This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows how to replace an old bathtub drum trap with a new PVC P-trap In this video, This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows how to replace an old bathtub drum trap with a new PVC P-trap. 1. Use reciprocating saw fitted with a metal-cutting blade to cut out the old iron drum trap; be careful when lowering the trap, it's filled with water. 2. Loosen the old threaded adapter that's attached to the existing drain line using two large pipe wrenches; use one wrench to hold the pipe, and the other to turn the adapter. 3. Once it's loose, remove the adapter with pliers. 4. Brush pipe dope onto the threads of a PVC male adapter, then wrap the threads with single-strand wicking to provide extra protection against water leaks. 5. Insert male adapter into the existing iron fitting, and tighten the adapter with pliers. 6. Apply pipe dope and wicking to the existing iron male fitting, then install a threaded PVC female adapter, tightening it with pliers.

7. Dry fit (no glue) the PVC P-trap and PVC pipes to ensure they fit together properly. 8. Measure last piece of PVC pipe, and cut it to size using a PVC cutter or hacksaw.Rear View Mirror Toyota Sienna 9. Use a pocketknife to scrape off any rough burrs from the just-cut end of the PVC pipe.Buy Second Hand Furniture Newcastle Upon Tyne 10. Dry fit together all the parts one final time, then use an indelible marker to draw alignment marks onto the pipes and fittings.Wedding Dress Prices Kleinfelds 11. Disassemble the PVC pipes and fittings, then clean them with PVC primer. 12. Permanently glue together the pipes and fittings with PVC cement, making sure you line up the marks drawn earlier in Step 10.

Part 1: Replacing Windows at Low-Cost Part 2: Installing a New Plumbing Trap Bob joins plumber Bob Hubbard, who is replacing the cast-iron drain lines with PVC pipe. Hubbard demonstrates how to glue or cement PVC fittings together, before Bob helps him install a new custom shower base. Part 3: Building a Free-Floating Deck ALL EPISODES IN CRACKER COTTAGE Installing Stair Handrails and Balusters Installing Wood Shingle Siding Placing Hardwood Floors Over Concrete Repairing Squeaky Wood Floors Fixing Vintage Double-Hung Windows Installing a Pocket Door Drywall vs. Blueboard Explained Installing Baseboards and Window Casings Putting Up Walls with Metal Studs Remodeling with a Wood Kitchen Countertop Working with PVC Pipe Homes That Can Survive Hurricanes How to Strip Off Old Paint Building a Pergola and Gate Building a Patio with Stone Pavers How to Set Up Your Picket Fence Laying Down a Cobblestone Driveway Apron

Making a Wood Planter Box Building a Flight of Wood Front Steps Completing a Pine Porch Ceiling Setting a Tree into the Patio Shopping the Nursery with Martha Stewart Exterior Painting with an Airless Sprayer Installing New Garage Doors Constructing a Potting Bench Building a Porch Railing Screening a Porch & Installing a Porch Fan Mounting Shutters on the Home Exterior Nathaniel Russell House Tour See Frederick Law Olmsted's Backyard Taking an Architectural Tour of Harvard Square Tour of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Tour of Frank Lloyd Wright's Hollyhock House Touring Boston's Burrage House The House That Thomas Edison Built Touring the Vassall-Craigie-Longfellow Historic House A Visit to the William Gibbes House in Charleston, SC Robert Barnwell Rhett House Tour Tour of the Vanderbilts' Great Camp Sagamore Brooklyn Botanical Garden Tour Touring the Naumkeag Historic House Gardens

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7 Easy Budget-Friendly Backyard Makeovers 10 Closet Cures That Cost Less Than $100 11 Easy DIY Projects to Declutter Your Home 19 "Zero Dollar" Garden Hacks 10 Killproof Plants for a No-Effort Landscape 9 Insanely Easy 1-Hour Backyard Projects 17 Ideas for Lazy Landscaping 10 "Zero Dollar" Storage Hacks 14 Mistakes Homeowners Make Every Fall 10 Ways to Buy Better Curb Appeal for Under $50 8 Tiny Backyard Buildings for Work or Play 10 Money-Saving Gadgets That Pay for Themselves Say Hello to Fall with 21 Quick and Easy DIYsMy husband and I are doing a bathroom remodel. The biggest change is the bathtub. The builder put in a smallish tub, and I’m now going with a luxurious soaking tub. Our house is on a slab. Are the tub drain holes, the one at the bottom and the one higher up, the same size on tubs? How can I be sure the new tub will line up with the old? What is the size of the tub drain pipe, or is that not an issue? What else do I need to know about to ensure the new tub is installed correctly?

–Kathy R., Myrtle Beach, S.C. I’ve been a master plumber, among other things, for about 35 years. As you might suspect, I’ve installed new tubs, relocated existing ones and repaired leaking ones more times than I care to remember. If you’ve got a top-notch remodeler on board who uses a great plumber, you’ll have no problems. I can understand your anxiety. If you’re like the average person, you’ve never seen the piping that’s connected to bathtubs. Many years ago it was common for the tub to back up to a closet wall in another room or even to a bathroom pantry with an inspection panel that could be removed to gain access to the tub and shower valve. This panel also allowed you to see the very fascinating waste and overflow pipes that connected to the bathtub drain and the overflow hole higher up on the tub. These pipes, if you just view them on their own, resemble the letter L with a tiny stub pipe that comes out of the bottom of the vertical pipe that is connected to the overflow hole high up on the tub.

These waste and overflow pipes are commonly 1 1/2-inch diameter tubular piping. Many are made of solid brass, although less expensive PVC kits can be purchased. The kits are designed with compression nut fittings that allow the parts to fit a wide variety of tubs. The pipes that connect to the tub drain hole and the overflow hole are male pipes and slide into slightly larger pipes that are slightly larger diameter female pipes. Think about how a trombone works with the musician making the slide go back and forth to create the different notes. There are two brass pipes on the instrument, one being slightly larger than the other. This same arrangement allows the plumber to adjust the pipes to fit the tub openings he’s working with. The actual drain pipe that’s in the slab the plumber will connect to is probably 1 1/2-inch diameter. That’s a common pipe size for tubs. Large stand-up shower stalls tend to have 2-inch pipes draining them. A P-trap is used below the tub waste and overflow piping to create the water seal needed to stop sewer gas and vermin from entering your bathroom.

There’s much to know about making sure a bathtub is set properly. The first thing I would do is get the written installation instructions provided by the tub manufacturer. This used to be hard, but almost all instructions are now available at the manufacturers’ Web sites. What’s important for all tubs is that the floor they rest on is solid. Since you’re on a concrete slab, this is not an issue. If the tub is cast iron, then you want to make sure the cast pegs and skirt along the front of the tub are all in contact with the slab once the tub is level side to side and front to back. You don’t want the tub to rock or move once you step into it. Use galvanized metal shims to support the tub as needed where the tub contacts the slab. Acrylic or fiberglass tubs need special care as the bottom of the tub doesn’t contact the concrete slab. There’s a void space. Pay close attention to the instructions with respect to mixing up a waterproof compound like brick mortar, real plaster or whatever compound they recommend you set the tub into.

Failure to do this can cause the tub to form cracks over time as your body weight and the weight of the water creates too much stress, especially around the drain hole. The bottom of the tub must never ever flex so follow the instructions to ensure it doesn’t happen. One thing I always did when I installed any bathtub was to insulate around it. This is very important in your situation since you’re purchasing a soaking tub that you may sit in for an hour or more. Without insulation around the tub, the heat from the water leaves quite rapidly. With insulation, you can relax for quite a long time as the water stays nice and warm. I placed unfaced pieces of fiberglass batts around the tub and filled all voids. Don’t pack it tight, as fiberglass insulation works best when it expands naturally out of the wrapper. Take the time to do this and you’ll not regret one moment the effort you invested, especially the first time you’re soaking in the tub! Tim Carter is a columnist for Tribune Media Services.