Rub a Dub

The chapter on broken down trucks and forgotten supplies did, in fact, come to a close and the next day I got busy finishing the task of connecting the tub to the plumbing.

Before hooking up the supply lines, I needed a place for the water to go once it was in the tub, so the first order of business was connecting the tub drain to the trap and the DWV (drain, waste, vent) plumbing.  To do this, I had to lift the tub so I could install the tailpiece pipe.  The auto jack that I used for positioning the tub a few weeks ago (see Here's to Jack and Dolly) came in handy here again.  With the tub jacked up, I slipped the flange and the nut over the pipe and then screwed the threaded pipe into the junction piece.

I used a reciprocating saw with a metal cutting blade to cut the tailpiece pipe to the proper length for fitting into the trap, and then assembled the trap.  I emptied a few pitchers of water into the tub and opened the drain to check for leaks.  A professional might use compressed air to confirm that the piping maintains a certain p.s.i. but as long as I know water can drain and it's not going to end up in the living room, I'm satisfied.

Connecting the supply lines meant breaking out the torch and solder.  I was a little short with the roughed-in supply lines so I had to use two sleeves and a short length of 1/2" copper to connect the hot water.  I'm saving myself some work and money by not replacing the old tub fixtures.  They're nothing fancy but they're serviceable and as long as they don't drip, we'll be happy to use them.

I'll get around to re-painting the supply lines soon enough, but for now, the water's flowing where it's supposed to flow, holding where it's supposed to hold, draining where it's supposed to drain, and most importantly, everywhere else is high and dry.

handyman