Lifting toilets and sinks!!

[MICH]

Hi everyone,

I tiled my bathroom floor last year, and cut around the toilet and sink, as I want to do this full time eventually I was wondering if anyone can give me advice, regarding a short course on how to remove and re install these? As it would save alot of time!

Thanks for your help in advance,

[rhyd4]

it s not that hard to remove the toilet and sink but if you do want to do a course maybe think about a plumbhing course

[cornish_crofter]

Plumbing course would be the way to go if you've no plumbing experience. This way you would be able to install new suites as well.

I do both tiling and plumbing. Customers my way tend to want one guy to do all the work.

[mikethetile]

hi mich

its a good thing for tilers to learn, theres nothing worse than going into someones bathroom and finding the cistern lid tiled around

before you lift a pan out check if they have another loo to use, its horrible trying to drill and fix a pan onto your newly fixed tiles because they cant wait any longer for the addy to set

[doug boardley]

service (isolator) valves are wonderful things!

[cornish_crofter]

The other thing to bear in mind that and extra 1/2 an inch on the floor can make all the difference with both the soil and the inlet connections.

The inlet connections often need altering, and you should always use a new pan connector anyway, if you actually disconnect it.

A lot of people make the mistake of using the same sort as what came out, quite often, if you had a straight pan connector before, you will need an offset one to replace it.

A lot of modern toilets have their cisterns siliconed to the wall, as opposed to screwed. Nothing wrong in that, but it does require you to use a long blade to cut it off.

[cornish_crofter]

I would agree with Doug, the iso valves are a must. The new water regs require them, but more often than not they're not fitted.

So, it's turn the water off at the mains, drain the tank, unless you can find a handy gate valve/stopcock/cork in the header tank etc etc.

I always fit them when I change a suite, or even disconnect one. Also, check valves should be fitted if you fit mixer taps, just in case you lose pressure on one side - you don't want the hot going into the cold etc.

[Colour Republic]

If you haven't got the time to drain down the system them you can freeze the pipes, works on hot water and radiator flow and return pipes too... although be quick on them

Rothenberger 6.4004 Freeze-Pak Pipe Freezing Kit

[cornish_crofter]

If you haven't got the time to drain down the system them you can freeze the pipes, works on hot water and radiator flow and return pipes too... although be quick on them

Rothenberger 6.4004 Freeze-Pak Pipe Freezing Kit

These are fine, unless you want to solder, near them

I had to do a job recently where the pipes to be re routed were under the concrete screed, which in turn was only 1.5" thick!

I had to cap off one set of pipes and put in tees to another, radiator was being replaced by a towel rail the other side of the bathroom. I had to get every last drop of water out before soldering - not easy.

[Frosty]

I totally agree on fitting iso valves.
You can also get them on flexpipes aswell now if the new positions are that far out, although I prefer to do any pipe alterations in coppper and soldered joints (looks more professional in my opinion).

When you move a toilet out use a wet'n'dry vac to suck the remaining water out of cistern and pan bend, I hate getting wet feet or missing the dust sheets onto a nice clean hallway carpet

[LM Ceramics]

I totally agree on fitting iso valves.
You can also get them on flexpipes aswell now if the new positions are that far out, although I prefer to do any pipe alterations in coppper and soldered joints (looks more professional in my opinion).

When you move a toilet out use a wet'n'dry vac to suck the remaining water out of cistern and pan bend, I hate getting wet feet or missing the dust sheets onto a nice clean hallway carpet

im currently doing a plumbing course now and i find using pushfit pipes alot easier than copper and soldered joints i know what you mean it does look more professional though

[Colour Republic]

I had to get every last drop of water out before soldering - not easy.

Ahhh you need some Mapp gas, burns hotter so it doesn't matter if you have a bit of water in the pipe

[cornish_crofter]

Pushfit PAH!

Seriously, you'll find that these will add up in terms of cost if you use them all the time. I have used pushfit, and still do. There is a place for it but it looks awful in exposed areas so I use it as little as possible.

Also, you shouldn't use these where access is an issue. I have used them inside walls etc but I pressure tested them first and there is a plan B should they fail.

You will know that brass/copper fittings conduct electricity, and plastic doesn't. It's all about electrical bonding in the bathroom. A lot of hot and cold taps in the bathroom are bonded together near the taps. If you then go and pipeslice the pipes lower down and insert plastic iso valves, you have interfered with the bonding.

Also, they don't have a great pressure/temperature curve, not as good as Hep20.

I assume your plumbing course is teaching you to solder using ring solder and end feed, you'll need it. I hardly use endfeed. I was given a load of enfeed fittings and have worked my way through most of them now, I prefer the ring solder but back the solder up with my own. All the TS plumbers I've spoken to do the same with ring solder joints, as the solder in these fittings cannot be totally relied upon without.

I usually carry a quantity of 15mm connectors, straight, elbow and tees in solder ring, and similar in 22mm, and a length of pipe each, plus a load of iso valves and other misc plumbing. I do keep Speedfit, but I've been using it less now and tend to just stock up on what I'm short of. I also tend to plan ahead what I am likely to need and either get it in or make sure I've got it.

I'd be interested to know what you cover on the course in time Lee.

[Colour Republic]

Speedfit ££££ and Ring solder (Also know as yorkshire fittings) are still about 50% more then end feed, you lot must be rolling in it!

[cornish_crofter]

I go for the cheaper ones. TBH I don't use that many, as I don't do plumbing day in day out.

I know what you mean though. If I was doing a lot of plumbing I would use more endfeed.

Also, we have a builder's merchant near me that are pretty slack with their pricing on certain items. They stock plumbing stuff but don't seem to shift that much. So if I find I need a few elbows etc, I tend to look there to see what their prices are as well. Last time I needed some 22mm ring solder elbows they were actually cheaper than buying end feed from Screwfix! I bought out their entire stock of 22mm elbows!

OK I know you can get them cheaper

[faithhealer]

I totally agree on fitting iso valves.
You can also get them on flexpipes aswell now if the new positions are that far out, although I prefer to do any pipe alterations in coppper and soldered joints (looks more professional in my opinion).

When you move a toilet out use a wet'n'dry vac to suck the remaining water out of cistern and pan bend, I hate getting wet feet or missing the dust sheets onto a nice clean hallway carpet

I bought a pump which goes on my cordless out the pound shop! (hose fittings for it cost a couple of quid at the car boot though!)

[BDS]

be carefull when using the mapp gas cos if there`s any water in pipes still (more than a few drops) it will burn the pipe or fitting first before soldering them.