New vanity has drawers where pipes are.

14 years ago

I may need to post this on the plumbing forum, but we just bought a new vanity from HD, and it has drawers on one side and below. From my measurements, the drain pipe hits right where the upper drawer glide is. And because it bends (though we'd have to bend it to the left rather than the right), it comes out more than 7", too deep to pull the vanity forward. Cutting the backerboard would weaken the drawer connection (?).

I think you're not supposed to have too many bends in a drain pipe, so I think it would just have to be moved? Is that right? You can see photos in the link below. The colorful paper spot is where the drain would hit.

I think I may just have to get another vanity, but I did like all those drawers. I'm surprised it's a stock item, given that I would think a lot of people would have this problem. Lowes has one with smaller drawers (a third of the cabinet instead of 1/2).

In fact, future plumbing work would be extremely difficult in this small space....

Does anyone know if it's possible to reconfigure the pipe or very expensive to move it?

Here is a link that might be useful: pipes and vanity

Featured Answer

marymt
Original Author

14 years ago

Thanks Raehelen -- photos show on my computer because I guess all my access is embedded on my computer. So I'm trying again with another link.

The vanity is 36", just like the previous one. Which is why I can't believe as I look at the pipes now that the old vanity fit in there! Definitely not centered, but it was a big open space in there (2-door opening) so I guess it could have connected off-center. I wish I'd studied it before they discarded it!

Since this is a stock item, there isn't a lot we can do. We can make cuts in the back, but it goes right where the glides connect to the board.

Here is a link that might be useful: bathroom photos

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

raehelen
14 years ago
Mary,

I couldn't access your photos. You may need to remove a password protection?

We are redoing our basement BR, and had a vanity custom made and DH is doing the plumbing himself. We designed it to fit it all in. Carpenter did talk us out of our planned deep drawer for under the sink, and instead we have a 4" deep pullout shelf behind doors- just to prevent that problem and make it easier to fit all the plumbing in. WE have a 24" wide sink base with 2 12" drawer banks on either side. How wide is your sink part?
Related Discussions
Ikea Godmorgon vanity: can doors replace drawers?
Q
Comments (2)
I'd ask over at ikeafans.com. If anyone knows, they would.
...See More
My sink pipes will show. Are they avail in polished brass? Where?
Q
Comments (8)
It would be a crying shame to spend $627 on a vanity, not to mention another $1k or so by the time you acquire a vanity top, sink & faucet assembly then have it all cobbled in by a makeshift handyman solution such as recommended above. First off all, even though the afore mentioned solution would meet code the introduction of the two 1/4bends on the sink tailpiece would severely hamper the velocity of flow and thereby increase the risk of clogs in the drain line. Second, while the use of flex lines, or even the metal braid covered flex lines may be quick and easy to install in an exposed location they stick out like a sore thumb and shout "cheap & amateur", not to mention that despite their advertised claims, they are in fact the least reliable type of supply lines. In fact, in most areas where I have worked they are prohibited anywhere except in single family dwellings. Go to any reputable Plumbing Supply house and they can get you the tailpiece and P-trap fittings in polished Chrome, brushed chrome, Gold, polished copper, brushed copper, polished brass, brushed brass, polished bronze, brushed bronze, oil rubbed bronze, white enamel, black enamel and sometimes in red and blue enamel, not to mention some other specialty finishes. For the supply tubes you can get 3/8" brass tubing that is plated with the same finishes as the drain piping. Installing the brass tubing takes a bit of skill to install, but nothing that is beyond the ability of an intermediate DIY'er. To Install you would need a tubing cutter to cut the tubing to the correct length and perhaps a tubing bender to make any necessary bends in the tubing. The tubing is then connected to the faucet by means of a compression washer, friction washer and a cone washer ( all of which normally come supplied in the faucet assembly.) The line is then connected to the angle stop by means of a compression nut and tubing ferrule, which is also supplied with the new angle stop valve. I have on occasion found the specialty finishes on the shelf at Lowes, Home Depot or a local hardware store, and if they don't have what you want in stock, they can order it.
...See More
Can I get a new, powerful toilet with 1913 pipes underneath?
Q
Comments (11)
Hey All - Holy cow! Sorry... I'm not usually so dismissive - in fact I'm surprised I "ignored" everyone's comments as it appeared I did (although I did read and appreciate them, honestly - I just must have gotten distracted and either fallen asleep at my laptop which is sadly common (Queen of TMI) or else run off in a hurry! Easy to do with 3 kids underfoot. It probably sounds like I'm just making excuses...). What I failed to mention is that I'm in freak-out mode over here with yes leaking pipes, and this is in fact a coincidence. Our bathroom's above our dining room (well sits above part of the kitchen and part of the dining room) and the beautiful old unpainted wood above the swinging dining room door (leading to kitchen) is dripping onto the floor slowly. It's causing the wood above the door to expand and now the door won't close without rubbing. I'm worried about the beautiful wood and the moisture underneath (don't want rotting). I wouldn't be as concerned if it were painted - though would still be concerned of course. So I've seen 4 plumbers and the most reputable of them have said - after examining closely (we even have a big hole in our bathroom floor from previous owner leaving it that way after a plumbing repair, so that's helped them see more - including the fact that that ring under the toilet is dry) - that it's time to replace it all. There's some question as to whether the drain pipes are necessary and a lot of testing has been done by them to evaluate what's going on. But because our tub and sink drain so terribly anyway and things look shoddy (lots of evidence of past repairs), we've been advised to put new stuff in. They can also start with the supply lines and see what they see when the get up in the walls to do that and possibly just do that. What's funny is that I asked him to do your flushing thing Bus Driver and he went up there to do a few things including that - and I heard the toilet flush even - but now I can't remember what he said (blush)! I get way spacey when I feel overwhelmed... I apologize for acting so ungrateful and inconsiderate. Damn. The cost of plumbing alone (various bids and options depending on what we want to do) isn't as bad as I thought it was - not that it's going to be easy - but the demo and patching is where I have no idea what to expect price-wise (am waiting to hear back from people - just left messages). And if we rip out our lovely old floors :( it'll cost a fortune. Hoping to just find close-enough matching hexagonal tile and patch in...but I digress. Ha - great - meanwhile a lil' sprog has just come down from bed so I'm signing off YET AGAIN to get him down but will come back later. Thanks. and sorry again for my rudeness.
...See More
Advice needed: Kitchen in new house is ugly, has an awkward layout
Q
Comments (27)
Nice kitchen, Not ugly at all ... but a bit dark. On a budget, would not add tile now; instead rip off the old but repair/smooth the wall and paint all but the 4"-6" above the countertop as backsplash, which you could tile to coordinate with the countertop. Another exception to the painted wall might be the stove niche -- you could add a stainless steel panel the width of the stove, beginning just below stove top level and covering all the visible wall above the stove top. You could always add a hood to that later. Like the stove niche suggestion of Hannah Wolfson except would want a stainless steel panel above the stove and would want the electrical wiring for the lights to stay to connect a stove hood later ... so keep lights for now even if you don't add the hood now. Would create at least a countertop level with the top of the stove on each side of the stove. What you put beneath that would depend upon what that white unit left of the stove might be; however, if that white unit is something movable, create a pair of free standing base cabinets with countertops the same height as the stove top. Your kitchen windows do not have brown trim so ... if you want white trim around all your windows and doors and doorway openings, consider scrubbing all the brown trim throughout the house really well before painting them white.
...See More
marymt
Original Author
14 years ago
Ugh, having so much trouble with links! These sites fool me because my password is already loaded so they work for me - but no one else!

Trying this one....

Here is a link that might be useful: kids bath
MongoCT
14 years ago
The photos show up fine now, at least for me. Two conflicts, one is the trap, the other is the water valve.

If the drawers in the photo are pushed in all the way, it looks like can be overcome, it might take a combination of two things.

The trap looks fairly easy. Where the horizontal drain piece comes out of the wall, I'd cut that and add a 45 elbow to kick the p-trap to the left, away from the drawers and drawer slides. You'd have to get under there with a few pieces of PVC to see how much length here and there so that the trap still aligns with the sink drain tailpiece, but it should work fine.

The depth of the bottom drawer might still conflict with the protrusion of the 45 degree elbow though, if so, the easiest might be to either clip the back left hand crner of the drawer, or shorten the drawer length by an inch or two as needed.

The water supply valve? Without moving or changing it, it might just be easiest to clip the corner or shorten the depth of the top drawer.

The drawer slides can be left as-is, the hardware on the drawer boxes can be modified and relocated.

When I've built custom cabinets and there might be a plumbing conflict, I've added a vertical piece of wood inside the cabinet, secured to the cabinet top and bottom, and held a few inches, say 6" or so, away from the back wall of the cabinet. I'll then use shorter drawer slides with the back of the slide attached to the vertical piece.

Clipping a drawer corner is not a big deal. Neither is shortening a drawer. Then it's either modifying the existing drawer slide, or just installing a new and shorter drawer slide to make everything fit.

While it's not exactly the same as your situation, I do have a couple of photos of a "U" shaped drawer built to clear the bottom of a sink as well as the sink plumbing.
ladyamity
14 years ago
What Mongo did was brilliant! Wish I had seen these photos before we modified our drawers.

We removed the back of the drawers and pulled them forward (re-securing the back into the new space with wood glue and screws)....giving us a little less drawer space but making plenty of room for the trap and guts of the sink.
marymt
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks, All ... I went back to Home Depot and one of the workers is also a plumber; he said with this vanity, almost everyone has to move their pipes. We just had the tile floor installed, and of course we lost almost an inch in height. So this vanity with the bottom drawer and two large side drawers is unlikely to work without modification. I'm printing out Mongo's solution for the plumber when he gets here, and we are also getting a second vanity from Lowes to have on hand in case. That's the great thing about HD and Lowes -- you can return stock items....
Marilyn Aliperti
7 years ago
When you cut out the drawer in the back of a vanity to fit the existing pipes does that jeopardise the integrity of the drawer and the stability it may put on the self closing mechanism? We are now having a problem with the glides and the drawer will not shut entirely, and will not soft close by itself. Have tried to fix to no avail. Any suggestions? Drawer was not reinforced, just cut out to adjust for the pipes.

New vanity has drawers where pipes are.

marymt
Original Author

Comments (7)

raehelen

Related Discussions

marymt
Original Author

MongoCT

ladyamity

marymt
Original Author

Marilyn Aliperti

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

New vanity has drawers where pipes are.

marymtOriginal Author

Comments (7)

raehelen

Related Discussions

marymtOriginal Author

MongoCT

ladyamity

marymtOriginal Author

Marilyn Aliperti

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

marymt
Original Author

marymt
Original Author

marymt
Original Author