Soil pipe leak

[ZACCCC]

I want to lay vinyl flooring in the bathroom so I unscrewed the toilet bowl so as to be able to slide the vinyl underneath but in so doing I've obviously disturbed something because I've now got a leak. The leak is where the 90mm pipe from the toilet pan goes into the 110mm outlet soil pipe. The trouble is that the 90mm pipe goes into the 110mm at a slight angle, which is why I've got the problem, I think.

In the Screwfix catalogue I've seen a 90 degree Flexible Connector (p.484) that looks like it might do the trick but I'm puzzled because the end that would go into the external soil pipe is concertinaed so I can't see how it would go into the soil pipe. Can anyone advise please. Thanks.

 

[Newboy]

The ribbed section is the seal between the pan connector and the soil pipe

 

[ZACCCC]

The ribbed section is the seal between the pan connector and the soil pipe

Thanks, so it just pushes into the 110mm pipe? or do you have to seal it with something?

 

[Newboy]

Just pushes in - a little lubricant on the ribs help. Don't seal it - the ribs form the seal. The pipe it pushes into should be a pipe - not a socket.

 

[ree]

OP, perhaps post a pic of what you've got?

1. a 90 degree flexi pan connector? Are you going into the wall or the floor?
2. a difference in connecting heights? Which would indicate a wall connection.
3. a soil pipe hub or a soil pipe?
4. a low level or close couple WC?

FWIW: its best to always lift the WC pan before running flooring under the pan.

 

[ZACCCC]

Just pushes in - a little lubricant on the ribs help. Don't seal it - the ribs form the seal. The pipe it pushes into should be a pipe - not a socket.

Thanks again. Yes it is just a pipe that it pushes into.

 

[ZACCCC]

OP, perhaps post a pic of what you've got?

1. a 90 degree flexi pan connector? Are you going into the wall or the floor?
2. a difference in connecting heights? Which would indicate a wall connection.
3. a soil pipe hub or a soil pipe?
4. a low level or close couple WC?

FWIW: its best to always lift the WC pan before running flooring under the pan.

Thanks for your reply. I'll take a picture tomorrow and post it here. In the meantime I'll try to answer the points you query.
1. The flexi connector goes into a pipe which then goes out through the wall.
2. Yes, slight difference in heights.
3. it's just a simple 110mm pipe.
4. It's a low level WC which has been in for 32 years.

I'm not sure what you meant when you said "its best to always lift the WC pan before running flooring under the pan." As I said in my OP, I think that was what caused the leak ie. when I unscrewed the toilet bowl so as to be able to slide the vinyl underneath.

Read more: //www.diynot.com/diy/threads/soil-pipe-leak.439082/#ixzz3h2w59WE9

 

[ZACCCC]

Here are 3 photos showing the connection. As you can see, I've tried to seal it with Plumbers Mait but I'd like to fix it properly. A couple of people on another forum advised me not to use a flexi connection as they weren't reliable so I'm feeling quite unsure now about what to do.

 

[ree]

Thanks for the pics.

Its possible to pick up the soil pipe by using a some WC connectors including an Offset Connector & a Multi link - you appear to have an offset of about 20mm but this must be measured for accuracy.

It might be made easier by cutting back the soil pipe to give a little more room? Dont attempt to force anything.

Not having accurate measurements, or being there, makes it hard to give sound advice.

If you attempt to DIY it then abandon the present fitting, and clean up the spigot and the soil pipe - use only new stuff.

Flexi's are always suspect and you definitely dont have room for one.

It might be a case for getting in a plumber - as a DIY'er you could use a lot of your time, and find in 3 months or so that its leaking behind the boxing-in?
Perhaps your soil pipe connection was codged in from day one?

When installing any new bathroom flooring its best practice to disconnect, lift and remove the WC.
Re-set the WC when the new flooring is down.
(low level cistern flush pipes sometimes have to be cut because of the raised pan height).

Dont attempt to simply tilt the pan and slide the flooring material under it.

 

[ZACCCC]

Thanks for the pics.

Its possible to pick up the soil pipe by using a some WC connectors including an Offset Connector & a Multi link - you appear to have an offset of about 20mm but this must be measured for accuracy.

It might be made easier by cutting back the soil pipe to give a little more room? Dont attempt to force anything.

Not having accurate measurements, or being there, makes it hard to give sound advice.

If you attempt to DIY it then abandon the present fitting, and clean up the spigot and the soil pipe - use only new stuff.

Flexi's are always suspect and you definitely dont have room for one.

It might be a case for getting in a plumber - as a DIY'er you could use a lot of your time, and find in 3 months or so that its leaking behind the boxing-in?
Perhaps your soil pipe connection was codged in from day one?

When installing any new bathroom flooring its best practice to disconnect, lift and remove the WC.
Re-set the WC when the new flooring is down.
(low level cistern flush pipes sometimes have to be cut because of the raised pan height).

Dont attempt to simply tilt the pan and slide the flooring material under it.

Thanks very much for the advice. I was already a bit dubious about whether or not I'd be able to do the job myself but after reading your post I'm thinking that I'm probably not up to it so I've decided to get a plumber in. I might be able to do it but I wouldn't want the scenario that you refer to ie. 3 months down the line find that I've got a leak and it's now all boxed in. I think, as you say, that the soil pipe might have been codged in from day one.

Once I've got the leak fixed I think I might just cut the new flooring round the WC. If I remove the pan and then have to reset it I'm guessing I might end up with another leak. Although I wouldn't have thought that the thickness of vinyl flooring would make that much difference(?)

Thanks again for your help.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

How much of the grey soil pipe is available? I dont see why a 90° flexi wouldnt fit, although not ideal, it may get you out of your current fix. I'd make sure it was supported though with something to prevent it sagging and pulling out the soil pipe.

Otherwise, looking at that, if there was enough space, I'd try and fit an adjustable (or very slow) bend to compensate for that angle, then slot the pan connector into the bend. If its internal and not visible then an underground bend can be used, these are available in 15° angles, if that is too much, then 0-30° adjustable bends are available.

 

[ree]

The WC business is just for your general DIY knowledge. I dont know but i doubt that there's any need for you to be cutting the newly installed vinyl.

A plumber could work with the pan left in position, altho some would prefer to pull it.

IOW's: dont do anything else let the plumber take care, and responsibility, for it.

 

[ZACCCC]

How much of the grey soil pipe is available? I dont see why a 90° flexi wouldnt fit, although not ideal, it may get you out of your current fix. I'd make sure it was supported though with something to prevent it sagging and pulling out the soil pipe.

Otherwise, looking at that, if there was enough space, I'd try and fit an adjustable (or very slow) bend to compensate for that angle, then slot the pan connector into the bend. If its internal and not visible then an underground bend can be used, these are available in 15° angles, if that is too much, then 0-30° adjustable bends are available.

Thanks for your input. I appreciate it but I think it's going to be a bit challenging for my DIY skills so I've decided to get a plumber in.

 

[ZACCCC]

The WC business is just for your general DIY knowledge. I dont know but i doubt that there's any need for you to be cutting the newly installed vinyl.

A plumber could work with the pan left in position, altho some would prefer to pull it.

IOW's: dont do anything else let the plumber take care, and responsibility, for it.

Thanks again for your advice. Just to clarify: the new vinyl flooring isn't down yet. I'll be laying it after the leak's sorted and the WC's set up and in place. What I meant was that I was/am dubious about disturbing the WC once the leak is fixed in case I cause another leak.

 

[Madrab]

Why not fit the flooring first then get the plumber in aftyer to fit the connector properly?

I do wonder why some people seem to think that flexible pan connectors are the devils own creation.

Where there is an awkward fall or connection run due to a badly sited soil waste pipe, I have found a McAlpine flexi's have worked well.

Like everything it's all down to being fitted correctly without too tight a radius, with the correct level of fall and fixed squarely onto the spigot and into the soil pipe and then the toilet being fixed securely to the floor. With all that done correctly then I find they can be an excellent solution for what's sometimes an awkward problem. I have used them without any issue or call back due to leaks/blockages.