Bathroom Plumbing Disconnect – The Easy Way
Plumbing Disconnect
You’re remodeling your bathroom and are finally ready to replace the old chipped vanity and dull and worn out shower surround. You want to demo the bathroom yourself to save money but your nervous of the live water pipes in the wall.
Don’t be – here’s a simple approach to performing a plumbing disconnect – the easy way.
Plumbing Disconnect Steps:
For the sink and toilet you can simply remove them from the bathroom and rely on their existing shut off valves or you can open the walls and cap the pipe.
Prior to doing any work shut off the water to the house and open the faucets at the highest level and lowest level to drain the water lines.
Vanity Sink Shut off and Disconnect:
- Turn off the two shut-off valves sticking out from the wall connected to the hot and cold water supply lines.
- Open the faucet and let the water drain out.
- Disconnect the sink water lines and drain pipe.
- Unscrew if applicable or cut the silicone if granite and lift off the counter top.
- Unscrew vanity cabinet from wall and remove.
- If you are capping the pipes in the wall open the wall to expose the pipes, cut the pipes and install a sharkbite plumbing connector. SharkBite Plumbing Connectors are brass fittings that use a push-fit technology that seals join copper, CPVC or PEX pipe. No soldering needed.
Toilet Shut Off And Disconnect:
- Turn off the shut-off valve sticking out from the wall connected to the toilet tank supply lines.
- Flush the toilet a few times to let the water drain out
- Use a wet vac to remove all excess water.
- Disconnect the water line
- Remove the two mounting bolts at the floor and lift toilet off the flange.
- Stuff a rag into the drain stub-out if you plan on using it again. The rag will block sewer gases.If you are capping the pipes in the wall open the wall to expose the pipes, cut the pipes and install a Sharkbite plumbing connector.
For showers and tubs the process is the same. You need to open the wall or floor to expose the water lines and cut them back.
Once all of the plumbing has been disconnected in this bathroom turn on the main water val ve slowly, turn off the open faucets and inspect for leaks.
Now you can gut the walls, ceiling and floor as needed to conduct your remodel.
