Ascending soil pipe

[r_c]

The soil pipes from our two toilets are ascending for a short distance - just under 400mm to the external wall. This seems a bit odd to me, but I am not in the building trade so don't know much about plumbing. The toilets work, but the do seem to block quite often. I am not sure if it is because they are short projection (600mm), or maybe because of the ascending pipe. It is more obvious in one photo below, but they are both ascending.

(In case it matters, the pipe from the sink seems to go into the plumbing at the back of the toilet and feeds into the soil pipe.)

Is it fine to have ascending soil pipe?

20171023_231500

• r_c
• 23 Oct 2017

20170810_230140

• r_c
• 23 Oct 2017

 

[JohnD]

they were installed by someone who doesn't know the First Rule of Plumbing

Are the soil pipes iron or plastic? plastic is easier to fix.

you could get out of trouble by taking the pans off and putting them on a small platform so the pipe can slope down all the way, but it's rather a bodge.

 

[r_c]

Thanks John.

Are the soil pipes iron or plastic? plastic is easier to fix.

Plastic.

I have not made final payment to the plumbers. Is this something that I should insist on - the soil pipe being descending? I'm not even sure how I should phrase this.

 

[JohnD]

you can ask if they know the First Rule of Plumbing. I'm sure they do.

Point out that the soil pipe is placed so that it should flow uphill, and say you want it installed in the conventional way.

It's wrong.

They know it's wrong.

Are they taking you for a fool?

 

[John D v2.0]

Just tell them according to building regulations and the laws of gravity the waste pipes need to have a fall. 1 in 40 is the recommendation but for soil pipes it can be as steep as they like as long as it's going down. Otherwise they are going to be sitting full of water all the time and not flowing away properly.

They've basically chocked up their measurements when fitting the stack, and tried to bodge it later.

 

[Ian H]

That's shocking.

Your toilet will hold 50mm more water than it should, your pan connnector and it's seals will be constantly under water and your turds will have to climb up into the drain.

 

[^woody^]

Obey gravity - it's the law.

 

[Madrab]

Oh dear, who are they kidding. That's just plain wrong .... yes you need to insist it's done correctly before final payment.

 

[SandyLyon]

Have you ever heard the expression “it’s like trying to push water uphill”

It’s not right, it’s asking for trouble in the future, get them to fix it.

 

[RigidRaider]

Jeeze, I'm an amateur plumber but I'd be horrified to have that mess in my bathroom. Why the unfinished tiling behind and beneath the pipes? Why the manky pieces of batten? What happened to the crooked soldered joint under the flexi-connector? How does the plumber expect that angled white pipe to seal correctly in the collar?

They will have to dismantle and rebuild the stack so as to get the black soil pipe at the correct height. TBH I would sack them and get a proper plumber to put it right.