Plumbing thru the wall

[MUTiger]

I have a Red Sea Reefer 250 on the way. I am going to put it in my study on a wall that backs up to a bathroom on the other side of the wall (see picture). I hate the chore of water changes and lugging buckets thru the house. I am trying to figure a way to drill thru the wall into the bathroom plumbing to drain the tank each time I want to do a water change. I would appreciate any help in this endeavor. I am a novice so if you have a solution please be specific as far as parts needed to accomplish this goal. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[hijinks7]

So first are you on a sewer system or do you have a septic system? Salt water is horrible to a septic system so don't drain into one if you're on a septic.

As for plumbing just take a really long thin drill bit where you want your pipes to come out in the bathroom and drill it through to the next room. You might have to lower your P-trap a bit to fit in a union before the P-trap. You want the union above the P-trap to keep sewer gas out. Those connections from your sink are all twist on/off so you just loosen the nuts and the pipe(s) come right apart.

 

[MUTiger]

We are on the City sewar system, not septic. What is a P-trap?

 

[Sacohen]

A P-trap is the section that dips down and then back up.
When you look at it from the side it looks like a P.
There is always water in there that keeps the sewer gas from coming back into the house.

 

[MUTiger]

Ok. Got it. So I need to drill into the sink plumbing above the P-trap and connect a pipe/ flexible tube? Do I then put a pump in the sump and turn it on to drain water when I want to do a water change?

 

[Mandelstam]

I would be careful so you don't risk pushing in dirty water from your sink into your sump...

 

[MUTiger]

I assume there is some type of in line one way flow valve that would prevent any backflow of water or sewar gas getting back into the sump/tank.

 

[hijinks7]

Install a check valve which only allows the flow one way

 

[MUTiger]

Here is what I gather so far. Drill thru from wall where tank will be in the study into the bathroom under sink cabinet. Drill a hole into bathroom sink drain above the P-trap and install a fitting into this hole. Feed flexible tubing thru the hole in the wall and onto fitting on the sink drain. Put a check valve in the line to prevent backflow.

On the tank side can I add a pump to the flexible tubing and place the pump in the sump and then whenever I want to do a water change just turn on the pump and pump out 10 gallons?

 

[Mandelstam]

Here is what I gather so far. Drill thru from wall where tank will be in the study into the bathroom under sink cabinet. Drill a hole into bathroom sink drain above the P-trap and install a fitting into this hole. Feed flexible tubing thru the hole in the wall and onto fitting on the sink drain. Put a check valve in the line to prevent backflow.

On the tank side can I add a pump to the flexible tubing and place the pump in the sump and then whenever I want to do a water change just turn on the pump and pump out 10 gallons?

I would add a ball valve at the sink side as well and keep it closed between water changes.
Check valves can fail.

 

[hijinks7]

The hole under the sink doesn't have to be above the p-trap since you are using a pump to push the water into the drain.. You just want the union into the drain to be above the p-trap. Something like this

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Charlot...omb-Wye-and-1-8-Bend-PVC005011000HD/203396239

Its not that since that's pvc but they make connectors like that where you get the sink drain lines. I used one for my washing machine. The straight part would be your drain and your water from you tank would go into the bend.. Just be sure to put a check valve somewhere on the line so water won't siphon back into your sump

 

[MUTiger]

I obviously want to make the hole in the wall as small as possible. My wife would appreciate this as well (she doesn’t know my plans). Would something as small as airline type tubing work?

 

[RichReef]

Buy a kitchen sink drain with a "Y" in it for a dishwasher drain. This will eliminate the need for you to create an additional P trap. You can attach a nylon tube to the Y. Be careful when drilling your hole in the wall. Once you make it through the first drywall section, look inside to be sure there is no wiring or plumbing. Then you can finish the drilling. Attach a ball valve on the tank side, then a pump. Turn pump on first, then open ball valve to drain. Close ball valve before turning off pump. Those steps aren't really necessary if the sink isn't running. Just a precaution. A maxijet should work just fine. TLF ball valves are great for nylon.

You may have to use an adapter or 2 to go from 1 1/4 to 1 1/2.

That's what I would do.

EDITED....

If you are looking to keep the line as thin as possible you can buy a section of PVC threaded on the side and install a John Guest fitting and just use RO line with a valve in it. Use a maxijet.

 

[Ridgeway]

So one side of the wall is an aquarium and the other side is this sink ? where does that waste water pipe go then ??? unless it goes through a cavity in the wall the it's already on the other side where the aquarium is.

 

[tank o tang]

Sheetrock is soft. To make life easy take a hammer and tap or twist a screw driver through the wall under the bathroom vanity this way you don't drill into a stud, vent pipe, feed line, wire, etc. Can save you alot of headache if unfamiliar with the houses construction.

 

[MUTiger]

So one side of the wall is an aquarium and the other side is this sink ? where does that waste water pipe go then ??? unless it goes through a cavity in the wall the it's already on the other side where the aquarium is.

Yes, The waste water pipe goes into the wall between the bathroom and the study and then down to a finished part of the basement with a Sheetrock ceiling. No way to get to the pipe in the wall without tearing a hole in the wall.

 

[foxt]

Buy a kitchen sink drain with a "Y" in it for a dishwasher drain. This will eliminate the need for you to create an additional P trap. You can attach a nylon tube to the Y. Be careful when drilling your hole in the wall. Once you make it through the first drywall section, look inside to be sure there is no wiring or plumbing. Then you can finish the drilling. Attach a ball valve on the tank side, then a pump. Turn pump on first, then open ball valve to drain. Close ball valve before turning off pump. Those steps aren't really necessary if the sink isn't running. Just a precaution. A maxijet should work just fine. TLF ball valves are great for nylon.

You may have to use an adapter or 2 to go from 1 1/4 to 1 1/2.

That's what I would do.

EDITED....

If you are looking to keep the line as thin as possible you can buy a section of PVC threaded on the side and install a John Guest fitting and just use RO line with a valve in it. Use a maxijet.

This sounds about right. You are not pumping a lot of water great distances, so the maxijet and RO tubing connecting through a John Guest fitting to a Y dishwasher drain will work. I like the suggested valve/pump operation as well.

You need to be careful about where you drill the hole. Sometimes DWV systems defy what seems logical. It is possible that there is a vent line for the sink drain that runs in the wall vertically above where that drain enters the wall. It is also possible that the drain line may run horizontally from where it enters, depending on what other fixtures it was connected to (are there tubs, toilets, showers in the same room?). There are standard approaches to how these things are plumbed, but you really never know.

It would be best to do a little investigating before you drill the hole. You could locate the studs by tapping on the wall to listen for a change in sound, or shining a flashlight along the wall looking for places where screws/nails attach the drywall to the framing. You could also carefully remove a small square of sheetrock where you plan to drill, just to get a look inside the wall.

How do you plan on getting replacement water in to the tank?

 

[MUTiger]

This sounds about right. You are not pumping a lot of water great distances, so the maxijet and RO tubing connecting through a John Guest fitting to a Y dishwasher drain will work. I like the suggested valve/pump operation as well.

You need to be careful about where you drill the hole. Sometimes DWV systems defy what seems logical. It is possible that there is a vent line for the sink drain that runs in the wall vertically above where that drain enters the wall. It is also possible that the drain line may run horizontally from where it enters, depending on what other fixtures it was connected to (are there tubs, toilets, showers in the same room?). There are standard approaches to how these things are plumbed, but you really never know.

It would be best to do a little investigating before you drill the hole. You could locate the studs by tapping on the wall to listen for a change in sound, or shining a flashlight along the wall looking for places where screws/nails attach the drywall to the framing. You could also carefully remove a small square of sheetrock where you plan to drill, just to get a look inside the wall.

How do you plan on getting replacement water in to the tank?

I like tank o tangs idea of pushing a long screwdriver through the sheet rock from the study to under the bathroom sink. That should avoid drilling into wiring or plumbing that is in the wall.

As far as getting replacement water in the tank, that may require the old fashioned 5 gallon white jug method (one of my most hated parts of reef maintenance). My RO unit is in the unfinished part of the basement which is far from where the tank will be set up. Any better ideas?

So RO tubing thru the wall. Under the sink hook the RO tubing to a threaded John Guest fitting and then to a Y dishwasher drain pipe. On the tank side is there a pump that will connect to RO tubing?

 

[ensano]

I would advise from having a complete connection from your sewer line to your tank. There really should be a separation from your drain plumbing.

Just an idea but you probably plump to a dog hose that you keep coiled under the sink. When you want to drain out the hose in the bathroom sink and drain. When don coil the hose bank under the sink. This solves any backflip issues.

 

[jsker]

I just drilled a hole in the wall, and ran the drain line outside