New soil pipe connection

To allow the bathroom to be at the front of the house I needed a new connecttion to the soil pipe which runs awkwardly about 3 feet below the ground below rainwater pipes and the incoming electricity supplies. I had already moved the watermain as described on the watermain page - to get it out of the way. I had attempted this job a year before and given up thinking it was too diffcult, but with the help of Phil and renewed vigor* we did it!

If we had not been able to do it, the bathroom would have had to stay at the back of the house - I am not a fan of macerators...

*OK I would not normally say that kind of thing but this was an important achievement

Digging starts

With much help from Phil.

Rainwater pipe

This is above the soil pipe and so needed to be cut to allow access to it.

Cutting a pocket

We carefully used an angle grinder here as it was the best way of cutting through the rainwater pipe.

Using the chain pipe cutter

This device is brilliant. You wrap a massive heavy chain with cutting wheels around the pipe and with a few 'pumps' it crushes the pipe gently producing a neat crack all the way around.

Rain pipe cut!

Working out the bits

It was a tight squeeze....

Lower rodding point

Test assembly - checking it will all work.

The finished design

Fortunately the nice building control officer appoved this but requested that I set it all in concrete - just enough to cover the pipes - which I did gladly.