How's this for plumbing?

pesphoto · Oct 3, 2008

Trying to set up the drain system for my darkroom sink.
Im being brave and posting some photos of what I'm doing. Or trying to do.
Most of the PVC is NOT cemented yet so I can reconfigure if need be.
In the Tub is a Flotec Sump Pump from Home Depot. The sink will drain right into the tub. There is a check valve down in the tub. I put a small piece of PVC on the pump fitst, then added the check valve and continued with the PVC from there. I will have the lid on the tub with 2 holes cut for the pipes when I get to cementing it all together. Im looking for an electrician to come and install outlets for me. Im not planning on using this thing until I have that done.

ok, good...bad...ugly?

Here it goes.......(sorry, bad digi pics at low resolution)

Rlibersky · Oct 3, 2008

Do you need to raise the waste water up higher then your sink? From what i can see you need to put a drain trap in or something to stop the sewer gas from coming into your darkroom.

papagene · Oct 3, 2008

You've out done Rube Goldberg!!!

gene

pesphoto · Oct 3, 2008

Rlibersky said:
Do you need to raise the waste water up higher then your sink? From what i can see you need to put a drain trap in or something to stop the sewer gas from coming into your darkroom.

Thanks, I figured the Check valve would take care of sewer smells as there would alsways be water sitting on top of it. Am I wrong?

Rlibersky · Oct 3, 2008

I don't know. Sump pumps are not usually hooked up to the sewer line.

pesphoto · Oct 3, 2008

papagene said:
You've out done Rube Goldberg!!!

gene

huh? Who be that?

papagene · Oct 3, 2008

OOPS! I'm showing my age!!!!

gene

pesphoto · Oct 3, 2008

oh, ok. I looked up Rube!!
I can't disagree.....

papagene · Oct 3, 2008

Check him out:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rube_Goldberg
Have fun!!

gene

Photo Engineer · Oct 3, 2008

In the words of the famous engineer Mongomery Scott, "the more complex the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain" (insert Scottish accent).

PE

keffs · Oct 4, 2008

This Goldberg chap is obviously a cheap US copy of original, i.e. Heath Robinson.

Steve

Steve Smith · Oct 4, 2008

keffs said:
This Goldberg chap is obviously a cheap US copy of original, i.e. Heath Robinson.

Steve

That's what I was thinking!

I have attached the business card of a reputable plumbing company you may wish to contact.

Steve.

wilsonneal · Oct 4, 2008

That's almost exactly my set up. I have my sink draining into a laundry tub pump that is like this but larger. And, the pump feeds into plumbing very much like the line you have running across your ceiling. It works very well. At times there's gurgling in the sink drain above the place where the long drain pipe ties into the waste stack (first floor above basement), but it's not a big deal.

I was told that the photo chemicals may cause the pump to wear out sooner than it might with just plain soap and water, but don't know how true that is.

pesphoto · Oct 4, 2008

wilsonneal said:
That's almost exactly my set up. I have my sink draining into a laundry tub pump that is like this but larger. And, the pump feeds into plumbing very much like the line you have running across your ceiling. It works very well. At times there's gurgling in the sink drain above the place where the long drain pipe ties into the waste stack (first floor above basement), but it's not a big deal.

I was told that the photo chemicals may cause the pump to wear out sooner than it might with just plain soap and water, but don't know how true that is.

Thank you wilsonneal for a constructive answer. This AM I adjusted the PVC coming out of the tub a little bit so its a bit more of a direct line getting to the part upper part of the drain line. Think it's much better now. I'm a bit nervous to turn the thing on and try it. Do you have a check valve? If so whereabouts did you place it? Any sewer gas smells with your setup? Im hoping by placing my check valve where I did it will hold some water there and thus block and sewer gases.

23mjm · Oct 4, 2008

I would work in a trap and watch for corrosion on the pump. Some photo chems are not too nice to metal. I have killed 2 garbage disposals it 5 years!!!

removed account4 · Oct 4, 2008

that looks great paul!
i agree to inspect your metal parts
on a regular basis. photo chemicals can be corrosive ...

Steve Smith · Oct 4, 2008

pesphoto said:
Im hoping by placing my check valve where I did it will hold some water there and thus block and sewer gases.

I would add a running trap to the system just to make sure. I don't know if you use the same name for it in the US but in the UK a running trap is one that fits in line with the pipe rather than as part of a waste in a sink or basin.

I would trust water blocking the pipe more than a check valve to stop foul gas.

Steve

pesphoto · Oct 4, 2008

Thanks John and Steve, I may add a trap in addition to the check valve just to be safe. I'll have to keep an eye on the pump as I didnt really think about it corroding from the chemicals.

resummerfield · Oct 4, 2008

pesphoto said:
.....I'll have to keep an eye on the pump as I didnt really think about it corroding from the chemicals.

I don't think you'll have to worry. If you operate the darkroom like I do, you'll end the session with print washing, using a large amount of fresh, clean water which will flush most chemical residue from the pump.

matt miller · Oct 4, 2008

You don't need a trap. The water sitting on the check valve will stop any sewer gas. My system looks much like yours and works extremely well.

Nicholas Lindan · Oct 4, 2008

You may want to do as Wilsonneal suggested: pipe the flow to the laundry sink rather than the waste stack. Then there is no possibility of gas or waste backing up into the system. I had a system like this once and the pipe ran to the basement floor drain.

wilsonneal · Oct 4, 2008

Hi again
Mine doesn't run to a laundry sink. It runs to the stack. The stack is so far from the sink, I use the laundry tub PUMP that I linked in my email. This thing is basically a 5 gallon drum with a tight fitting lid and a pump (about 1/3 hp) inside. My sink drains into the drum or tank, reaches a certain level, and pumps the waste out to PVC running up the wall, cross the ceiling, and tying into the stack. There is no check valve. I think the path of the pipe, and the fact there's a few places where some water winds up trapped, prevents gas from coming back into the darkroom. Never had any sewer gas odor at all. This pump/tank was about $300 or so.
Neal

pesphoto · Oct 4, 2008

ok, I reconfigured the PVC and cemented everything in place.
Man, that PVC cement stinks.
Even with a mask!!! Then put the cover on nice and tight.
I'll let it sit for a couple hours with the ventilation going in there.

I guess it's almost ready for a test run.

Im not going to use it full time for a couple weeks until the outlets go in.
For now I can reach the outlet for the washing machine with the cord.
That is...assuming the thing works.......

kenh · Oct 10, 2008

Actually I did something similar. A sump pump from Home depot and a collection bucket under the sink. I have several main differences:

1) I only dump water down the sink - all chemicals I carry to the laundry room where I dump them directly into the laundry room sink.

2) The sink has plumbing to work in two modes a) as a normal sink, and b) as a sink that is stopped up with a siphon. In mode b (after closing one valve) the sink fills up with water, and when it is nearly full the siphon takes over and drains the sink. This allows me to rinse prints and negatives with full rinse cycles.

Enjoy

domaz · Oct 10, 2008

I believe this plumbing is against code in most locales- you have to vent all connections to your main sewer stack. It's not just sewer gas that's the problem but air pressure issues too. If you drained into an already existing fixture like a floor drain it would be safer. Or you could install an Air Admittance Valve if they're allowed in your city.

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