Replacing/connecting to Ceramic toilet waste pipe All aspects of plumbing questions and answers, help, tips and information

[collind1967]

Can anybody help with this? I am installing a new toilet, and the old waste sits about 12 inches form the wall (and about 2 inches above the floor)which is ok for the current toilet. The new style toilets need the pan waste to be closer to the wall. The old pan waste is the ceramic type with a brass top and the exsisting toilet welded into it some how. Is it possible to cut the ceramic type waste pipe (with stihl saw or something) lower down under the floor, so that I can connect a new plastic one into it and fit a new toilet flush with the wall? Hope this makes sense :) Any help is appreciated.

[peter the plumber]

You are in trouble here.

It sounds like you have cast iron soil pipe and you are trying to put a new toilet pan in.

You can’t do it.

If you have space, you may be able to cut back the soil pipe under the floor and fit a flexible adaptor on it.

Then you could add some 100 plastic soil pipes and run the pipe to the right location.

But I have never had the room to do it.

So it means replacing your cast iron soil pipe with a new one and cutting a new hole in the wall for the waste pipe for the toilet.

It’s a big job and not for an amateur.

[collind1967]

Thanks for that Peter. I am in the trade, but never come across one of these before. It is actually ceramic (or similar material). I have managed to salvage an exact same one from a job today. I am going to try to cut through the scrap one with an angle grinder and then if it goes ok, will do it on the actual one. Luckily there is crawl space under the floor (downstairs toilet). If I can get through it, I can put a preformed 90 degree flexi into it. What do you think? Thanks for reply.

[peter the plumber]

It sounds like that nasty white stuff.

It’s a sod to deal with.

You do find it in older homes, mostly post war.

Flexible fitting is the right way to go.

Cutting this kind of pipe is always a problem due to there crumbling.

Last time I use a concrete saw on one and it work ok.

[collind1967]

Thanks Peter, that is exactly what it was, got through it with an angle grinder and stone blade - managed to get through my hand a little too :( Got a nice clean finish, and got a flexi on it...all sorted now. Appreciate your help.