Adjusting metal soil pipe
- Thread starter Jupiter01
- Start date
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sorry I don't know. Test your soil pipe. Is it galvanised? Cast iron? Something else?
Have a look under the floor is case there is a blanked off connector.
If you own the whole building you could cut it off and replace with plastic.
Have a look under the floor is case there is a blanked off connector.
If you own the whole building you could cut it off and replace with plastic.
I've exposed the ceiling below and it looks like this:
There is no blanked off connector unfortunately. That elbow is the one for the toilet and the pipe also continues up for the vent (seen in the earlier picture). I was thinking of cutting it where this elbow springs off, fit a tee and then point it towards the back wall to get my floor inlet for the toilet further back. I can then add a plastic fitting which also takes my 40mm waste. I was planning to use my recip saw with a metal blade to make the cut.
Please tell me if you think that is bonkers!
There is no blanked off connector unfortunately. That elbow is the one for the toilet and the pipe also continues up for the vent (seen in the earlier picture). I was thinking of cutting it where this elbow springs off, fit a tee and then point it towards the back wall to get my floor inlet for the toilet further back. I can then add a plastic fitting which also takes my 40mm waste. I was planning to use my recip saw with a metal blade to make the cut.
Please tell me if you think that is bonkers!
have you determined yet if it is galvanised steel or cast iron?
Measure it very carefully. With luck you can get a plastic connector that will fit correctly and make a perfect seal, but check that before you start cutting.
You may need to add extra pipe clamps to support it before you start cutting.
Do you own the whole building?
Is it a converted industrial unit?
How old is it?
In case of difficulty, a wrinkly local plumber who has been working in your area for many years will probably be familiar with strange local practices.
Measure it very carefully. With luck you can get a plastic connector that will fit correctly and make a perfect seal, but check that before you start cutting.
You may need to add extra pipe clamps to support it before you start cutting.
Do you own the whole building?
Is it a converted industrial unit?
How old is it?
In case of difficulty, a wrinkly local plumber who has been working in your area for many years will probably be familiar with strange local practices.
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I must say, in 47 years on this planet, I've yet to see a steel soil pipe, if that is, then its a first.
excuse my ignorance guys but how can I easily determine if this is steel or cast iron? I just figured that it was metal!
@JohnD I own the house. It's a terraced property in a housing estate. There is no indication of it being an industrial conversion. It's built of brick and block and I don't think it has a cavity. I hope that provides an indication of age
@JohnD I own the house. It's a terraced property in a housing estate. There is no indication of it being an industrial conversion. It's built of brick and block and I don't think it has a cavity. I hope that provides an indication of age
if you can reach the top of the pipe, how thick is the material?
if you've handled both, you might tell by hitting it with a spanner or something and listening to the bong.
Try a magnet first to verify if it is ferrous.
I suppose cast iron might be galvanised but I don't think I've seen it. Perhaps I am misled by the colour. Could it be grey paint?
What colour are the blocks? Are they just in the internal partition walls?
An internal soil pipe with plasterboard boxing is probably 1960's or later.
if you've handled both, you might tell by hitting it with a spanner or something and listening to the bong.
Try a magnet first to verify if it is ferrous.
I suppose cast iron might be galvanised but I don't think I've seen it. Perhaps I am misled by the colour. Could it be grey paint?
What colour are the blocks? Are they just in the internal partition walls?
An internal soil pipe with plasterboard boxing is probably 1960's or later.
This soil pipe was boxed with plywood and timber batten frame. I appreciate that the boxing may have happened at a later date.
Also, it has timber stud walls which may again give a clue as to its age.
I thought this picture may help and this is where I am deducing the possibility of a cavity-less wall:
This is an external wall
Also, it has timber stud walls which may again give a clue as to its age.
I thought this picture may help and this is where I am deducing the possibility of a cavity-less wall:
This is an external wall
Breezeblock internal wall, I'd be confident that's an 11" Cavity wall. Soil pipe, either try a magnet on it, steel it will stick, non ferrous it wont, or tap it with a hammer, lead will just 'thud' and dent. Steel will give a resounding ring and not dent unless you hit it with a 14lb Percy.
And is it nine inches thick (excluding plaster)?
Ok guys, I have some additional info.
The external wall is 23cm thick. This excludes plaster. Also, it’s not cavity as I didn’t encounter that when drill the core hole for bathroom extractor.
The soil pipe is definitely magnetic.
The circumference of this (measured with a rigid tape measure) is 36cm.
I welcome your thoughts.
The external wall is 23cm thick. This excludes plaster. Also, it’s not cavity as I didn’t encounter that when drill the core hole for bathroom extractor.
The soil pipe is definitely magnetic.
The circumference of this (measured with a rigid tape measure) is 36cm.
I welcome your thoughts.
that's nine inches, which is a solid, one-brick wall.
I've never seen it and judging by responses, nor has any of the plumbers on here.
As I suggested previously, I'd be taking it apart at the current spot where it converts to plastic and examining how they did it originally. This will also give you the ID and OD dimensions which will help you search for a suitable fitting.
I do wonder why it converts to plastic at that point! Was this a later modification to provide a vent? If not, why was it not all done in plastic at the time, if this was available?
Who knows... It would have been down to build spec of the whole development at the time.
If the transition from metal to plastic soil has been done with sand/cement or some other infill medium (as shown in your photo), its worth noting that this is above the wet side of the system (dealing only with air) and may not be/have been a suitable joint for lower down where it would be subject to fluids.
Do you have a local independent plumbing shop? It might be worth popping in there and seeing if there's an experienced "hand" behind the counter... You can then ask him about "odd metal soil pipe, used in the area" and if he knows how others have dealt with it.
There's a small estate round here where all of the water mains (including up into the loft) were done in alkathene/vulcathene (can't remember which) and only one little, out of the way, plumber's merchant stocks the fittings for it! Changing ballcocks was a particular issue until I discovered this local treasure
Mcalpine do a drain connector but it's for 110mm to clay or cast and you need to know the ID of the metal pipe you have to determine if it will work...
https://mcalpineplumbing.com/plasti...nectors-roof-flashing/dc1-blc-drain-connector
If your soil is larger then you may have to look at flexiseals or ferncos that will slot over the OD and get clamped down with a jubilee clip.
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