thinking of moving toilet

[busybusy]

{Thanks in advance for any response....} I am remodeling a bathroom and considering moving the toilet about ten inches, but I don't have to do it, just considering it. The floor is a slab, so moving the drain requires breaking it up and repouring later. The drain pipe is iron, so moving it requires cutting it and making a joint to a new drain which will end up buried under the repoured slab. Here are my questions.... First, I have seen (youtube) joints like this made with iron to plastic pipe via a fernco coupler... Is anyone here willing to speak for or against that technique, and would anyone recommend alternatively using caulked lead joints? Second, the cold water in the building comes from the slab... how to manage the risk of breaking up slab when pipes are buried there? Thanks again for any response!

 

[LiQuId]

this is a TON of work for 10 inches and if you dont have to do it then I would highly suggest not doing it. Can be a real can of worms.

 

[johnjh2o]

If you do move it don't use a rubber fernco, use a banded coupling instead. As far as not hitting any water lines just take it slow. You shouldn't have any water lines in the concrete itself they will be below the concrete with some earth over them.
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John

 

[busybusy]

Thanks, guys, for the help.... I'm looking at all the work to be done and I really suspect that not doing the toilet move is the best idea. I wonder if I can just reseat the toilet over the existing drain with an offset flange (do they make those for cast iron pipe?) to improve the toilet's position a little bit. Still thinking, and thanks for the help!

 

[johnjh2o]

They do make them but the most you can get is 1". Keep in mind that offset flanges can cause stoppage problems.
It's the eighth item down on the page.

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John

 

[LeakFinder]

It's not as bad as you would think. Rent a jackhammer from home depot and use the fernco fitting to change over to plastic pipe. Once the changeover is done, it's relatively easy to get plastic fittings to put the toilet flange where you want. Be sure to check for water leaks as they can cause water damage and black mold growth if the toilet is not seated properly.

 

[LiQuId]

You could also Look into the Caroma line of toilets, they have a different kind of attachment to the flange that is a slip gasket and it comes with an offset that ( if memory serves ) can offset the Centerline of the Toilet by 3-4 inches they are a dual flush austrailian toilet manufacturer.

 

[busybusy]

Thanks, guys, for the replies.... I want to explain the problem a little bit...it's an old 60's/70's installation...back when people were ok with tiny cramped bathrooms. The real problem with the commode is that it clears the side wall by about 5-6 inches, and seated on it you basically have the opposite wall in your face. If i could just move the drain I could turn the toilet the other way and really improve the spaciousness of the setup, but it does involve breaking up concrete, cutting off the drain, making a joint, creating a new drain, etc... I thought of an alternative today. If I had a toilet with no tank, I could just rotate the dang bowl on the existing drain by 30 degrees or so and bada-boom, problem fixed. The toilet would no longer be perpendicular to the back wall, and I've never seen that setup that I can recall, so I figure it must have a problem.. Could anybody tell me if this is doable or not?

 

[busybusy]

Well, yeesh... I looked at tankless toilets on the web and they are all designed to be flat to the rear wall, and they might need a pump to make them work. I thought there may be some novel solution, but it doesn't look that way. Maybe I'll have to just live with the cramped toilet for now and fix it later.