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Discussion Forum

Pedestal sinks/ air registers

user-223998 | Posted in General Discussion on April 19, 2007 05:43am

I’m pretty new to renovations, so does anyone have any ideas on the following. I’m replacing the vanity in my bathroom and want to put a pedestal sink in to replace it, the only thing is the air register is right below where the sink has to go ( the bathroom is small so i can’t really move the sink anywhere else ). Is moving the register a difficult job? any advice would be much appreciated

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  1. grpphoto | Apr 19, 2007 06:39pm | #1

    Moving the register can be extremely difficult, especially if it's in a wall. The duct which supplies it either comes into the wall from above the ceiling or below the floor. It typically is oval, but it may be round. A wall in a typical frame house has a 2x4 at the bottom and two 2x4s at the top. These will have been cut to allow the duct to pass through.

    The duct usually takes a 90 degree bend under the floor or above the ceiling and runs over to the nearest place where it can connect to the main trunk in the system. If it goes under the floor and there is a room below the bath, you'll have to remove part of the ceiling of that room to access it. If it goes over the ceiling and there's a room above it, you'll have to remove the bathroom ceiling. You'll have to remove the wallboard at the location of the new register.

    Let's just assume that it runs below the floor. At the new location, you'll have to cut through the wall sill to get the duct into the wall. You'll have to disconnect the existing duct at the point at which it turns upwards to enter the wall. You'll have to install the register box between two wall studs and run new ductwork to connect the new register to the existing duct. If there's a room below the bathroom, this new ductwork must be run in the same space between joists as the old duct occupies.

    Things get easier if the supply ductwork is accessible and/or if you elect to use floor or ceiling registers instead of wall registers.

    George Patterson, Patterson Handyman Service

  2. grpphoto | Apr 19, 2007 06:41pm | #2

    Whatever you do, don't cut notches in the floor joists to run the ductwork across them. Someone did that in my house.

    George Patterson, Patterson Handyman Service

  3. DanH | Apr 19, 2007 06:41pm | #3

    Is the register in the floor or in the wall? Which way do the floor joists run? Is it accessible from below?

    If the register is in the wall it's generally going to be difficult to move it horizontally. In the floor you can probably move it one direction or the other in the direction of the floor joists, but you can't readily "jump" across a joist.

    But even moving in the direction of floor joists may be a challenge if you can't open up much of the floor and/or open the ceiling below. It can generally be done but involves the equivalent of orthoscopic surgery.

    So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
  4. User avater
    JDRHI | Apr 19, 2007 06:52pm | #4

    As grpphoto has shown, moving the vent may be quite involved.

    How small is this small bathroom?

    Can you do without a register in that room?

    Might be easier to do away with it altogether.

    J. D. Reynolds
    Home Improvements

     

     


    1. DanH | Apr 19, 2007 07:05pm | #5

      Or it may be that a totally new vent can be installed elsewhere in the room, connecting to ductwork to an adjacent room.
      So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin

  5. FastEddie | Apr 19, 2007 07:58pm | #6

    Throw away the pedestal part of the new sink, and build a shallow cabinet to hold the sink portion.  Make the cabinet only deep enough to cover the drain lines, the front of the bowl will hang over the cabinet by several inches.

    "Put your creed in your deed."   Emerson

    "When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it."  T. Roosevelt

    1. DanH | Apr 19, 2007 08:07pm | #7

      Actually, if the register is big enough (so there's still enough airflow) you can probably just set the pedistal on top of it, possibly with a little internal bracing.
      So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin

      1. User avater
        JDRHI | Apr 19, 2007 10:01pm | #8

        That would likely, look like crap.

        J. D. ReynoldsHome Improvements

         

         

        1. DanH | Apr 19, 2007 11:23pm | #9

          Depends on how creative you can be, I suppose.
          So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin

          1. FastEddie | Apr 20, 2007 01:23am | #11

            Unless tha pedestal is shorter than normal, the basin height would be raised by the thickness of the vent box."Put your creed in your deed."   Emerson

            "When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it."  T. Roosevelt

          2. DanH | Apr 20, 2007 01:31am | #12

            I wasn't proposing boxing in the vent, though that's an option to consider.
            So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin

      2. grpphoto | Apr 24, 2007 06:13am | #17

        And the drain goes through the ductwork, I presume?George Patterson, Patterson Handyman Service

        1. DanH | Apr 24, 2007 06:24am | #18

          Generally the drain goes out the back. Otherwise you have a problem with the trap.
          So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin

          1. grpphoto | Apr 24, 2007 06:35am | #19

            Yeah, the drain goes out the back. Then it takes a 90 and goes down through the wall. Right through the heating duct.George Patterson, Patterson Handyman Service

          2. User avater
            BillHartmann | Apr 24, 2007 06:43am | #20

            I have installed two pedestal sinks.In both cases the stack that they drained into was 20-30" to the side.If there had been a heat vent in that bay there would not have been any problems..
            .
            A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.

  6. BryanSayer | Apr 19, 2007 11:37pm | #10

    I have an old (10" X 14") register behind my pedestal and it works fine.

    An alternative might be to use either an electric baseboard/wall unit (eliminating the register) or a heat lamp.

    Or if you are putting in a tile floor, maybe a heat mat, if you can find one that is sufficient to provide heat, and not just warm the tiles.

  7. Ragnar17 | Apr 20, 2007 10:01am | #13

    Murphy m,

    I had a similar problem, and ended up building a "box"  for the pedestal to rest on.  I built the box of 3/4" plywood and then ran baseboard trim around it so that it integrated with the bathroom trim.  Then I cut in a vent right on the front face. 

    This solution ended up having two major side benefits:

    1) The sink was high enough to be comfortable (so many pedestals are VERY low)

    2) The warm air was delivered right to your feet while you're standing at the sink -- very comfy! ;)

    1. DanH | Apr 20, 2007 01:19pm | #14

      And note that with the box approach the height of the box need not be more than about two inches, so long as the width is sufficient to provide a reasonable amount of louver area.
      So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin

      1. user-223998 | Apr 24, 2007 04:12am | #15

        thanks for everyone's advice on this matter. I have taken up the floor and extended the venting so it just goes past where the sinks needs to go, just lucky the joists run parallel to the venting. Thanks again

        1. FastEddie | Apr 24, 2007 05:11am | #16

          Doesn't it feel good when you just go ahead and bite the bullet and do the job right."Put your creed in your deed."   Emerson

          "When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it."  T. Roosevelt

          1. user-223998 | Apr 25, 2007 03:25am | #21

            sure does!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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