How to Add New Plumbing Drains Into Old
Remodeling the bathroom and kitchen often includes installing new plumbing. A large part of the installation consists of joining new drain pipes to older existing pipes. This work usually involves the use of transition couplings, which connect a new plastic drain pipe to an older steel drain pipe by clamping onto the end of each pipe. Drain pipes of different sizes may also be connected in this way. You can add new drain pipes to older pipes with a few tools and some basic materials. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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1
Loosen the clamp screws on the transition coupler using a flat-head screwdriver. Turn each of the screws counterclockwise.
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2
Slide the coupler over the new polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, drain pipe.
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3
Align the PVC pipe with the old steel pipe.
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4
Slide the transition coupler forward over the end of the steel pipe until the clamp is approximately 1/2 an inch or more past the pipe opening.
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5
Check the clamp position on the PVC drain pipe end to ensure that the clamp is at least 1/2 an inch beyond the pipe’s open end. If one end is greater than the other, move the coupling until an equal distance of 1/2 inch or more exists on both pipe ends.
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6
Tighten the clamp screws clockwise using the screwdriver.
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Tips & Warnings
Some older homes used 2-inch steel drain pipes below the basin, while new installations are often plumbed with 1 1/2-inch PVC. The two pipes can be connected using a transition coupler. Couplers that connect pipes of different diameters install the same as couplers for pipes with identical diameters.
