blocking off disused soil pipe

[clang2005]

Hi all Anyone know what the best way is to permanently block off a toilet soil pipe? The house is ex council approx 60 yrs old. Secondary toilet is in a concrete floor 'outhouse' and never used. I'm ok to remove the pan, etc, just not sure about best way to seal off the soil pipe. Want to knock the walls through to make one large utilty room in the outhouse, so ultimately must end up with smooth floor ( sealing off below floor level) and no nasty niffs. Advice appreciated Chaz

[David Lang]

I did this in our first house over 20 years ago. Incorporated the outside privy into the kitchen.

Removed pan etc & dug down to about 6" below the required floor level. Blocked of the soil pipe with a sheet of thick plastic & concreted over the whole lot. Building inspector was happy with it.

Dave

[Owain]

You can get double-sealed manhole covers which are approved for use in habitable rooms, they have a recess so you can put in a cover piece of matching flooring. As it's a utility room in an outhouse I think I'd use one, or some other form of screw-down cap, and retain the soil pipe as a floor drain, with a slight incline in the floor down to it. Handy if washing machine floods, or for hosing down the dog, etc.

Owain

[clang2005]

Thanks for the reply sounds easy enough then, I assumed you would have to fill the pipe with chicken wire and mortar or something, but from what you are saying so the pipe doesnt really need to be sealed as such, just as long as the area above it is? Did you remember if your soil pipe went straight downwards a long way or immediately off at an angle? ( I've never seen in one before so don't know what to expect!)

[Calvin]

Part H of the building regs is available online and specifies exactly the requirements in your situation:

Quote: Sealing disused drains B.17 Disused drains or sewers provide ideal nesting sites for rats. In order to prevent this disused drains or sewers should be disconnected from the sewer system as near as possible to the point of connection. This should be done in a manner which does not damage any pipe which is still in use and ensures that the sewer system is watertight. This may be carried out, for example, by removing the pipe from a junction and placing a stopper in the branch of the junction fitting. Where the connection was to a public sewer the sewerage undertaker should be consulted. B.18 Drains or sewers less than 1.5m deep which are in open ground should as far as is practicable be removed. Other pipes should be sealed at both ends and at any point of connection, and grout filled to ensure that rats cannot gain access. B.19 Larger pipes (225mm and above) should be grout filled to prevent subsidence or damage to buildings or services in the event of collapse. End quote

In practice the drains should end up water and air tight so I think you really do need to cap them properly. I recently removed our downstairs loo, blocked the pipe with loose newspaper some way down (to stop the mortar going further down) then filled the rest with about 20cm of mortar to give a flush floor level. Dead easy.

Hope that helps.

[clang2005]

Thanks everyone for the advice, thats great. Although still not too keen on doing the messy job,....at least I'm more confident about what to do now!