Earlier this week when I was trying to install the bathtub, I had some issues with the slip joint for the drain. After I had the tub set, leveled and supports attached to the wall, I found that the tub drain had come loose... grrr.
So I pulled the tub out and re-did the joint, this time with some PVC cement. While I was waiting for it to cure, I started to work on pulling out the toilet and sink. The toilet valve, the one in the wall, had been leaking so I wanted to replace it before I installed our new toilet. So I turned off the water and went to loosen the connections to the drain flange... the toilet was attached, it was just sitting on top of the flange which was broken.
Next, I pulled the old, decrepit sink out. I hadn't been able to turn it on; the valves were stuck so I was replacing them as well. Once I had the sink and toilet out, I turned off the main water line and took the valves off. I was surprised to find out that they were connected to galvanized pipe. Surprised because the water supply for the tub was copper and those were the only lines I saw running to the 2nd floor from the basement. The only other set of lines I saw were to the kitchen sink so the water for the toilet and bathroom sink must have been coming from the neighbors.
Before I could get to the toilet flange, I pulled up a layer of extremely thin plyboard, had to be less than 1/4". I found that underneath a piece of 3/4" plyboard covering a hole that had been cut in the floor to the provide access to the toilet drain. The drain went through a humongous rubber gasket into the cast iron drain... and of course, it wasn't supported anywhere.
So now I'm at the point where I have access to the walls to solve some problems I wasn't anticipating. I plugged the galvanized water supply lines. Put a T in the hot and cold supply lines for the tub and ran lines from there for the toilet and for the sink.
I wish it was as easy I that just sounded but in order to get through joints, around vent lines, around drain lines, around more joists and then between joists, I ended up soldering about 30 joints, or around 60 connections.
One of the indispensable tools I used was this tubing cutter for confined spaces that I picked up at Ikea for about $10. It came with a hole saw to cut openings in stainless steel sinks.
Eventually, I got all the lines connected... and when I checked just before leaving the house for the evening, none of the connections were leaking.
I took the opportunity to secure the lines where they came out of the wall with copper clamps. I hate loose valves and shower heads and they always eventually wear a bigger hole in the wall.
The last time someone was back behind the walls working on the plumbing, they had cut out a joist and had done a poor job splicing it back together. I'll fix that and I'll be ready to put the tub, toilet and sink in.
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