New En-suite - I have quite a few questions :)

[JonHeath]

Hi all,

I plan to convert a box room into an ensuite. I have already done the door work (new door from master bedroom, old entrance blocked up).

The new ensuite will comprise of a shower, sink and toilet. It is not possible to connect to the existing soil stack.

I've had the Building Regs guy around to pay a visit. In short the advice is to dig into the existing drains at the side of the house, install a new soil stack, with new manhole/inspection chamber.

I'd also like to install a power shower. The pressure isn't great so it looks like I will need a pump to be included in the setup as well.

Plumbing isn't something I've done a lot of in the past, but I am an experienced DIYer, and my helper (the old man) is a sparky. So here's my questions:

1. The new inspection chamber will be around 1m deep (I have lifted a man hole further up my drive in order to provide that estimate). I believe this means I require a 450mm inspection chamber? The existing drain is clay. Can anyone tell me (or link to a guide?) of how to dig down and connect a new chamber into an existing clay pipe?

2. I will also have the waste from the sink and the shower. I'd like to connect this to the same soil pipe. I'm assuming this is OK but that I will have to connect it to a certain bit of the soil pipe?

3. I will need to run new hot and cold water to the ensuite for the sink and shower. Both the hot and cold tanks are not far away in the loft. As I mentioned I'm planning to install a pump for the shower. Do pumps normally need both the hot and cold feed, and if so do these need to be dedicated 22mm pipe feeds?

4. I assume I will then run seperate hot and colds for the sink (and toilet cold feed)? Do these need to come from the tanks directly as well, or can I tap into existing pipes in the loft?

Cheers
Jon

 

[picasso]

1 http://www.pavingexpert.com/drain15.htm

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

1. As Picasso has said. Need to use a rest bend at bottom of stack.
2. No connection permitted to the stack within 200mm below the centre of the W.C. branch.
3. Independant supplies from both hot and cold tanks to pump then shower. Shower pumps usually 15mm AFAIK.
4. Take supplies from most convenient point, (not shower supply though!), cold ideally wants to be mains feed.

Unless you are totally sure of the location of other services supplying the property, use caution when digging. Drains usually deepest, everything else is above so you'll hit those first!

 

[picasso]

sorry about that, me mrs just dished up as I started to reply and then shut my eyes for a minute,

 

[JonHeath]

Thanks both for your replies, much appreciated. That guide is superb - exactly the sort of thing I was after.

If anyone is aware of anything similar for connecting a new pump for the shower, or hooking waste pipework from sink/shower into the soil stack then please let me know.

Cheers
Jon

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Connecting wastes into stack, either use a short boss pipe such as: http://www.screwfix.com/p/boss-pipe-grey/18246 or a strap boss: http://www.screwfix.com/p/soil-strap-boss-sp319/49547 Strap boss will require a hole cutter of appropriate size. Cut hole into the stack, then the strap boss is solvent welded to the stack. Be generous with the glue, you dont want it to leak!

Once boss is in position, fit the appropriate size boss adaptor to accept waste pipe.