Toilet Overflow and Soil Vent Pipe

[Lonnie]

We are having some building work done, and the toilet overflow has to be moved,
One of the workerd has suggested turning it into the Soil Vent Pipe.

I'm not too well up on building regulations, but I thought this was illegal.

Is there anyone on here who can confirm or deny this?.

Thanks.

[dilligaf]

Had the same problem recently. Get a new flushing unit inside the toilet cistern and you can do away with the conventional type overflow. If water overflows it will drain into the pan rather than through a pipe to the outside of the building.

[terence7556]

same as above ,the hole in the cistern of a modern toilet is filled in and there is only one for the water inlet
curious about the other advice though . how did this man intend to turn a 22mm pipe into a 100/110 mm one

[vivandorron]

A toilet overflow pipe only needs to go through the wall to the outside. Do you mean the overflow from the tank or the actual outflow from the toilet pan.?

[Doc Spock]

dilligaf has got it right, a new syphonic system is complete with overflow back into pan. In essence the unit has a hole in it above diaphragm to allow excess water to flow through it. Simple really.

[stuelwell]

yes lonnie this is totaly illegal dont let him do it or you will be getting the smell from the soil pipe in the house.

[Lonnie]

Thanks everyy one, especially stuelwell, you've confirmed what I thought.

I won't go into detail, take too long, but thanks very much.

[vivandorron]

I don't agree totally with you stuelwell. The outlet (not overflow) from my upstairs toilet goes into the soil pipe and there aren't any smells coming back into the loo and that's been the position for over forty years. I still say that an over flow from the cistern only needs to go through the wall; unless one has a modern cistern with an in-built overflow: which is good advice from dilligaf and Doc Spock.

I would still like to be certain whether we are really talking about an overflow pipe because terence7556 has raised a good point..........Best wishes all.....Ron.

[Lonnie]

Hi vivandorron,

What I needed to know, was if it was illegal or not, which it appears it is, I hadn't thought about smells, but of course, that has to be taken into consideration.

Whats happening, is that we live in a small two bed Bungalow, and are having a Conservatory built, unfortunately, the toilet overflow at present, will be in the Conservatory, which is a problem, and one of the workers made this suggestion as a solution, but reding the above posts again, the first two seem to have covered it.

[stuelwell]

vivandorron. if the overflow was to be put into the soil stack you WILL get the smell of the drains coming in . obviously the 110mm outlet from the toilet has to go into the soil stack and the pan will form a trap to stop any smells coming back , but seen as an overflow pipe has no trap smells will come back. now there are fittings you can put on overflow pipe which will cause a trap.

[vivandorron]

Thanks Lonnie for having confirmed the fact that we are definitely talking about an overflow. In which case I agree 100% with stuelwell. Just as others have suggested, I now say, get a modern flushing unit installed.......R.

[Lonnie]

Thanks to you all, I spoke to the workers today, and they are going to look into it.