# Cabling cottage tees



## hewhodigsholes (Oct 28, 2020)

Any tricks to getting a cable through a cottage (side inlet) tee? Tried all the techniques I knew: reversing the cable for a moment, slowly hand feeding, even switched to a drop head on a smaller cable. No dice.

Didn't really matter in this case as the main line was that pressed tar stuff (Orangeburg?) and ran right under an oak tree. I'd just like the info for the future as the builders around here love those tees for pier and beam houses.


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

Crow’s nest? That’s what it’s called out here if I’m what you’re talking about. Kink, and get the distance to make the drop right.

I’ve come across orangeburg out here. I tell them they need to have it dug.


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

What the heck is a cottage tee?


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

Cottage tee....there you go


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

Tango said:


> What the heck is a cottage tee?


It's a tee where the middle leg is pointing down and each run has a sweep toward the leg. Should be illegal, and even where it ain't many inspectors won't allow it or will require a cross tee with a Cleanout on the vertical leg.


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## The cable guy (Oct 31, 2020)

Like open sights said kink the cable and rotate the drum til the cable is facing down then hand feed. If you’re dealing with a sewer it may be easier just to find the line with a probind rod digging it up and knocking a hole in it. If the lines orange burg you’re not even really hurting it as any drain cleaning done is just basically buying them time till they can replace the line.


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

hewhodigsholes said:


> Any tricks to getting a cable through a cottage (side inlet) tee? Tried all the techniques I knew: reversing the cable for a moment, slowly hand feeding, even switched to a drop head on a smaller cable. No dice.
> 
> Didn't really matter in this case as the main line was that pressed tar stuff (Orangeburg?) and ran right under an oak tree. I'd just like the info for the future as the builders around here love those tees for pier and beam houses.


I've had to deal with these and cross tees before and they make me want to murder people. The best I have done is bending a crescent head some more and then feeding the snake in by hand with a camera next to it so I can watch when the head catches the leg and I can push.

Without a camera it's luck.


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

The cable guy said:


> Like open sights said kink the cable ..........


Bending a head is cheaper.


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## hewhodigsholes (Oct 28, 2020)

Tango said:


> What the heck is a cottage tee?


These monstrosities, also called side inlet tees I believe:


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

hewhodigsholes said:


> These monstrosities, also called side inlet tees I believe:
> ......


I was thinking of a bullhead tee.


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## Frodo (Mar 12, 2021)

LOVE LOVE LOE ME SOME side outlet TEES
makes a bathroom rough quick


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## The Dane (Feb 19, 2015)

Its called a side inlet tee here. Not used very often at all any more. It's mostly for replacing an existing one in a stack vented castiron stack. I actually have one right here in the basement that I was going to replace for a lady but It fell through so I have it sitting for next time I come across one a few years from now probably.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk


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## The Dane (Feb 19, 2015)

Actually it was supposed to replace a normal cast iron tee that went to a toilet 90 with side inlet. It was basically redoing it in the original stack vent just in a slightly different configuration.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk


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## TerryTotoSucks (5 mo ago)

hewhodigsholes said:


> These monstrosities, also called side inlet tees I believe:
> View attachment 128905


Wisconsin fitting. The 2” side inlet is above the center line of the 3” to maintain the vent. 

It’s commonly used for a bathroom group. The 2” would be used for a tub or shower. The 3” horizontal would be the toilet. The lavatory would come from the top. 

So you get all three fixtures vented with one stack. 

Very common to find those in my area going way back 75+ yrs.


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

skoronesa said:


> It's a tee where the middle leg is pointing down and each run has a sweep toward the leg. Should be illegal, and even where it ain't many inspectors won't allow it or will require a cross tee with a Cleanout on the vertical leg.


Double ell and they are legal but you would be hard pressed to have a situation to use one


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

TerryTotoSucks said:


> Wisconsin fitting. The 2” side inlet is above the center line of the 3” to maintain the vent.
> 
> It’s commonly used for a bathroom group. The 2” would be used for a tub or shower. The 3” horizontal would be the toilet. The lavatory would come from the top.
> 
> ...


That’s gypsy wagon plumbing


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## TerryTotoSucks (5 mo ago)

sparky said:


> That’s gypsy wagon plumbing


It works perfect and has for years. Time tells all.


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## rooterboy (Jul 16, 2009)

hewhodigsholes said:


> Any tricks to getting a cable through a cottage (side inlet) tee? Tried all the techniques I knew: reversing the cable for a moment, slowly hand feeding, even switched to a drop head on a smaller cable. No dice.
> 
> Didn't really matter in this case as the main line was that pressed tar stuff (Orangeburg?) and ran right under an oak tree. I'd just like the info for the future as the builders around here love those tees for pier and beam houses.


If it is a stoppage I would try the Kinetic water ram either general or Milwaukee now makes one, not any help with the snake but could clear the drain, I have had luck with mine.


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## Logtec (Jun 3, 2018)

rooterboy said:


> If it is a stoppage I would try the Kinetic water ram either general or Milwaukee now makes one, not any help with the snake but could clear the drain, I have had luck with mine.


I have been very successful with using my “kinetic water ram” for basin/vanity’s, laundry tubs, tub/showers and shower drains. 
I’ve cleared a few toilets with the KWR’s “w/c adaptor”(using a garbage bag to cover the toilet bowl with a hole in It for the KWR to fit into the bowl).

BUT my KWR has a zero percent success rate for clearing blocked kitchen drains.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

So what am I missing here? Why doesn't a drop-head on the end of the cable work when cabling down stream from the p-trap of the tub drain? Once the drop-head reaches the inside of the 3" san. tee, it will turn down.

Enlighten me.


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## hewhodigsholes (Oct 28, 2020)

Tommy plumber said:


> So what am I missing here? Why doesn't a drop-head on the end of the cable work when cabling down stream from the p-trap of the tub drain? Once the drop-head reaches the inside of the 3" san. tee, it will turn down.
> 
> Enlighten me.


In this case, I was running a Spartan 300 with .55 cable and a 2" C cutter down a closet bend, which went into the 3" inlet. It kept jamming up in the side inlet regardless of the direction I ran the drum. Probably didn't help that it was all cast iron too.

A drop head would likely help, but I didn't have one for that 300, and the 100 wasn't cutting it.


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