[Master Mark]

Sometimes grinder and snips if necessary or you miss the mark a bit, but it’s hard to make look nice.
This will be a 4’ concrete trough lav S
View attachment 132723

I dont work with anything this involved, but my question is if I used one of those 3 or 4 inch fernco fittings on a line in
someones basement I would be worried about them sagging over time.....
I have seen them move and sag many times....


How come no hub clamps with full SS bands on them not used in this application????
Why would fernco fittings without full SS bands on them be passable and ok on work like you are doing???
are you putting some kind of leg or support under each one of them?

It all looks real good to me, I just did not think fernco fittings were kosher in commercial work

 

[Master Mark]

Those Fernco's are WRONG. They should not be there. Pvc/ci adapters and no hub couplings are correct. I bet you don't put a 10' head on those connections.

I was wondering about this fernco issue and if anyone else would chime in...

Not just the sagging issues but over time I have seen them loosen up
and need to be tightend down some more as they began to shrink and leak..

I have seen fernco fittings with the full SS band on them that would probably
have been a better choice...

I am lucky we can use pvc here in our state....
if that all has to be no-hub cast work it would be way more expensive .

 

[Master Mark]

Very nice work. I wish we could use pvc on commercial jobs in my state but I am ok with not being able to use ferncos. I completely understand that you’d probably prefer not to use them too but if that’s what the boss orders you don’t have a choice.

Now the question arises, does the lowly apprentice make a mention of this Fernco issue to his boss
and question the use of them?? Will he get in hot water for asking??
Or does the apprentice just let it slide and hope that the boss dont try to shift blame to him
on this fernco thing , if the inspectors catch this problem down the road..??.

So what do you do, what do you do>???
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Also on another note, are those wall mounted toilet carriers gonna hold up being
only 2x4 light construction steel in the walls to hold them??? I have seen them pull out of the
walls before?

 

[Master Mark]

The walls should never take the load of a properly mounted carrier fixture. The carrier is bolted to the floor and the 3/4 rods should have nuts and washers between the wall and the fixture carrying the load.

I have seen a few of these come through the drywall before. with the steel studs in the walls......
all you need is some heavy heffer's
slamming their asses down on those toilets for a few months in the ladies room
and they will begin to sag

 

[Master Mark]

And upon rereading the above specs both 1460 and 1461 call for shields, meaning that they are indeed wrong regardless of sag, support, or other stipulations.

Well, just dont be the guy to ask the inspectors about this issue...
that would not be beneficial.

Never, ever make the inspector look stupid.....by asking questions
he dont have the answer to---
it never goes well if you do this.....

 

[Master Mark]

The short answer is that ferncos have no place in new construction. The money you save using a fernco over a husky band or no-hub is lost because you need to support both sides of a fernco so it doesn't sag, this almost always means at least one hanger.

Even in a vertical situation, where you're almost always using a fernco to transition from plastic to cast iron, ferncos aren't ideal because over time they squeeze out thinner and won't be making a good seal when rust accumulates. Almost every fernco I've taken off cast iron had rust flakes stuck in the joint.

Don't get me wrong, I use ferncos alot for drain cleaning, almost as often as I use a no-hub, but they're always supported by at least some loops of hanging strap. Hanging strap is a bit wanky for a brand new building. For the 100yr old houses I work in, a fernco and strap is usually going to outlast the rest of the plumbing and often the homeowner.

I always like to throw a liberal amount of pro dope on the inside of every fernco fitting I have to install....
I also like to grease up the pipe real good too.... They DO get loose over time and I have had to tighten down a few

I know the pipe dope will lube up , fill the gaps and seal everything extra well,
and it will most likely last for the rest of my lifetime anyway....

 

[Master Mark]

When we want a fernco to be more permanent we will prime the pipe and give it ~30 seconds to dry, then put the fernco on. It bonds just enough. When you need to remove it, make a slice longways using a razor, it will peel right off leaving almost nothing behind.

Doesn't work with no-hubs because they are made from Neoprene.

I have used PVC glue on them before and that basically makes it impossible to remove
those fernco clamps down the road...

 

[Master Mark]

Back in the 80’s I fabbed up some no hub carrier hospital groups at the shop. Both soil and water piping and then transported them to the job. We used a no hub sealant made by Gaco. It really solidified the joints for transport. That and some strategically placed unistrut temporary braces. They were about 20’ long made in two sections. I see there is a similar product out there from Black Swan.

https://www.blackswanmfg.com/Category-04/No-Hub-Sealant.HTML

That black swan stuff brings back memories
We used to call it "Camel Jizz-umm" used to plaster
something like it onto all sorts of joints that had to be lubed up...