So, a simple re-tile job of a downstairs toilet is turning into a bit of a headache.

The floor was sloped and 4-5″ higher than the adjoining one and so with no water pipes under the concrete I figured it’d be reasonably straight forward to level it all out. Unfortunately the re-routing of the soil pipe was the reason for the raised floor as the top of the PVCu pipe was 15mm higher than the level I required.

Figured, as I was this far in (found 4 floors) I may as well have a look at the joints and see if there was anything I could do to drop it slightly. Excavating the clay PVCu joint revealed a void in the soil where’d there’d obviously been a leak.

This is what I found:

The lesser known ‘bottomless putty tub’ connector inside a coupling joint.

Anyway, any advice on how the improve/flatten the soil pipe? Grinder & cutting disc?

There’s only 2″ of pipe at the low point and 4″ at the high point so I could do without cracking the pipe. I guess seperating the concreted joint isn’t an easy option either?

Put it all back and box it in!

Otherwise you’ll be tracing all the soil pipe leaks back to the main road!

😀

Grinder and some abrasive discs or diamond blade with care not to overheat it.

You can get a flexible joint for soil pipes, I used one when I found a crack in the soil pipe under the patio – cut the crack out with an angle grinder and jointed the two parts together with a plastic repair section.

I got mine for screfix I think, but similar to this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SOIL-PIPE-DRAIN-RUBBER-BAND-REPAIR-FLEXIBLE-COUPLING-110MM-PVC-CAST-IRON-ADAPTOR-/161136234784

Grinder carefully and get a band seal with both end diameters to connect.

It’s not so much the re-jointing I’m bothered about. It’s the making good of the clay pipe.

Slowly with a grinder then letting it cool whilst having plenty of tea!

It’s the making good of the clay pipe.

If it was me, I’d just replace it with a new PVC one.

If it was me, I’d just replace it with a new PVC one.

Don’t think it’s that easy unless you can enlighten me. Under the soil is the clay 90 deg bend. I don’t want to excavate any further so my options appear to be:

1) Level off that break and join at that point

2) Split the two clay pipes where they’ve been cemented together.

I don’t like option 2 as it’s pretty risky I’ll crack the 90 deg clay piece and then be in more trouble.

Do this then:

1) Level off that break and join at that point

Find a section well supported (buried), then carefully grind it to flat and couple onto PVC.

That clay pipe cracks at the slightest provocation. It actually cuts very well with a diamond blade but any movement will open it up at a join (where it probably already has a hairline crack). Hard to tell how jagged it is but a rubber coupling should slip over it as is, or with minimal grinding, no need to go completely flat. Top tip, soak the coupling in warm water than apply a little silicon grease (or washing up liquid) and it should slide over easily. Also put a capped Tee rather than an elbow at the top. That will give a good rodding point.