Lead water waste pipes and Saniflo macerator toilet

[svouts]

Hi,

I am creating a new bathroom with a toilet in the top floor of my house. There are two washbasins in the top floor rooms so I was planning to utilize the existing water waste pipes and install a Saniflo macerator toilet.

Under the floorboards I found that both the water supply and the water waste are all lead pipes. The water supply is a half inch pipe. The water waste pipe is also a lead pipe, with external dimensions approximately 40 cm, with very thick pipe walls possibly 32-34 inner diameter.

I am not going to use the new bath for drinking water only for the shower and the toilet so no health issues with the lead pipes.

Shall I use the existing water supply and water waste, although there both old lead pipes?

Will the water waste lead pipe cope with the pressure form the Saniflo macerator toilet?

Any recommendations or tips are welcome?

Many thanks

 

[Madrab]

with external dimensions approximately 40 cm

Jeesh, 400mm?? That a heck of a lead waste pipe ... or was that meant to be 40mm??

If you can, replace the lot.

I assume you can't fit 110mm soil pipe? Macerators can be nasty beasts if they aren't used properly.

 

[svouts]

Hi, I measured again the waste pipe. It is actually 45-46 mm outer diameter and 35-36 mm inner diameter. The wall thickness is between 4-5 mm.

Here is a picture of a piece of the pipe I cut.

I cannot install a 110 mm pipe. The connection I am planning to do is in the 2nd floor. From the Saniflo, 3 meters horizontal PVC pipe to the lead pipe. Then the lead pipe goes 3,5 meters vertically and disappears horizontally under the floor of the 1st floor below.

Would it be ok to install the Saniflo in this lead pipe?

 

[Mottie]

I'm no expert but I wouldn’t. The insides look far to rough and I wouldn’t mind betting you'd get a build up of you-know-what on the inside of that.

 

[mattylad]

If you ripped it all out and weighed it in it would probably pay for the replacement piping.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

How are you planning on joining the pipework from the Macerator to the lead? Macerators can pump with some force, if a joint comes apart, it wont be pretty.

 

[just pumps]

Better think again, with a 3m horizontal & a 3.5m vertical the sani pump won`t last very long regardless of what pipe you use.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

I was hoping the OP meant vertically downwards!

 

[just pumps]

I was hoping the OP meant vertically downwards!

He still might mean that Hugh however that then opens another problem area.

 

[svouts]

Hi, to explain it better, the route will be in three sections.

Section 1: in the 2nd floor, PVC new pipe from the Saniflo 3m horizontally to the other side of the room were the old lead pipe is.

Section 2: from the 2nd floor, lead pipe 3.5m vertically down to the 1st floor.

Section 3: the lead pipe continues horizontally about 3 meters under the floor towards the another toilet.

Overall, 3m horizontal PVC, 3.5m vertically down lead pipe and then 3 meters horizontally lead pipe.

I also want to connect the washbasin and shower water waste to the old lead pipe but not through the Saniflo. Shall I use a non return valve to prevent waste back-flow from the Saniflo to the shower and washinbasin?

PS: i will try to send some pictures tonight...

 

[Mottie]

Can you not replace the lead pipe with plastic right the way through?

 

[just pumps]

If a customer asked me to install a new pump to that lead pipe I would refuse and walk away mate, however if they asked me to run a new pipe then I would run 22 or 32mm solvent weld pipe to the vertical downward then 32mm for the rest of the run and test. If the water is syphoned out of the pump breaking the water seal in the pump then I would cut in to the pipe and fit an AAV valve at the highest point.
You still haven`t addressed Hugh`s point about connecting the sani discharge pipe to the lead or do you have a cunning plan?

 

[ianmcd]

Jeesh, 400mm?? That a heck of a lead waste pipe ... or was that meant to be 40mm??

If you can, replace the lot.

I assume you can't fit 110mm soil pipe? Macerators can be nasty beasts if they aren't used properly.

@Madrab my mate has a lad in his 30s with Downs, he lives in the loft conversion and the Macerator stopped working, poor wee soul decided to take the top off without turning the power off, he called me in a mad panic, when I got there, I have never seen so much shoite sprayed all over the place, took me about half an hour to stop laughing

 

[svouts]

The plan is to install two water waste lines for the bathroom.

1st water line will collect the water both from the washbasin and the shower, ending in a single 32 PVC pipe. Also install there a non return valve to prevent waste back-flow from the Saniflo.

2nd water waste line will collect the waste form the Saniflo ( SaniCOMPACT with no venting), 32 PVC pipe.

Both the above will be connected with a PVC T-stuk 45° 32mm to a single 32mm pipe. The single 32mm pipe will be inserted 10-20cm inside the vertical downwards lead pipe, which has about 35-36mm inner diameter. The PVC to lead connection will be sealed outside with a Flexible Pvc Reducing Rubber Coupling with Stainless Steel Clamps, something like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/Flexible-Adaptor-Suit-50mm-32mm/dp/B01D4RFHJ4/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=Pipe+Fitting+adapters+32&qid=1571409024&s=diy&sr=1-5

I hope the above also answers Hugh`s point about connecting the sani discharge pipe to the lead?

 

[just pumps]

Edited.