shower and a tub / shower are the same, the shower heads are the same, if anything I would think that a larger drain would be required in a tub, because there would be more water coming out the tub spout rather than the shower drain.
Igree in my personal opinion a shower base work perfect with a 1" 1/2 drain bcz nobody fill a shower base on other end a tub obviously people fill then with water all time in my personal opinion a bathtub need a 2" drain and a shower 1"1/2 but plumbing code said that different why i don't know
It’s because, when a tub backs up it goes into the tub. When a shower backs up it goes onto the floor. Therefore the shower must never be allowed to backup hence the bigger drain pipe.
partly due to back up hes not wrong, but i believe the main reason is to add airflow to the draining process. a tub has an overflow which provides air / vent like shotgunning a beer whereas a shower base has no overflow so it provides the airflow at the drain.
@ around 3:19, I think that reasoning is absurd. Now some lunk heads will be focused on the cosmetics of keeping the printed labels lined up instead if the function and necessity proper slop.
Great info as always, sir. I work here in the DFW area for some apartment complexes. I did not know the laundry drain had to be 2". When remodeling some of these units, where is it acceptable to graduate back down to 1.5", which is what the majority of these old drain lines are? Do we have to refit the entire line all the way back to cast iron mains?
Can never downsize is a waste system only increase as fixture units increase. So yes must go all the way to the main or to where you have same size pipe
I don't like it when I get red tagged because the code department added something to the code or change the code and did not inform us it's not like they don't have the ability they do have my email address every time I get an inspection they inform me by email whether I passed or failed why can't they send me changes through the same email Instead of surprise your red tagged because you didn't do something that you didn't have to do last week but you have to do this week And sometimes it just depends on the inspector for the same area
Our bathroom remodel failed plumbing inspection at the rough-in stage due to use of a shower/diverter valve that lacked ASSE 1016 markings (neither on the valve, box or documentation). This caused a multi-day schedule slip. Shower anti-scald requirements are important. Choose valves that are explicitly ASSE 1016 marked or come with documentation that explicitly states the valve is ASSE 1016-compliant.
I layed put a drain ( was actually a lot of drain, entire mens and womens room in a new industrial site) and caught myself almost use a sanitary Tee rather than a combination, we all laughed
I’m one of the youngest journey men ever in my state and I learned from a very smart plumber and I’ve had to call multiple inspector supervisors to explain what a circuit vent is… sometimes you can’t teach an old dog… older tricks?
This trade is super cool. I'm now done with my first year of school in the Local 286, and you and this channel are the reason I got into the trade in the first place. Thanks, Roger!
Love hearing that, thank you so much and congrats to you! Don’t stop learning
Tennessee Plumber here. I’ll start by saying we do mainly small new commercial. $60K or less. My local inspector is VERY particular on ADA standards, he will double check the bathroom measurements on underground, rough in, and final inspections. Which I personally like because it has made me become critical of getting those measurements right the first time and alleviate busting out concrete during the rough in stage. Just food for thought. Love your videos Roger, keep up the good work. Stay Plumb!
I wish the plumbing commission would make a few fittings illegal with the exception of vents only. Like sanitary crosses and double 90’s. Makes it’s hard to snake if there’s ever a problem. Also I see today a lot of old school plumber using and 1/8” inch/foot fall….with these new low flow fixtures they now require a 1/4 inch/foot fall. Also I wish they would change the code as well for rough in cleanouts (above slab) and make them to be 6 inches higher than the highest flood room. There’s nothing less useful than a toilet bank backed up and the only cleanout is at the lowest point of the drain. Every plumber know what happens when you pull that cleanout. I always install cleanouts as high a possible. If you have to pull a toilet or urinal off the wall to clean the line….then the plumber who installed it has never done service work
Well said brother. Been there too many times to count.
I work in wastewater/pretreatment - 2 most common mistake I see plumbers make are not installing clean outs going both directions and not installing vents
You see plumbers not installing vents??!?? Every trap seal must have a vent. It’s easy to understand
It was interesting the things I’ve seen when service plumbing. Now that I’m inspecting I have even more head scratchers to see.
Our code on cleanouts is at every change in direction
Where are you located?
Illinois
Upc was 135degrees or 150 last I checked but may have since been changed
I doubt it
We inherited a property and had a good friend that is a master plumber & has a company look at said issue with basement floor drain. He walked in and spots a Trap on a Trap in the rafters for the 1st floor tub drain. I'm like so that's why that tub drains so slow, I'm always finding little surprises like that. Thank Goodness for Inspections and Roger Wakefield🔎🔍🚽
I was helping on a commercial job about eight years ago and all of our vertical pipes going into the slab had to have a test tee near the slab and installed blow up balls and the vents themselves had to hold water for a test. That’s only one county I had to do that in my state. But before that they failed it just for that reason. Always check with your county to see what your codes are if you’re a homeowner before doing work on your own home if your county lets you.
Inspections are one aspect that makes me like commercial more than residential at least in Austin. I don’t know about other cities but in Austin, commercial has plumbing inspectors and residential just has building inspectors. I’d much rather be inspected by someone who’s background is plumbing rather than someone who just learned it out of a book. I had this inspector who failed me on a house remodel because I didn’t have a check valve on the delta handheld shower. I told her they come with them already inside. She said “I don’t know that it does so you need to prove it to me”. Maybe this would have been a relevant conversation 20 years ago but not now. I had to find a manual online and send screenshots and then call the inspection back in. This is in Austin. It’s been one of the fastest growing cities for 2 decades. 99% of showers are by delta, moen, or kohler. She probably inspects 10 a day.
It's amazing how often, even in new construction that you see washing machine setups done wrong. And they'll even do them wrong so that they will try to fool the inspector. I have frequently seen plumbers install a 2" standpipe that is going to a 1 1/2" waste.
My rule of thumb on that tends to be exactly the opposite. I use nothing smaller than 2" on any vertical waste pipe. I started doing that because I saw people that would remove a bathroom to put in a laundry room. Well, nobody wants to upgrade the waste pipe to put in the proper laundry hook up.
It's easy enough to downsize a lav drain into a 2" waste pipe. Going the other way, not so much.
To be honest the only inspection trouble I have ever had has to do with licensing. When I started plumbing I was too young to get a license.And because of the laws in my home state it wasn't really necessary. I did a lot of work under guys that had a license even though they weren't present on site, it was considered legal and no problem as long as it passed inspection.
Those rules changed in my state about 10 years ago now. I still do a lot of work for licensed guys when they get more than they can handle or when they get some customer that really needs help but can't afford it. But I own other businesses so the amount of involvement required to go back and get a license this just wasn't worth the trouble.
Recently I've started having difficulties because the the charity type work I would do, say grandma from the church needs a new sewer line but she can't afford to hire the contractor, is no longer being deemed acceptable. They want you to have a license even though they know you're not making any money off of the job. And what's more, they don't want somebody without a license, apprentice or otherwise, working on a job without the licensed journeyman present.
I really wish somebody could tell me a way to get a license without having to go back and try to do an apprenticeship for a guy that's been doing it nearly 30 years. But from what the state licensing office tells me, that's not an option at least not where I live.
Don't misunderstand me, I support the building codes and I agree with getting licensed to make sure the quality of work persists. But you would think that there would be some simpler path, at least for somebody that can demonstrate their abilities.
In Idaho you can go to an apprenticeship program and test out. At least test into 3rd year if not 4th year. We got guys coming in from CA where they don’t require a journeyman on site but here in Idaho, we do. Maybe not the best solution, safe to say you’re probably better then a guy that just got his jcard but it is what it is
Can get one online pretty easily now i think.
Dude , the letters on the inspect , sound just like my dad and Gramps used to be .
I got red tagged for a main service supply line. Inspector made me lay a 4" layer of plaster sand for 150 feet.
I'm literally a 13 year old that watches you for entertainment.
Well I'm glad you're here! Thanks for watching
Here in So Cal if your permit is on single family to 4 units you get a combination inspector - which are jack of all trades, master of none and usually don't know squat about real plumbing. They sweat the small stuff due to limited knowledge and no real experience....Anything over 4 units or commercial we'll get a real Plumbing Inspector and these guys were usually plumbers before they became inspectors and they know their $heet ! Now that I'm an old timer and have learned to take extra pride in my work, these inspectors take one glance and it's obvious I know what I'm doing and they lighten up immediately and usually start shop talking with me. It's a good feeling when they show you respect like that. When I was coming up, one of my mentors once told me to do your work so that if another plumber ever looks at it - he'll say, "Wow this guy knew what he was doing, nice job"....Keep things straight and well strapped, use the fittings properly and take your time. And if you end up getting a jerk inspector, remember you can always go over his head when you're in the right....
I'm agree i know what u talking about bcz is a big difference between a jack all trade inspector or dealing with a real plumbing inspector I a plumber in city of chicago and here plumbing inspector are another hard level
Hi. ! I got Red tagged for getting paid on Thursday, not on Friday like most plumbers and for chewing on my finger nails...😂😂...lol
I'm in East TN. My county doesn't have a code for out in the country. I am getting a 2022 newly built Double wide manufactured home. I'm waiting for it but it is not on the land yet. Moving from an old single-wide to upgrade to my new Double-wide.
I am going to have 2 inspectors. I think the home dealership I got them home from will hire contractors. This will be interesting.
Morning Roger
Morning MicroDips
when I remodeled my house, I got failed because the inspector couldn't figure out how to get in through one of the 3 unlocked doors or the hole where the front door wasn't installed, because the sheathing couldn't go on until the plumbing was inspected.
Letters up and letters out, is how I was taught
The IPC doesn’t prevent the use of a san-tee or vent tee on its back to connect a dry vent to a fixture drain above the drains center line, They go as far as publishing a diagram showing it used this way in Figure 706.3(8) in the IPC commentary version, which is only an advisory but also published in cooperation with the ICC. However you may have a bit of a fight with the inspector
First to comment on I'm also interested to know what can courses failers on inspection
Today I passed my master exam in texas¡¡
Congrats to you! That is a great accomplishment
What is the reasoning for the 6'' to 18'' p trap height restriction for a laundry? settling of the building? allowing expansion joint to move?
Local rotorouter installed my hot water heater. Replaced the pipes, moved them around, and ran the hot water pipe 3" above the annode rod. Currently they are refusing to come in and do it correctly.
I get what you're saying but I have to push your buttons.
2023 OSPC, 702.1
For tub to shower conversions with a maximum shower size of 36 wide and 60 inches long. An 1- 1/2 trap is acceptable..
its more about good practice because he wants it to drain faster. the shower base doesnt include an overflow like the tub does( which acts as a shotgun vent )
I'm a license plumber and it upsets me. Handyman are doing these jobs. They are not properly insured or bonded. But they play the customers ignorance. This is a huge problem where I live in Oregon. Out-of-state liars claiming to be plumbers and electricians at the same time. A person would have to have around 18000 hours of training to hold both of those licenses. Or be an elderly man uncapable of doing the job. Cause he was grandfather's in.
my woman walked past saying the number one reason my plumbing fails the inspection is all the feces is coming out of the wrong end so uhmm that i guess
6* Reasons Why You Would FAIL a Plumbing Inspection
You can also use a San tee upside down.
Need to make sure every thing you just is to a certain code because there is a couple things in you list you are incorrect on to other codes that the state adopted.
There's evidence that man learned about proper "fall" of a gravity draining pipe at least 3000 years ago (probably considerably longer) and some plumbers still get it wrong... Very small range of slope that actually works. But if you have it right it works for miles until you change slope.
No, and-or poor strapping, No, and-or set incorrectly within conventional water heater seismic earthquake straps, within states; also required zones within regions. Vents not terminated within outside, some terminate within attics, inside walls. Pex pipe/,fittings, and-or Pvc pipe/fittings set above ground outside within elements/sun.
Showers only require an 11/2" trap.
Hey, i will log you on to investigate.
I know it's plumbing code, I get that, but can anyone explain exactly why a shower and a bathtub require two different size drain pipes. The actual valve that controls the shower and a tub / shower are the same, the shower heads are the same, if anything I would think that a larger drain would be required in a tub, because there would be more water coming out the tub spout rather than the shower drain.
Igree in my personal opinion a shower base work perfect with a 1" 1/2 drain bcz nobody fill a shower base on other end a tub obviously people fill then with water all time in my personal opinion a bathtub need a 2" drain and a shower 1"1/2 but plumbing code said that different why i don't know
It’s because, when a tub backs up it goes into the tub. When a shower backs up it goes onto the floor. Therefore the shower must never be allowed to backup hence the bigger drain pipe.
partly due to back up hes not wrong, but i believe the main reason is to add airflow to the draining process. a tub has an overflow which provides air / vent like shotgunning a beer whereas a shower base has no overflow so it provides the airflow at the drain.
1:23. The only reason for failing an inspection right there lol. Not studying the code
We had a inspection that would fail us for any change that was. Not on the blue prints.
I love to challenge inspectors, I almost never lose.
San t can be on its back as a back vent no?
@ around 3:19, I think that reasoning is absurd. Now some lunk heads will be focused on the cosmetics of keeping the printed labels lined up instead if the function and necessity proper slop.
Hello, I'm a homeowner trying to install a sand trap for a filter backwash do you have any how to videos?
I currently do NOT have a video over this. However, that is a great video idea! Hope it works out for you
Great info as always, sir. I work here in the DFW area for some apartment complexes. I did not know the laundry drain had to be 2". When remodeling some of these units, where is it acceptable to graduate back down to 1.5", which is what the majority of these old drain lines are? Do we have to refit the entire line all the way back to cast iron mains?
Can never downsize is a waste system only increase as fixture units increase. So yes must go all the way to the main or to where you have same size pipe
I don't like it when I get red tagged because the code department added something to the code or change the code and did not inform us it's not like they don't have the ability they do have my email address every time I get an inspection they inform me by email whether I passed or failed why can't they send me changes through the same email Instead of surprise your red tagged because you didn't do something that you didn't have to do last week but you have to do this week And sometimes it just depends on the inspector for the same area
Our bathroom remodel failed plumbing inspection at the rough-in stage due to use of a shower/diverter valve that lacked ASSE 1016 markings (neither on the valve, box or documentation). This caused a multi-day schedule slip. Shower anti-scald requirements are important. Choose valves that are explicitly ASSE 1016 marked or come with documentation that explicitly states the valve is ASSE 1016-compliant.
So I applied for a county job and the next step is a oral exam can you give me ideas what to study on or what questions to expect?
I layed put a drain ( was actually a lot of drain, entire mens and womens room in a new industrial site) and caught myself almost use a sanitary Tee rather than a combination, we all laughed
video would be much better with more footage of the fixtures
What do you do if you cannot make the line bigger?
Put a low flow shower head on so the drain pipe can keep up with demand.
I’m one of the youngest journey men ever in my state and I learned from a very smart plumber and I’ve had to call multiple inspector supervisors to explain what a circuit vent is… sometimes you can’t teach an old dog… older tricks?
What do you mean a combination? And why is a tee on its side wrong? If it has correct fall then it will flow
test balls fails