Plumbing into wall and through floor?

[luv951]

Is it possible to take the plumbing off my tank and go into wall, and then down through the floor?

I know I will likely have to cut a large section of wall out and then cut through the 2x4 that makes up the bottom of the wall frame as well as the underfloor.

Has anyone done this? How did you cut through all that wood?

Anyone have any suggestions?

I need enough room for my three drains and two returns.

 

[RVANANO]

It can be done but won't be easy. I ran my plumbing through the wall into the closet and then down through the floor using a hole saw. I didn't go down through the floor inside the wall though. It will be tough to get a tool in the wall I think. And it will be hard to use a hole saw to go through the 2x4 and then the subfloor etc. Especially that many. You will have to drill through each section and remove the wood from the hole saw for each of those levels.

 

[luv951]

I was thinking my plan would be to cut a rectangular section out so that all the pipes can pass through it and then seal around the pipes with Great Stuff or something similar...I don't think a hole saw would work either - I will have at least two inches to get through.

My current idea is to use a spade bit to drill 3/4 to 1 inch holes in the corners and then a recipricating saw to connect them....not sure if that would work though.

 

[jeff@zina.com]

Hole saws are made for this job, check your local hardware store. A Forstner bit on an extension will work as well. Check for wiring and plumbing in the way before you cut.

Jeff

 

[scbrooks87]

check for wiring and plumbing in the way before you cut.

Jeff

+1

 

[Pickupman66]

it can be done but will be labor intensive in a small area.

 

[luv951]

Hole saws are made for this job, check your local hardware store. A Forstner bit on an extension will work as well. Check for wiring and plumbing in the way before you cut.

Jeff

Thanks for this! A forstner bit looks like exactly what I need and will be much easier than my plan.

 

[RVANANO]

Agreed^ That would be much less work. Hole saws take forever to go through that much material. And forget about a cordless....

 

[luv951]

I have a beast of a hammer drill that I plan to use. Crazy amounts of torque - should make short work of it.

 

[RVANANO]

Indeed

 

[jasoncw]

Not sure if this is an option, but you could always cut a rectangle right in your floor by the wall (behind/under your stand) that you can run the plumbing thru. The idea would be to cut it the size of a HVAC duct, so that if you ever got rid of the tank or moved, it could easily be covered up. To seal it, get a piece of foam the size of the hole, then cut out for the plumbing. You could use something like those square pieces of foam used for children's play areas sold at Lowe's/HD.

 

[luv951]

I appreciate the input, but we have brazilian cherry floors and if I cut a hole in them, I think I would be a bachelor again

 

[ataller]

That is exactly what I did. I removed the baseboard. Cut a rectangular hole in the bottom of the wall (Which can be easily covered by baseboard again). Then cut down to the basement in the wall.

It isn't pretty, but it works, and it is easy to hide.

Adam

 

[noahm]

+1 on the forstner bit. I would get a long 1/8" pilot and drill from upstairs through the bottom of the wall at an angle you think would hit the middle of the wall location coming out the bottom. (use a stud sensor to make sure you are between studs. Using a tape measurer and plumb bob, you can minimize hole damage by just using a slightly oversized hole saw, then glue your elbow on a length of pipe, glue the 90 well and stick in the hole and have someone shove the bottom piece in from below and twist. They even make trim for this for central vacuum systems. Otherwise, just open up a whole section between studs maybe 6"wide to work in. You can screw a couple of short 2x4's to the old ones for easy drywall reattachment