soil pipe - plastic or cast iron??

I have just recently sold my ground floor flat and the buyers surveyor has queried if my bathroom meets requirements. The bathroom had been changed and done up (removal of bath, shower cubical installation and removal of water tank) prior to my purchasing it. My solicitor appointed a company to assess the bathroom and i was told that my current plastic soil pipe must be replaced with a cast iron pipe. I have since had a plumber round, who tells me he'll do the work but if he was installing soil pipes they would be in plastic???
I'm a girl i've no idea, can anyone tell me if i'm wasting my money and should challenge the assessment???

ask your local building control.

it's plumbing not gas work?!?

The question is; Are the soil pipes internal or external.

If out side then he could well be right.

I have been saying this for years to DIYers.

For flats inside, if it passes through another floor then it has to be fire protected with collars, or mastic

ickleshell said:

it's plumbing not gas work?!?

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Still comes under Building control, and yes they can make you replace the cast iron.

And you don't want to know what that could cost

Challenge it under the law of "Solicitorum Anii" with your local Sheriff(scottish)..Why does solicitors breath smell....cus they talk out of their arses alegedly

ickleshell said:

I have just recently sold my ground floor flat and the buyers surveyor has queried if my bathroom meets requirements. The bathroom had been changed and done up (removal of bath, shower cubical installation and removal of water tank) prior to my purchasing it. My solicitor appointed a company to assess the bathroom and i was told that my current plastic soil pipe must be replaced with a cast iron pipe. I have since had a plumber round, who tells me he'll do the work but if he was installing soil pipes they would be in plastic???
I'm a girl i've no idea, can anyone tell me if i'm wasting my money and should challenge the assessment???

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Do I understand correctly ickleshell, when you originally purchased the property the bathroom and soil pipe had already been changed?

ickleshell said:

The bathroom had been changed and done up (removal of bath, shower cubical installation and removal of water tank) prior to my purchasing it.

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If so, and this installation is in contravention of the Regs then you may well have a case against your original surveyor (the one you used when you purchased the flat). He/she should have identified that the soil pipe was incorrect. It would however depend on the survey you had done as to whether it was covered in the survey. However, I am confused as you go on to say...

ickleshell said:

My solicitor appointed a company to assess the bathroom and i was told that my current plastic soil pipe must be replaced with a cast iron pipe.

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Was this at the time of your original purchase? If so, then the fault was identified and you have not taken action to rectify the situation.

More clarity is needed but whatever the case, it sounds as though you will have to replace the soil. Also, is the flat in a conservation area? If so, a challenge to the insistance of Cast Iron replacement I think would be unlikely to succeed.