How to Add a Drain Line to a Basement Sewer Pipe

Check with your utility provider or municipal planning department to see whether adding a drain requires a work permit. Often work that involves the sewer line requires you to apply and pay for a permit.

Locate the area of the existing sewer pipe where you want to connect the new drain. Mark the pipe with a marker where you want the Y-fitting to be located, and make a second mark four inches away. This is the section that will be cut out.

Put on protective gloves and a respirator and cut on the two lines that you marked using a hacksaw or electric pipe cutting tool. Remove the cut section of pipe and discard.

Clean the edges of the cut pipe with a fine-grit sandpaper and wipe the edges down with a clean cloth.

Coat the inside of a Y-fitting with PVC primer. Allow the primer to dry, which takes about one minute.

Apply a layer of PVC cement to the inside of the straight pipe connections on the Y-fitting. Do not apply cement to the angled opening yet.

Press one end of the Y-fitting over one side of the cut sewer pipe and gently pull up on the two ends of the pipe to slip the second pipe into the other side of the fitting. Make sure the angled opening on the Y-fitting is pointed in the direction of the new drain connection.

Apply a layer of PVC cement to the inside of the angled opening on the Y-fitting and press a section of PVC pipe into the fitting. Measure, cut and glue additional sections of pipe until you reach the drain line.