As I am approching the completion of the extension I have been working
on for far too long, I have started to think a little more about using
some of the extra space which I now have in one of the bedrooms. It
had long been in the back of my mind that we might put an en-suite
shower/wc in. My original thought was that I would run the soil pipe
parellel to the first floor joists between ceiling and floor, out
through the wall and then across the back of the house to connect to
the existing stack.

Last night I had one of those moments when you suddenly realise that
it wont work the way you have been thinking about from the start. The
reason is that at the point where it should pass through the wall,
there is a great big lintel carrying the wall where the opening into
the new conservatory is. I seriously doubt that there is sufficent
space between the floor & ceiling to permit the soil pipe to pass over
the lintel and still achieve any kind of fall across the length of the
pipe. I can't really drop the pipe beneath the lintel as it would
then be visible from beneath and boxing it in would look quite ugly.
Running it above the floor wont really work either without adversly
affecting the proposed layout of the room. I am beginning to wonder
whether we will have to do without the ensuite W/C.

At the moment the only thing I think that might work is if I can get a
smaller bore soil pipe which will pass over the top of the lintel. My
builders merchant does a 3" soil pipe but I'm not sure whether this is
permitted for a W/C, whether you can get all the required fittings if
it were (e.g. pan connectors) or even if this is small enough. The
only other way I think would be to use a macerator toilet but I have
no experience of these and I don't even know what size waste pipe it
would need. Any opinions on these will be greatly appreciated, as
will any other ideas you may have.

Thanks.

Kevin.

Kevin wrote:

At the moment the only thing I think that might work is if I can get a
smaller bore soil pipe which will pass over the top of the lintel. My
builders merchant does a 3" soil pipe but I'm not sure whether this is
permitted for a W/C, whether you can get all the required fittings if
it were (e.g. pan connectors) or even if this is small enough.

We did something similar a couple of years ago.

Building regs said (but dont rely on my memory) then that 3" was okay
for a single WC of a particular type (Siphonic??). I'm not sure if you
could run the shower waste through this as well!

We did put a 4" pipe through a joist but reinforced it with steel
plates. You may be able to do something similar.

Mike

Have you thought about using a macerator instead? Then you'd only
need a 32mm or 40mm pipe.

kmillar wrote:

Have you thought about using a macerator instead? Then you'd only
need a 32mm or 40mm pipe.

And a lifetime supply of paper bags to put over yor head everytime you
announce yet another blockage in it on uk.d-i-y

"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
...
kmillar wrote:

Have you thought about using a macerator instead? Then you'd only
need a 32mm or 40mm pipe.

And a lifetime supply of paper bags to put over yor head everytime you
announce yet another blockage in it on uk.d-i-y

What is it with this group and Saniflo ? There are tens of thousands of
these around all working fine. Occasionally one goes wrong because of
misuse but even this can be avoided using the Sanibest.

Have you thought about using a macerator instead? Then you'd
only
need a 32mm or 40mm pipe.

And a lifetime supply of paper bags to put over yor head everytime
you
announce yet another blockage in it on uk.d-i-y

What is it with this group and Saniflo ? There are tens of
thousands of
these around all working fine. Occasionally one goes wrong because
of
misuse but even this can be avoided using the Sanibest.

Just got tape measure out and I think that there is around a 4 inch gap
between the top of the lintel and the bottom of the floorboards. Even
if I could use a 3inch soil pipe I can only manage around a 1 in 160
fall.
I think this means a macerator is my only option unless I do without
entirely. Had a look on the saniflo web-site and cannot find anything
called "Sanibest" I was thinking of the "Sanislim" as this will allow
me to send the shower and basin waste out through the same pipe. Any
opinions on this ? Anything anyone else can tell me about them, e.g.
are they easy to install ? Are they noisy ? Do you need to use
particular waste pipe and fittings ?

wrote:

entirely. Had a look on the saniflo web-site and cannot find anything
called "Sanibest" I was thinking of the "Sanislim" as this will allow
me to send the shower and basin waste out through the same pipe. Any
opinions on this ? Anything anyone else can tell me about them, e.g.
are they easy to install ? Are they noisy ? Do you need to use
particular waste pipe and fittings ?

Like:

http://www.saniflo.co.uk/San_Products.asp?name=best



--
Cheers,

John.

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In article ,
"Kevin" says...
As I am approching the completion of the extension I have been working
on for far too long, I have started to think a little more about using
some of the extra space which I now have in one of the bedrooms. It
had long been in the back of my mind that we might put an en-suite
shower/wc in. My original thought was that I would run the soil pipe
parellel to the first floor joists between ceiling and floor, out
through the wall and then across the back of the house to connect to
the existing stack.

Last night I had one of those moments when you suddenly realise that
it wont work the way you have been thinking about from the start. The
snip

Why not build a raised floor and hide all the plumbing under it?

Why not build a raised floor and hide all the plumbing under it?

Hmmm. Obvious as it is that option hadn't occurred to me. Not sure
how practical that might be. The room affected is actually a childs
bedroom, the en-suite is actually for the adjoining bedroom. We were
planning on putting one of those tall sleeper beds in there and I'm not
sure whether the effective reduced height of the ceiling may scupper
that idea.
Has no-one else anything good to say about macerators ? What is so bad
about them ?

wrote in message
oups.com...
Why not build a raised floor and hide all the plumbing under it?

Hmmm. Obvious as it is that option hadn't occurred to me. Not sure
how practical that might be. The room affected is actually a childs
bedroom, the en-suite is actually for the adjoining bedroom. We were
planning on putting one of those tall sleeper beds in there and I'm not
sure whether the effective reduced height of the ceiling may scupper
that idea.
Has no-one else anything good to say about macerators ? What is so bad
about them ?

If they're properly fitted they're fine. My neighbour with enough problems
for the whole street had one fitted (professionally) for her disabled
husband and when he moved to a home Spouse was asked to remove the plumbing.
Piping from the macerator had been leaking between floors and it was not a
pleasant task.

Mary

wrote:

Why not build a raised floor and hide all the plumbing under it?


Hmmm. Obvious as it is that option hadn't occurred to me. Not sure
how practical that might be. The room affected is actually a childs
bedroom, the en-suite is actually for the adjoining bedroom. We were
planning on putting one of those tall sleeper beds in there and I'm not
sure whether the effective reduced height of the ceiling may scupper
that idea.
Has no-one else anything good to say about macerators ? What is so bad
about them ?

The toilet bowl is capable of accepting larger and more tight things
than te macerator is capable of reducing.

In short, they jam and clog and break.

So far anecdotal experience lists

vampire teabags
tooth brushes
disposable razors
too much bog roll of the wrong sort

as all being capable of putting them out of action and causing expesnive
repairs to be necessary

If its just a basin and bog, put the bog on a pedestal and trunk in teh
soil pipe against a wall - handy shelf for coffe cups etc.

If shower and bath - you have a problem. Baths can be raised and, to an
extent, so can showers, but not so much.


Do NOT on ANY acount run a bog and a shower or bath through the same
macerator, unless you enjoy having turds swilling around your feet.

If at all posible do as I suggest - raise the bog bath and shower,and
run separte pipes. You may alos need an air admittance valve on teh bog
soild pipe. The esimplest way to do all this is to punch a hole through
the outer wall as low as youi can gop and adacent to an internal wall
that can handle the bog bath and shower along it, and build a box ot
false wall for the drains. You may find the bath can sit partially over
it as well and use less space that way.

If the room itself is not adjacent to an outside wall, you have no
option really but to run the pipework through another room and box in
there. You will want to do that anyway to somewhat deaden the sound of
turds rushing to meet their Maker. Or Whatever.

Hmmm. I'm beginning to see the point. This W/C will be ensuite to the
master bedroom so will only be used by myself and my wife. I know I
can resist the temptation to put anything other than pre-digested
material or toilet paper down it but I'm not sure about her.
As for running a shower and basin through the macerator, that is not an
essential requirement it just seemed to make sense rather than doubling
up the pipework. Your eloquent description of the drawbacks of this
have put me off this idea. Incidentally there are no plans (or space
for that matter) to put in a bath.
Without going into detail, the boxing in of pipes against the wall had
occured to me but are a non-starter in this case. I think my only
options are macerator, raise the floor or do without.

Thanks to all for advise so far.