Moving a soil pipe to another room - anyone had this done?

[Sue]

I was told years ago that it would be prohibitively expensive to move a soil pipe, but I'm now rethinking.

I'm in a small mid-terrace, 2/3 beds.

At present, my rooms are in a weird configuration such that you go up the stairs to be faced with the toilet in the bathroom. This is a relatively large room overlooking the back garden. Except of course it doesn't, because the window has frosted glass.

The third "bedroom" is a very small single (just about) bedroom with the door on the left as you go towards the bathroom, and is presently used as an office.

I quite like having a large bathroom, but more and more it seems ridiculous to have the rooms this way round. If I changed them over, I could make the "new" bathroom even smaller and the "new" bedroom even bigger quite easily as the internal walls are partition walls.

I'm not intending to sell in the near future, but an estate agent has advised me that changing the rooms over would increase the value of the house as people want three double beds and aren't bothered about having a large bathroom. Obviously whether it would be worth it from a financial point of view would depend on the cost of doing it.

I could re-use some of the existing bathroom fittings, and the window at the side of the house isn't ideally placed but not impossibly so, so the sticking point would seem to be the soil pipe. I've googled it but there are so many variables it's hard to tell. I realise it would depend to some extent on the new position of the toilet.

I know I'd need to get somebody to come and look at it, but before I do, I just wondered what people's thoughts were and if there's anybody in a similar house in East Dulwich who has had it done?

[rendelharris]

I'm guessing (and this is only speaking as an absolute DIY bodger with many a plumbing disaster behind me) that if you didn't mind a boxed in soil pipe running across (as I can visualise it) the left hand wall of the new bedroom it wouldn't cost much at all? Hole in the partition wall and new external hole. Sounds awful but if it was at the back of a built in cupboard or the footing for a bookcase nobody would know...doubtless more informed people might know if that's allowable under building regs but...

[LondonMix]

I did something similar as part of a major house refurb to our house which was dilapidated when be bought it. The cost should be just the normal cost of fitting out a brand new bathroom plus a few grand to relocate the soil pipe. How complicated the new run needs to be depends on your existing plumbing though so the first person I'd speak to is a plumber who can let you know what solutions are feasible. I agree though that if its possible, its worth doing.

[Sue]

rendelharris Wrote:

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> I'm guessing (and this is only speaking as an

> absolute DIY bodger with many a plumbing disaster

> behind me) that if you didn't mind a boxed in soil

> pipe running across (as I can visualise it) the

> left hand wall of the new bedroom it wouldn't cost

> much at all? Hole in the partition wall and new

> external hole. Sounds awful but if it was at the

> back of a built in cupboard or the footing for a

> bookcase nobody would know...doubtless more

> informed people might know if that's allowable

> under building regs but...

Thanks!

I can't really visualise what you are suggesting. Wherever the loo went in the new room, it would be on a diagonal to the existing one. Maybe I should draw a plan and attach it (not tonight!)

[Sue]

LondonMix Wrote:

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> I did something similar as part of a major house

> refurb to our house which was dilapidated when be

> bought it. The cost should be just the normal

> cost of fitting out a brand new bathroom plus a

> few grand to relocate the soil pipe. How

> complicated the new run needs to be depends on

> your existing plumbing though so the first person

> I'd speak to is a plumber who can let you know

> what solutions are feasible. I agree though that

> if its possible, its worth doing.

Thanks.

Yes, I will ask a plumber to have a look and then I'll have a clearer idea what would be involved and the likely cost.

[rendelharris]

Sue Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> rendelharris Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > I'm guessing (and this is only speaking as an

> > absolute DIY bodger with many a plumbing

> disaster

> > behind me) that if you didn't mind a boxed in

> soil

> > pipe running across (as I can visualise it) the

> > left hand wall of the new bedroom it wouldn't

> cost

> > much at all? Hole in the partition wall and

> new

> > external hole. Sounds awful but if it was at

> the

> > back of a built in cupboard or the footing for

> a

> > bookcase nobody would know...doubtless more

> > informed people might know if that's allowable

> > under building regs but...

>

> Thanks!

>

> I can't really visualise what you are suggesting.

> Wherever the loo went in the new room, it would be

> on a diagonal to the existing one. Maybe I should

> draw a plan and attach it (not tonight!)

LM's suggestion to talk to a plumber is far more helpful, I'm known for my Heath Robinson probably totally against regulations solutions! But I really don't think it should be too difficult - maybe 10% on top of the cost of a new bathroom? Good luck anyway, sounds like a good plan, never understood why people want large bathrooms, as long as there's room to bathe, brush one's teeth and (deleted for reasons of delicacy) then why does one need more? Far better to free up space elsewhere.

[KidKruger]

Sue if you want me to pop round for 10 mins I can probably answer your questions, I've relocated a few bathrooms previously so not rocket science to me - you could call it a free quote, without the quote. If you like that idea text me sometime.

[Sue]

KidKruger Wrote:

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> Sue if you want me to pop round for 10 mins I can

> probably answer your questions, I've relocated a

> few bathrooms previously so not rocket science to

> me - you could call it a free quote, without the

> quote. If you like that idea text me sometime.

Hey you're a star, will do!

Thanks!

[Grok]

I would recommend a qualified builder.

[Sue]

Posted by Grok Yesterday, 11:30PM

Spend some money and do it properly via a qualified builder etc and stop being a boring tightwad on edf looking for cheapskate solutions ffs.

Well well, the lovely Grok having a go at me again.

As charming online as in real life.

KidKruger is a friend and neighbour of mine and I would value his advice if he has experience of moving bathrooms, so that I have some knowledge of what may be involved before getting builders and/or plumbers to quote.

He is hardly likely to give up his day job (not involving building or plumbing) to come and work on my house :))

Obviously I would get qualified tradespeople to move the soil pipe and the bathroom if I decide to go ahead.

FFS indeed.

ETA: Ah, I see the lovely Grok has edited his charming post.

[Jeremy]

We did exactly what you're talking about. Its definitely possible... will involve some digging of trenches and destruction of any existing patio. Definitely worth doing, bathroom at the back is a rubbish configuration.

[Sue]

Jeremy Wrote:

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> We did exactly what you're talking about. Its

> definitely possible... will involve some digging

> of trenches and destruction of any existing patio.

> Definitely worth doing, bathroom at the back is a

> rubbish configuration.

Thanks Jeremy.

How much destruction was involved?!

[ed_pete]

If your toilet in the new bathroom/old bedroom is positioned against the same exterior wall as it is at the moment then surely its just a case of running a soil pipe externally across to the vertical soil pipe ?

[DulwichFox]

You could have a word with Pat at no 41.. He buys and restores houses..

I have seen his work and it is amazing.. Really high end stuff.

He could at least advise you..

Foxy.

[Sue]

ed_pete Wrote:

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> If your toilet in the new bathroom/old bedroom is

> positioned against the same exterior wall as it is

> at the moment then surely its just a case of

> running a soil pipe externally across to the

> vertical soil pipe ?

Unfortunately it isnt.

The existing bathroom takes up the whole back wall of the back extension or whatever it's called, and the toilet is immediately in front of you as you come up the stairs.

It is on the side of the room adjoining my neighbour.

The new bathroom has an external wall at right angles to the back wall and on the other side of it, above the path down the side of my house.

[red devil]

What ed_pete said about the SVP, shouldn't require any digging/trenches.

I wouldn't make the new bathroom too small, when you eventually come to sell you want it to appeal to families.

Some other costs to allow for:

Building Control application fee and signing-off the works (maybe a planning issue too)

Making good the existing bathroom, holes, sub-floor, removing tiles = possible re-plaster/skim, changing opaque glass, extra electrics esp power sockets etc...

[red devil]

Sue, cross-posted with your reply to ed_pete.

Where is the existing SVP?

I think you need to draw that plan... :)

[Jeremy]

Yeah I don't think you can run a soil pipe around the corner... hence the need to dig the channel along the back and round the corner.

[red devil]

It would help to know where the existing SVP is located. If the toilet is on the party wall side it should either drain out towards the back wall to connect into an external SVP, or go straight down via an internal SVP.

Also, the position of manhole(s). If there's one in the side return then it would be easy to connect a new SVP into it from the new bathroom and ignore the existing SVP. If the manhole is adjacent to the end rear elevation then it's digger time...

[Sue]

Aaarrrggghhh!!

Thanks all. Will draw plan soon but multi-tasking on a myriad things at the moment!

[KidKruger]

I have run a soil pipe round the corner, I couldn't see point of having it go round the corner underground but not above ground. Two years later no problems.

[Sue]

KidKruger Wrote:

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> I have run a soil pipe round the corner, I

> couldn't see point of having it go round the

> corner underground but not above ground. Two years

> later no problems.

Does that conform with any relevant regulations KK?

[red devil]

The Regs don't appear to make specific reference to going around 90 degree corners of buildings, probably because it's considered bad practice to begin with. When it's done underground they use what is called an 'easy bend', a very gradual 90 degree turning so that you don't get blockages. If a Building Control inspector did accept it he would probably insist that you have an access point for rodding out any blockages...

Also worth checking beforehand that the fall of the soil pipe running from the WC to the SVP doesn't clash with any door/window openings...

[KidKruger]

My corner soil pipe is slanted downwards at the receiving end, heading towards the soil stack.

Unless you're knocking-out half-brick sized man eggs and wiping your botty with cardboard I'm sure this arrangement is fine.