I'll be replacing a lavatory bowl over the weekend, it appears to be a pretty straightforward job as there's nothing unusual about the position of the waste or anything.
So I have just bought a straight connector (Kwikfit Straight, BES part number 12710) and that's all.
Is there anything else I need? I couldn't see anything obvious in the BES catalogue but it feels like this connector might not be all that's necessary.
Would any gooey sealer type stuff and/or big ring clips be a good idea to have available just in case or is the connector I've ordered supposed to be sufficient?
The waste I'm connecting to is quite old I would guess (1960s).
It really depends on what you're connecting to Chris. You might even be able to connect the new pan to existing connector if they all line up together.
As far as we can tell it's a straight pan replacement, the waste pipe appears to be same size and place as the old one. The existing waste pipe goes straight back from the pan for a foot or so and then turns right and connects to the main downpipe which is in a service duct.
I'm not able to look myself as I'm in Suffolk and the bathroom is in London so above is from memory (and asking my daughter). I think the existing waste is plastic, in fact I'm just about sure it is.
Maybe I'm worrying about nothing and it will be as simple as it would appear that it will be. I just don't want to be stuck without a loo at 6pm on Sunday! :-)
The pipe sizes have never changed since being introduced (and that's nearly two hundred years ago), they're only translated into millimetres now 'a' days. It's always handy to have an adjustable pan connector though, just in case the new pan ends a bit further away from the existing outlet pipe. But you can fit one inside the other if stuck.
I replaced a pan the other day which some idiot had dropped a hammer on. It is loose coupled so the following may not be applicable if yours is close coupled. Whichever I'd really recomend latex gloves or even something sturdier. IT's amazing how your nose gets itchy when it's covered in... stuff.
The waste pipe was indeed in the exact same location and the same size as the outgoing loo, which judging by the state of it had been in situ for a goodly number of years.
The problem I had was getting the flush pipe (or is there a proper name?) to line up. The hole in my new pan was a full 10mm lower than on the old pan. The result was that the steel flush pipe attached to the cistern wouldn't locate into the pan.
I went to a plumbers merchant and B&Q and there seems to be one pre-formed flush pipe available and it was precisely the same size as the one on loo already.
The helpful advice in the plumbers merchant was to drop the cistern down, which was probably the best idea, but I just couldn't face recutting the supply pipe etc. and the decorating implications.
I ended up applying an 'artistic' fix by cutting the new plastic flush pipe and fixing the two parts together with a 40mm compression joint - which just about worked because it's not true 40mm. It's not pretty but I can live with it so it's not a problem.
From experience that is not a good day to do this job if you're not absolutely sure its going to fit. Did similar job in son's London flat on a Sat. In spite of having pro fit-all rubber coupling adaptor from plumbers merchant, everything went wron g.. Of course plumbers outlets shut at midday Sat.... Eventually we had working bog after 5 hours much to the relief of the returning shopped out swmbos.
I claimed on my building insurance for a similar accidental breakage. The ins coy paid £750 to replace the whole bathroom suite because pan to match no longer available in the horrid 1980s colour :-)
If the seals were natural rubber, then it wouldn't be a very good idea, but they're neoprene, which is unaffected by petroleum products.
Since I keep a jar of vaseline in my tool box, and can't usually be arsed to go and get some washing up liquid, which works just as well, that's what I use.
Well the loo replacement actually went rather well and easily. It turned out that a right angle connector worked rather better getting the loo right against the wall. I had to cut the old bend off the waste pipe which was a bit difficult but the new connector fitted perfectly, easy job.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.