Cast Iron soil pipe can I add an upstairs toliet to it ?

Miss_Cakey_Bun

We currently have a downstairs bathroom but I want to move it upstairs to the room directly above the current bathroom. I would be puting the loo on the same wall as the outside stack pipe but need to know if I would have to replace the entire outside stack pipe to add this loo to it or is there some "magic" way of joining them up? Obviously a hole in the wall would be needed as would water etc but the water tanks are directly above the new room so that should cut down on that sort of plumbing.

If this is possible how much should I be looking at for this work to be done both the stack pipe attachment and plumbing in with new pipes for water etc...

Thanks for all the help and advice:o

ormus

you dont need to replace the whole stack, just cut into it at a collar. the rest can be done in plastic with a special piece to join the two.

i would replace the whole thing though whilst youre at it.
costs? mainly labour, the plastic soil pipes etc are dirt cheap.
say a days labour.

Miss_Cakey_Bun

I am worried about the bottom of it as its been concreated in ( about 4-5" deep) by the council when they put in the shared driveway! so may take your advive and cut in from a joint and replace with plastic. if I am going to do that is it a diy job for some one with a bit of brains and some spare muscle to move the pipe? just wondering as keen to be as cost effective as possible doing the job as budget is not huge to move the bathroom upstairs. and have just found that the current downstairs bathroom is lined with plaster board and the kitchen its about to become part of is not! so when the (non supporting) wall between the 2 is removed I have to decide weather to strip the board and get it plastered ir get the rest of the room boarded and skimmed....life never easy lol

Canucklehead

Hi

Does the cast iron pipe currently have anything connected to it? Or is it plain pipe all the way up and past gutter line?

Corgi Guy

Miss_Cakey_Bun

Its as you say a pipe all the way to the guttering and beyond, from what the council have lead me to believe it joined to the downstairs loo below ground! the waste pipe from the loo certainly goes into the floor right next to where the pipe is on the outside wall.

Is there a problem?

Spendless

Hi I've just had a downstairs loo put in downstairs directly below where the bathroom upstairs is. I also had a cast iron soil pipe and it was replaced by a plastic one.

Creating me a downstairs loo, from the cupboard under the stairs and a bit of hallway, plastering, fitting new toilet and basin and replacing soil pipe were all done within a couple of days.

Unfortunately I can't give you an individual price as it is all part of a lot of work we're currently having done.

Canucklehead

Hi

It could be a problem as this pipe is purely a vent from the drains and as such has not had water /waste flowing through it.To be used as a waste it should connect to the manhole for clearing if it blocked.It maybe that this is the case which would be good.If not then the connection could be a branch in the pipe before the manhole and could be be poor and cracked with roots growing through. It would not show as a problem as it's never had water down it.
Generally where cast iron meets the drain at ground level it will crack as it's clay pipe .

If it were a job that I were to do then I would take the whole lot down and make sure that the drain is clear to the manhole.
A new stack from the ground up to serve a bath, basin and wc.supply and fit would be about £400/450.
H.T.H.

Corgi Guy.

Miss_Cakey_Bun

Lucky for us the manhole (with huge inspection chamber) is only a few feet away and when they were relaying the driveway middle of last year they checked the pipe from the vent to the manhole so I know that its sound. At the time we were not thinking of buying the house or would have tried to get the pipe changed then before loads of concrete was poured. Will just have to take this into consideration when pricing it up and as quite a competent DIYer may look into the possibility of DIYing it.

Thanks again

Canucklehead

Hi

Looks good for you.!

If you use Plumb1's angle grinder and time saver coupling just above ground level and then build up from there in plastic.
To stop bits going down the drain put a wood saw blade or similar in the cut and then knock the rest out from roof down.The offset at the top will be very heavy (the joints are lead filled which adds to the weight of the cast.) Take care!!

Corgi Guy.