No Hub Rubber mission couplings Code Violation or Not?

Plumbing Code Violations

No Hub Mission Couplings are Rubber sleeves that fit over your pipes  to be connected and is tightened with a hose clamp.  There are 2 types of Mission couplings Banded and Non- Banded.  Banded Couplings have a metal sleeve over the rubber coupling and non banded is just a rubber coupling with no metal sleeve around it.  If you hire a licensed plumber to do work for you they should know all plumbing codes in your area.
   
Non- Banded Mission Couplings                                               Banded Mission Couplings
                                               


Lets look at the positives of these products as a whole.

• These are both extremely flexible couplings that are well suited for tight spaces but the Non-Banded Couplings tend to  have slightly more flexibility.
• These Couplings create an excellent seal around pipes when tightened downed, regardless of pipe line up.
• The Stainless Steel banding clamps are the best protection against corrosion.  These clamps last for years with no noticeable corrosion whether under ground or in your home they are made of the best corrosive resistant material.  
• With a quality No-Hub rubber coupling the rubber is composed of Natural and Synthetic materials that are extremely Strong, Ductile, and Superior Weathering properties which means no dry rotting. 

So are these couplings CODE and Why?

The major concerns or risks of using these couplings.  Well under pressure the un-banded couplings can expand and possibly burst, leaking sewage.  As we all know raw aged sewage can be a huge health hazard that is not suited for people to be around.  The banded couplings on the other hand can with stand extreme pressure.  There are many different grades of  banded couplings that may withstand different pressure levels and applications.

So as far as the plumbing codes go, every local establishments have different requirements.  As a rule of thumb and many years of experience we know the un-banded couplings to be a code violation in most towns in Illinois.  So a skilled plumber will know your locals codes and if the are allowed.  In most cases these couplings are sufficient for low pressure drain systems.  As far as the banded couplings go there is still local codes that  may be against these types of connections.  The stainless bands can withstand extreme pressure & blow-outs and the numerous types of grades and applications.  Many of these banded couplings are approved for underground usage and are code approved.

Conclusion

In a nutshell your plumbing professional should be kin to your local plumbing code and should have a better sense of where and when these couplings should be used.  As I said though the un-banded are usually a code violation and the banded coupling are strong enough to be a code approved product.  If you are located in the Southside and suburbs of Chicago Illinois www.rcszaboplumbing.com will provide you with the best plumbing service at a reasonable price. 

Macerating Toilets Legal or Illegal

Is it against code to install a Macerating Toilet

Wanting to add a existing bathroom to your basement or your slab home is a major expense and project.  Traditional plumbing methods will require you to break up your concrete slab to run the drain lines under the concrete to an ejector pit.  From the ejector pit the the ejector pump, pumps the waste into your main sewer line and out of your home.  Average cost's of the traditional ejector system can vary in price depending on your current plumbing system.

Macerating Toilets have praised for how compact and convenient and a money saver they are.  They give many people the peace of mind of completing their project.  Up Flush toilets are extremely easy to put in and many times they can be hooked up and ready for service within a day.  Another benefit  is the extremely portable, if you had a recent thought of moving the bathroom that is no big deal.  With the easy set up just run the existing pipe to the new location and you are ready to go.  Many of the faults in the toilets have been worked out of them over the years, now the technology is close to perfected with minimal issues.

So why don't people install these toilets everywhere?

A recent call to place a bid on re-plumbing a basement bathroom left the homeowner stressed and baffled when the village inspector said it all had to be redone.  The homeowner explained he had a licensed plumber install the toilet and he did not understand why it is not up to code.  I did not have a  very good answer for him.  The village inspector said that all macerating toilets are not code in Illinois.  After I made it  home later that night I combed over the Illinois state plumbing code I did not uncover any information on the toilets being outlawed.  After searching the internet endlessly I could not uncover any information on this.  So what I did find out later is that many villages have local in house codes against them.

Why you might ask?  

Is to keep people from completing the jobs them selves, hiring un-licensed under qualified people from working, and to make sure work is done properly the first time.  Many times we have to bite the bullet and obey the codes in our village.  If you hired a experienced licensed plumber he will know that you should not install a macerating toilet in your home.  Plumbing codes have developed over the years and in many states macerating toilets are widely accepted but in Illinois especially in cook county we hold the most stringent building codes in the nation.  With that being said we must obey our state and local building codes.

So is it code to install a Up Flush system in your home?

The simple answer is check with your local plumbing inspector at your village hall.


So what will happen if I install this system in my home anyway?

If you ever plan on selling your home the inspector, if he notices, will make you take out the system and hard pipe it the right way.  The typical macerating system has a 1.5" vent line when all residential plumbing requires a 2" vent to your main vent stack which needs to be at least a 3" line.  So in addition to breaking up the concrete and running the drain pipes under your foundation to an ejector pit, you will need to take out the 1.5" vent pipe and replace it with 2".

Many times you will loose value to your home which you thought you added by adding the additional bathroom or you will spend the extra money if feasible to run the new plumbing for your bathroom.  Many people find it more cost effective at that point in order to sell there home they will remove there bathroom.  But a skilled licensed plumbing company can complete the whole job with in 2 days.

Hope you have the best of luck on your new bathroom addition, if you are located in the south suburbs of Chicago, IL you can check out www.RCSzaboPlumbing.com