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Waste piping - too many elbows close by

Waste piping - too many elbows close by

Waste piping - too many elbows close by

(OP)
See attached.
The waste pipe is 4" from a wall mounted water closet that discharges into wall horizontally (tank valve, discharge about 8" Above floor, centerline). Then it turns down and drain pipes from 2 lavs and shower are connected. The first elbow is right behind the wall. Then the pipe drops to floor level, elbow 2 is at floor level, 3ft from water closet, 3rd elbow to turn down (3ft from 2nd elbow and 12 in drop). Below floor 4th elbow to turn left about 4 ft and then 5th elbow to turn to bldg waste, goes 60 ft.

red is on first floor, yellow is below floor in ceiling.

Is this too many elbows too close or will it work?

RE: Waste piping - too many elbows close by

It will work if your objective is to plug the pipe. There are too many elbows.

Typically plumbing code requires cleanouts at each elbow, although some exceptions do exist.

Use a vertical water closet carrier for the toilet, which the lavatory can connect into. Penetrate floor and go toward elbow 2. Connect the shower drain to the pipe between 1 and 2. If you have to offset vertically, use 45 degree fittings and route horizontal pipe at a 45 degree angle (for short run) to connect to building waste.

RE: Waste piping - too many elbows close by

(OP)
Cannot go vertically down as there is a beam below between two columns., can only go out of wc from back wall.

RE: Waste piping - too many elbows close by

One of the first things I look at prior to designing any plumbing system is to check if the architect has placed the wall/chase of a toilet room over structure. I look to see if any column grid lines run through my walls/chases. If he has, I politely tell him that he should look at the structural design prior to laying out his rooms and please change it. If he won't change the location of the toilet room, then I politely ask him if he could put the fixtures on the opposite wall so the pipe drop is not above structure.

I am being polite to him while I am griping internally about what I consider to be one of the first laws of architecture (from a plumbing perspective) - do not put toilet chases parallel and above structure.

In your case, if you are stuck with the layout given to you, utilize 45 degree fittings and 45 degree routing as much as possible to minimize sharp turns which will slow down flow. Provide extra cleanouts if needed. If this floor is not on grade, provide the cleanouts in the floor so the owner will not have to get above the ceiling below to access the clean outs. He will thank you for not requiring his maintenance staff to carry a 5 gallon bucket above the ceiling to try to catch all the backed up sewer water.

RE: Waste piping - too many elbows close by

IPC - 708.3.3 Changes of direction.
Cleanouts shall be installed at each change of direction greater than 45 degrees (0.79 rad) in the building sewer, building drain and horizontal waste or soil lines. Where more than one change of direction occurs in a run of piping, only one cleanout shall be required for each 40 feet (12 192 mm) of developed length of the drainage piping.

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