There is no upstairs and it is a flatroof home. It is a single 2" diameter pvc pipe that looks exactly like the drain pipe under the sink. It is in the wall and goes up to the ceiling. It is placed directly behind the faucet/drain of the bathroom sink. Is this like an airvent for the drain? I need to relocate it because it is where I need to place a lighting fixture box so it can be centered. Would it be ok to cut it above and below the space I need and rejoin it with a jog to the left, up and a jog to the right to reconnect it so I will be able to center the vanity light? Thanks.
Yes it is just a vent.. if it goes all the way thru the roof you could jog it around the light .. if it just ends up in the ceiling you could cut it off and 45 it off to the side and leave it
It's a vent to prevent the trap from being emptied by vacuum effect that can occur if the fixture is far from the main stack. You can move it but ideally it wouldn't have right angles, but rather a 45 or less at each turn
It's quite possible that it is a vent pipe - it could be from the toilet waste pipe venting out to the outside - Who ever installed it in the wall cavity did it for a reason, so as not to have it within the bathroom area making it obtrusive & an unsightly thing to walk around. Move it if you must but I wouldn't advise it, because you may have difficulty rejoining it, as PVC pipe you require a little bit of free way to make a complete seal in a confined space. Move the vanity light or get one that hangs out on a stork or arm. Cheers!!
That's the vent pipe. I had the exact same problem in one of the bathrooms in my home. Moving the pipe wasn't an option and I had already purchased the new light fixture so I was determined to make it work. I went to a local electrical supply business and they helped me. I bought a metal round electrical box to mount the fixture on that was only about a half inch thick. It fit into the thickness of the drywall itself and was wedged pretty tightly against the pipe. I think it was called an 'old work' style box. Those type of electrical boxes have wings on the sides that flip out with the turn of a screw and hold it tight to the drywall. There are a few different styles and brands of these boxes. Go to a local building supply or better yet electrical supply and ask about one of those boxes and they'll know what you need. You just carefully cut a round hole in the drywall just big enough for the box and run your wires into it and slip it in the hole and secure it. Works great! Good luck and I hope this helps!!
