Removing a WC pan

[Graeme]

Spent time today removing a WC pan, or rather the cistern. The pan itself is sitting on the floor, loose, waiting to be removed, but I'm not sure what else I need.

The pan is not being replaced, so I need to block off the exit/waste pipe. I thought I needed some sort of inflatable balloon that goes in the waste pipe. Is that right, and if so, what is it called? Searches involving pipe and balloon just bring up plastic things to stop leaves going into waste pipes from gutters. Perhaps I just need a 'soil pipe socket plug'? Or what looks like a ribbed rubber plug?

Thanks!

[GB]

One of these probably.

[Nightjar]

Crumpled newspaper and concrete works well.

[GB]

I thought of that, but the OP might want to use the pipe in future.

[alan_m]

Not required assuming you don't live in a block of flats with everyone above you sharing the same down-pipe. Even then if you need to block off the opening just tie a plastic carrier bag around it.

Get a small container and bale out the water in the bottom of a pan. Place an old towel/rag under the waste pipe to catch the very small amount of water that may be left in the trap.

You may find that some brown stuff is left in the crevasses/seals where the pipes meet the pan or down-pipe so maybe have bucket handy to transport the connecting pipe to the garden when it can be hosed down and/or soaked in bleach.

[alan_m]

Sorry, I read that as you were going to re-install the same pan and fittings.

[Roger Mills]

That will probably do - as long as you're left with a plastic push-fit socket when you remove the pan connector.

But if you have a glazed pipe disappearing into the floor - or just a

110mm plastic pipe with no socket on the end, you'll need something different.

What *have* you got? A photo[1] would be good.

[1] Uploaded to some webspace somewhere (Dropbox, etc.) with a link here.

[Graeme]

In message , Roger Mills writes

OK, thanks for all the comments. TBH, I don't know what I have got yet. I have removed 4 screws from the pan, which is now just sitting on the floor. Water still in the bowl, to seal for time being. Will bale out tomorrow, remove pan and take a photo or two.

[Andrew Gabriel]

Just use the loo brush to get the water oscilating back and forth in the U bend, and you can almost completely empty it that way.

If you have a ribbed rubber seal that maybe isn't sealing quite as well as it did when new, as you pull it out, each ridge flicks shit in your face as it pops out of the pipe...

[Graeme]

In message , Andrew Gabriel writes

Thank you Andrew, I will look forward to that :-)

Here are three photos :

It looks to me as though the white part is an offset rubber (?) connector, which is probably (?) just plugged into the grey waste pipe.

Next job (!) is to just pull that white connector off the grey pipe? That should, by the looks of it, leave the top of the grey waste pipe just below floor level, which is handy. Then just pop in a stopper? Something like eBay 251278942890

Just push in, perhaps with a little washing up liquid to lubricate?

[Roger Mills]

That's what I do. I then finish off with with a meat baster (used *only* for this purpose, and not in the kitchen!) to suck the last few drops out and dump them into a jam jar.

Doubtless TMH would recommend a wet and dry vac - but we haven't seen him recently.

[newshound]

Not just TMH, the wet and dry is the *essential* tool to have to hand for this job. Can also use it to empty the cistern completely.

Don't do what I did the other day, though. I had to whip the pan out in order to open the saniflo to retrieve the cloth my other half flushed into it. I thought, don't need to drain the cistern. However, while drying up drips with the wet and dry I put enough "suck" on the siphon pipe to trip the siphon. I was able to get my hand over the pipe before more than about a pint had come out, but was very relieved to have a large "trug" to hand to drain the rest of the cistern into in a relatively well controlled manner. The delivery from a cistern not attached to the pan is really quite impressive.

And of course it is easy to dry the floor with a wet and dry.