Crack P Trap on Upstairs Shower

What's going on with this coupling? Looks like it's in a bind and maybe cracked.

 

What. The. Fuhk.
That’s someone too lazy to try and get the strap hanger UP to the top of the just to actually HANG the pipe. That is some Sanford pipe supporting there. As evident by the one that isn’t even straight.

For $2k, you can fly me down, pay for materials and beer, and still have enough left to do the Sheetrock repairs and paint and have money left.

your garage is unconditioned, right? How hot does it get? You’ve got a mess of fitting-to-fitting going on from the main to the tub, and if there are major temperature swings the ABS wants to grow/shrink (ever hear ticking in your walls/ceiling while some is using the shower? That’s the pipes expanding and rubbing against any tight spots trough studs or joists).
The fitting hubs (glue joint) are thicker and don’t flex the same, so you’ve got a recipe there for a bunch of stress and looks like the weak spot on the trap popped from that stress.

As others said, cut out in the riser above and the horizontal below the whole assembly and then rebuild it. Leave a couple joints unglued until you go to final install to make sure you can get the angles lined up. Don’t use Fernco couplings (rubber with worm clamps) unless you want to put an access panel in the ceiling below that trap. You might consider an access panel anyway just to check on it every so often. I see that trap being a potential problem again...

 

That might be a 11-1/4 bend.
Would have loved to have seen that house before cover... because there’s a lot of things I’m thinking could have been done different there.

 

Yeah, just thought about that too. Also that "crack" could be a drip line of abs glue after looking at it closer.
Maybe @Fearthisbeard could put eyes on it to clarify.

 

I got it @RainMan_PNW !
They cut halfway through the coupling to give it some flex, then glued the piss out if it!

 

2k I would have flown you down in a heartbeat. Shit you could bring the fam.

 

Given those pipe “supports” it would not surprise me

 

Definitely cracked, the whole P trap is actually cracked in half, I can spread it with a little force

 

I'm talking about the coupling to your right. Green circle

 

I'm In Arizona so it can get really hot in the garage in the summer. We built this house about 4 years ago and have had a lot of issues so this is par for the course unfortunately. I'm just scared of the things that haven't broke yet..

 

Ah yeah, just glue, but it for sure looks like they put it at some wonky angle

 

That's good. Yeah, not a clean install no matter how you look at it eh?

 

This home builder's little catch phrase " You're proud to own, we're proud to build" so my wife and I always joke with each other , " Are you proud to own yet!!??"

 

Fulton? I’ve usually seen good things from them. But I suppose you can’t be 100%. And who knows what plumbing crews they use half the time.

 

Looks like they came out of the wye with a pipe, screwed up and cut it off close to put a coupling on it, then put some heavy muscle on the new pipe to get it glued into the coupling, so it’s got some bend in it.

also looks like they dumped a can of glue up there to do it, because that hot water line is coated in it.

 

Yeah honestly I'm not sure if we just got a "Lemon" but we had to have our entire flooring replaced after a year in, sprinkler system replaced, they forgot to add the front yard hose spigot until after the house was completed, window/door/framing issues, and a bunch of other little things, and now add this to the list

 

That's some shit - so there is more than one issue with the plumbing. I'd contact the builder and probably BBB. They obviously had a crappy plumbing crew that didn't have any supervision. Or the builder just didn't care. If they are good, they'll make it right

 

Only four years in the house? Isn’t there some kind of warranty? In WA and OR, we’re on the hook for a faulty installation 5 or 10 years (depends on the state) regardless of stated “warranty” period. There’s stipulations about what that covers, but it’s certainly provable that this issue isn’t something you caused.

 

I did call them to see but plumbing issues are only covered under the first year warranty, so no luck there.

 

I would look into any state laws that might protect you further. That sucks that four years into a house you’re having these kind of problems

 

So if I were just to fix the broke trap itself for now ( I like the idea of adding an access port in the ceiling in the garage to monitor it) I would just need to make 3 cuts, one on the pipe above the trap, one on the 1 1/2 inch pipe which is connected to the 3 way connector that the trap eventually connects to and then the pipe that connects into the big 3 inch drain pipe. Rebuild this section , may require additional couplers or fittings, confirm fit and then ABS glue everything in ?

 

In the commercial construction world, that is called a latent defect. The contractor didn’t do what they were supposed to do and isn’t off the hook because you didn’t see it during the warranty period. Most states have a ten year statute of limitations on a claim like this.

 

Building codes? We don't need no stinking building codes.

 

Looking closer, this repair is a little more complicated - only because everything is already “fitting to fitting” - edpecially at the combo/wye off the main.

It can be done, but will take a little careful cutting and peeling to do it - you cut the fitting off just past the hub and then carefully cut the hub off the pipe to keep the old stub of pipe. The only other way to do it is with a special drill bit that can bore the old pipe out of the fitting, but that’s a tight spot to get into. The bits aren’t expensive tho, so it might be possible with a right-angle drill.

the 1-1/2 pipe is the vent. Looks like you have room to add a coupling there. Also looks like you have room for a coupling below the tub. So it’s just connecting back into the main that is a little tricky.

 

That was the term I was looking for. Thanks!

 

In addition, I would send your story, with pictures, to your local planning/building (permits) department director/s and copy your district county/city commissioner's etc. Also if you belong to an HOA, copy them as well. Chances are, you're not the only one dealing with these issues.

Good luck and stay safe!

 

Well I was able to cut out the whole mess of fittings and after a couple home depot trips I have everything fitted up nicely, any pointers on best way to glue these in, piece by piece or glue all the fittings together then glue that in place? Oh also, all you who said about $30 in parts, you guys were right on the money! Thanks again everyone for all the tips and pointers, I know this might not resolve the stress issue on the pipes but I am going to look into some additional warranty information that I have also learned in this thread for that.

 

2k say what? I think the plumber is very impressed with himself.

Imo, and based off just the pictures, my first guess as to why that happened is the shower pan wasn't bedded in properly. Plastic style tubs/shower pans are flexible and bouncy so you would in most cases mix some cement and poor it in the center or around the center of where the shower will be sat. This is while the cement is still wet. When someone is in the shower and the pan is flexing, it can put alot of strain on the p-trap/drain and eventually something will give.

This applies to tub also.

Just cut it out, as close to the ends of the broken piece as possible. You want to have enough pipe to glue on to.
Then test, patch, and beer.

 

Also, you can restrap that pipe for support.

Essentially reverse the straps they have and attach them to a stud or floor joist above the pipe so pipes are supported in a hanging orientation keeping slope accounted for on your drains.