Hello I am considering putting a powder room in an existing basement of a rental unit. The soil stack runs down the back wall behind the furnace in a space that is 6 inches or so. I would like to pick up the pipe on the other side of the furnace. I would ordinarily remove a small amount of concrete around the stack to determine the direction of the horizontal run before I started digging. That would require removing the furnace, which I would like to avoid. The front of the house sits right on an alley and the basement floor is level with the alley. That is why I am sure the pipe runs under the floor from the rear of the house, under the furnace, to the sewer line that runs down the alley. I will have the line located outside the house, but past experienc has shown that drain lines don’t always run in a straight line. Does anyone know of a simple way to locate the exact position of pipes under a slab. Thanks Jeff
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Featured Story
Learn more about the benefits and compliance details for the DOE's new water heater energy-efficiency standards.
Featured Video
How to Install Exterior Window TrimHighlights
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Replies
even though there may be rebar or wire mesh in the slab floor, you could probably locate the sewer pipe with a metal detector if the pipe is cast iron. If it is plastic, you could snake a wire tracing transmitter down it and follow it with asensitive wire tracer.
Have used the metal detector before and ended up off by only the width of the pipe. Quite impressed with myself.
Another way is a regular electrical wire and use the metal detector for plastic pipes.