World's Smallest Bathroom: Plumbing -- Cold's on the Right!

My husband likes to quote a plumber who once told him:
 "Plumbing's easy.  All you need to know is *waste (edited by me!) flows downhill, and cold's on the right." 

Well, it isn't quite THAT easy, but it is easier than you'd think.

And water supply lines are much easier than drain lines!

The pipes easiest for the DIYer is this CPVC available at Lowes, Home Depot etc. 

Most of the branches up to fixtures use 1/2" pipe like this one, while 3/4' is sometimes used closer to the water source or to accommodate greater water supply needs.

The great thing about this pipe -- it's much more flexible and requires less precision.

And it's much easier to cut (and more fun).

That doo-hickey is a pipe cutter -- just tighten where you want, and spin it around!

Connecting the pipes together is also much easier --

no worrying about sloping and angles.

 Water under pressure means it will push forward no matter if you go up, down, or round and round!  Choose whatever path you want to go from point A to point B.

You'll find you'll use mostly couplers, elbows, and tees.

But at the store you'll find a variety to suit your project -- and not very expensive!

The adhering together is the same as with the drain line --

first apply purple to surfaces being connected, then apply glue, then push and twist together to get a good fit.

Here's my bathroom project.

Because we had changed our design years before, the laundry pipes were in the bathroom area.

Since that's where my toilet's going, I had a built-in source of water -- literally!

I cut a small hole in the drywall to expose the cold water line (don't worry about the wall, I've got a plan).

Then, and this is very important, I SHUT OFF THE MAIN WATER VALVE!

Then I proceeded to cut the pipe using a very small version of a pipe cutter.  

Or you could use this type pipe cutter, you pinch it like a pliers.

Also, I had first placed a rag around the pipe.

Even though the water is no longer under pressure, it will be IN the pipes and will spill out a bit.

So my pipe is cut.

Hey!  Where'd my bottom go?.....

Actually it fell into the basement

(see what I mean, supply lines are much more free to do their own thing!). 

While I gave it a little push up from below, my husband duct taped it in place to keep it from misbehaving.

NOTE TO SELF:  Next time, duct tape FIRST.  Then it won't even fall through.

Then I just inserted a tee between the two cut ends.

(Whoa.  Looks like someone got a little crazy with the purple stuff.)

Glued a section of pipe into the tee.

And because I wasn't ready to add the valve yet, I added a cap to the open end. 

I gave it 30 minutes to dry and turned water back on.

YAY!  No evidence of leakage!

For my sink lines I started in the basement at the closest water source.

Okay, you might have busted me -- I didn't cut into these lines yet.

But they're ready to go, and I will -- eventually.  For now I just need my supply lines placed. 

So I just went over, turned with "elbows", and then, again using elbows, went up through the floor.

In the bathroom I used a special elbow that came with "wings".

That allowed me to attach to wall for a more secure fit.

Because the water was not "live" in these pipes, there was no rush to finish up.

So later, after putting up my drywall, I decided to add the valve.  

I needed the plastic adapter, the metal valve, teflon tape, and pliers.

Because the plastic goes into metal, you must first wrap the threaded section with teflon tape. 

This provides a kind of buffer between the two. 

Then you can screw the two pieces together.  Tighten with pliers for a good seal. 

Now you can get out the purple and glue again and attach to the pipe.

I even remembered to first slip on the round metal wall flange for a nice finished look.

(Of course there are ones that can go on after -- still)

And that's about it! 

Much easier than drain lines!

Don't be afraid to give it a try.

Just remember -- always shut off water before cutting a line, check for leaks before closing in a wall, and .... oh yeah....Cold's on the Right! 

Midge