Simple under-sink plumbing redirect

Question

I have a sliding trash can drawer that would just fit under my sink, were it not for the angle of the plumbing coming out of the sink trap. I could fit the can if the drain pipe—rather than going diagonally from the trap to the exit in the back of the cabinet—went straight to the back of the cabinet, made a right angle turn along the back wall, and then another right angle turn back into the hole.

I know nothing about plumbing, though. What do I need to know before doing this project, and what parts will I need? (I have a hacksaw for cutting pipe.) Is there an issue with adding right angle turns, or anything like that?

This seems simple but I also know that there are some plumbing jobs that must be done by licensed technicians—is this one of them for some reason?

Answer 1

It appears you have 2" pipe that is glued. I would suspect that the 2" pipe could handle the two 90 degree elbows but the problem is you have fitting glued right up against the wall.

It would likely require opening the drywall so you could work on/remove/replace that fitting. It appears the the plumbing in the wall is NOT straight forward as you have supply lines and an electrical box in close proximity to your drain line. (Where you drain line should be going down.)

All of that is to say that it is not simple. (Doable, but not simple.)

Is a plumber required, not necessarily.

Can you do it? If you have any mechanical aptitude you can.

Would it be quicker and less time consuming to hire a plumber? Probably.

How badly do you want a trash can in that space?

Answer 2

1. Typically you don't want to use 90 fittings on horizontal runs. You can use long sweep 90s or two 45s.
2. You need to maintain 2% slope or 1/4" per foot of horizontal run (not steeper, not shallower).
3. Working under the sink is a pia - this is where you get real value for money in hiring a plumber.
4. There is a critical trap arm distance (the max length of horizontal pipe after the trap to the vertical pipe it connects to) but you are unlikely to exceed it with your adjustments if it is currently to code.
5. You could probably just 45 off the 45 coming out from the wall to make 90 and then proceed from there.
6. Always dry fit first. PVC glue both sides of pipe when assembling. Hold for a bit when gluing as sometimes the glue will act to push the pipe out of the fitting.