We've just had a new toilet installed and the new toilet's waste pipe is lower than the cast iron soil pipe. My installer has used a flexi pipe to connect the toilet waste upwards to the soil pipe. Am I right to be concerned about the upwards connection, and the use of a flexi pipe? The cast iron soil pipe is about 1 inch higher than the toilet waste pipe. What might a good solution be?
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- May 23, 2015
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Need to raise the toilet
That flexi isn’t acceptable either look at that sharp bend
Get the installer back
That flexi isn’t acceptable either look at that sharp bend
Get the installer back
Thanks for your quick reply. When you say the flexi isn't acceptable, is that the silver clean water pipe?
And by raising the toilet would that mean putting it on a plinth?
Also, any thoughts on the use of the flexible pan connector? I've read a few things about them not being very good.
Thanks
Neither the Flexi water pipe or the Flexi soil pipe are acceptable.
The soil pipe will block withing a matter of weeks, or even days.
The soil pipe will block withing a matter of weeks, or even days.
- May 23, 2015
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Yes too sharp of a bend (looks kinked) they tend to split when it’s done like that
Yes or could you raise the floor ?
There ok not the best tho but not installed like that
Yes or could you raise the floor ?
There ok not the best tho but not installed like that
We could raise the floor a bit - how much to you think it would need?
I can't help thinking that we should have been advised to get a wall hung pan that could have been put at the correct level needed instead of messing with the floor level or a plinth!
- May 23, 2015
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Thanks for your replies.
If we can't raise the floor and I don't want a plinth, should I ask for re-installation with a different toilet, say a wall hung one that can be put at the correct height?
If we can't raise the floor and I don't want a plinth, should I ask for re-installation with a different toilet, say a wall hung one that can be put at the correct height?
- May 23, 2015
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I bought that toilet, however I did send the link to the installer first to confirm it would work and the installed had viewed the bathroom and said it was ok to order.
- May 23, 2015
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TBH sounds like both at fault measure the height of the existing pipe off the floor what’s the distance ?
Middle of the new toilet pipe is at 185mm above the floor not sure what the middle of the existing pipe is but the difference between the bottom of both pipes is about 25mm.
To be honest this is the first toilet I have ever had installed and I had no idea that this was even a concern, I was relying on my installer to tell me what I had to consider in choosing a toilet that would work for my situation.
To be honest this is the first toilet I have ever had installed and I had no idea that this was even a concern, I was relying on my installer to tell me what I had to consider in choosing a toilet that would work for my situation.
Wall hung pan takes lot longer to install, don`t expect it for the same price as a floor sitting pan & cistern. Put it on a plinth and the kink in the braided flexi might also be removed by raising the pan & cistern.
Impossible to guess from here, needs to be eyes on to see what there is there to work with.
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Rubber roll which is 3mm and I think it can be laid directly on the concrete, so won't in itself raise the floor much.
So install new toilet pan & cistern to existing pipes - Yes?
Wooden boxing around new toilet -Yes?
Replace basin & taps in original postion -Yes?
Remove existing flooring?
Any other work? Lights & switches?
Erm, where did you find this plumber. Was is a local website such as Mybuilder? Guess he hit the problem and couldn`t figure out a better way of getting around said problem.
Did they say nothing at all to you about it before they left, take it you`ve paid them and they aren`t taking your calls now.
I'm having quite a bit of work done so it is my contractor's guy (found the contractor on Mybuilder). I think you are right. He didn't say anything about it during the installation and is now insisting it is fine. I just wish that when he realised there was a problem he had not gone ahead with the installation and got me to return the toilet and order one that worked for the situation.
Apologies if its been mentioned , the first thing a pro would do when fitting a new toilet, is measure / suss out the outlet .
The cast iron soil pipe stuck out from the wall by quite a lot, and because this can't be moved we had to have a box to meet the back of the toilet/cistern.
Could have been cut back! Not hard work.
As TFJ said above, first thing with any bathroom is the wc soil pipe. Dictates your toilet or the amount of work required to get a toilet to fit.
I've seen a piece of ply cut to same size as wc footprint, sanded, filled and painted white. Not done it myself though.
As TFJ said above, first thing with any bathroom is the wc soil pipe. Dictates your toilet or the amount of work required to get a toilet to fit.
I've seen a piece of ply cut to same size as wc footprint, sanded, filled and painted white. Not done it myself though.
As above, seen wood underneath but this one was same shape as the footprint but slightly larger allowing the top 20mm to be chamfered to the size of the pan, it was then stained and varnished and looked good.
I'd use marine ply For under the pan not wbp - worth it in the long run you really don't want to be revisiting it.
Get your mybuilder chappy to fit?
Normal wbp doesn't do so well long term.
Get your mybuilder chappy to fit?
Normal wbp doesn't do so well long term.
Raised a few loos with plinths in my time looks good if you get it right.
You really don't want a wall hung pan on anything other than a solid wall in my opinion. What is the wall behind the boxing made of?
If you can get a frame in there like a Geberit one then happy days but you will be paying a lot more than you have so far.
You really don't want a wall hung pan on anything other than a solid wall in my opinion. What is the wall behind the boxing made of?
If you can get a frame in there like a Geberit one then happy days but you will be paying a lot more than you have so far.
Have not read all the post so apologies if you have answered this ready is that 4” at 45degrees out the wall?
If you were to use slightly more than average toilet paper every flush I reckon you might cause a blockage before the roll of paper reached the end 😉
All in the name of testing of course 😛
All in the name of testing of course 😛
So if we raise the floor, or put the toilet on a plinth, will all my problems be solved? Also get a shorter pipe to fix the kink in the clean water pipe.
We also wanted the toilet more to the right (when looking at it straight on) and my contractor says this will need an angled pipe (replacement of the black connector). The old toilet used to be more to the right, with an angled connector so hopefully this shouldn't cause a problem.
We also wanted the toilet more to the right (when looking at it straight on) and my contractor says this will need an angled pipe (replacement of the black connector). The old toilet used to be more to the right, with an angled connector so hopefully this shouldn't cause a problem.
- May 23, 2015
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After seeing the photos and the OP`s comment about where the old toilet was postioned before I agree.
Can I just tell my contractor to raise the floor, straighten the clean water pipe, use a non flexi waste connector and buy an angled connector to move the toilet to the right?
Those are all reasonable things to do and I don't know why they couldn't have done all that the first time round. If this was a DIY job I'd say "Well done, you've done well to get this far, just need to address a couple of issues" but for a plumber to do this, I'd be asking if he really was a plumber.
We've got the toilet not positioned where you want it, a pan connector running up hill (water flows down hill, a plumber should understand that ;-) a kinked flexi on the cold feed and and two soldered joints left in a state.
Those soldered joints need cleaning up too, the flux left all over it stands a good chance of corroding the pipe over time.
This is surely installed by a builder and not a plumber? I genuinely hate criticising other people's work and usually keep my nose out of it but these are basic things and they are not done right.
Give them a chance to put things right and only get annoyed if they can't or won't.
We've got the toilet not positioned where you want it, a pan connector running up hill (water flows down hill, a plumber should understand that ;-) a kinked flexi on the cold feed and and two soldered joints left in a state.
Those soldered joints need cleaning up too, the flux left all over it stands a good chance of corroding the pipe over time.
This is surely installed by a builder and not a plumber? I genuinely hate criticising other people's work and usually keep my nose out of it but these are basic things and they are not done right.
Give them a chance to put things right and only get annoyed if they can't or won't.
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It'd be worth cleaning any green staining off around the joints. It might be a bit baked on so one of those green fibrous scrubbing pads might come in useful in scrubbing that off. Just use a bit of warm water and a scrubbing pad and it'll clean up easily enough.
- May 23, 2015
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Hard to tell from the photos but the cast end looks a fair bit lower than what's been attached to it - if you got rid of that length of black plastic pipe and the rubber adaptor and see if the flexi will go straight into the cast (assuming it would fit - they sometimes do with the fins cut off).
Yep that is not right but you may as well leave it and see how it goes. The water in your toilet pan will be up higher but with the push of the water and hopefully fall on the soil pipe it should keep flushing away. Easy to sort flexi out just take it off and replace with longer one.
Good point, hadn't noticed that when I first looked at pic - the cast end does look lower. The rubber adapter is what's raising the height of flexi. I'd get rid and use a cast to plastic pipe adapter, then extend with 4" plastic pipe and appropriate pan connecter - maybe an offset one.
B
Burger
Also a little bit OTT on the solder.
Makes for a very ugly job.
(Teachers Note) Could do better!!!
Is it on ground floor? My nephew had a nasty call back to a ground floor toilet install he'd done with flexi connector, poo and wee had been leaking out since he installed it (he did a top job by the way) because rats decided to run up the pipe and chew a hole in the flexi, worth remembering that one.
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