Any sewer system will require repair over time. However, the emergency replacement of individual elements is sometimes not able to solve the problem. Restoring functionality is sometimes quite difficult, but replacing sewer pipes will help get out of this situation.
The point here will not even be in the quality of materials, but in the operational process, because every day consumers drain dozens of liters of waste that can adversely affect the functionality of the system. Hot water is replaced by an icy stream, and a soapy solution is replaced by greasy residue from washing dishes. That is why, no matter how reliable the sewage system in the apartment is, sooner or later the question of its replacement will arise before every apartment owner.
What you need to know before starting work
In order to decide onmaterials, it is necessary to take into account all points of water intake. It is important to count everything to which the sewer pipes are connected, requiring replacement, namely:
- bathroom;
- toilet;
- kitchen sink;
- bathroom sink;
- washing machine and dishwasher.
An assistant in this matter will be a diagram that you can draw on a piece of paper. The drawn up plan will allow you to understand how to assemble the circuit, as well as determine what is required for work, these can be additional devices, as well as pipes, the length and quantity of which you must determine at this stage.
As for the diameter of the toilet pipe, this parameter is 100 mm. For other devices, the diameter is 50 mm. For the toilet, experts recommend purchasing a corrugated pipe. Installing it is much easier. Before you start replacing sewer pipes, you should know that the diameter of the corrugation of siphons for sinks and bathrooms can be equal to the limit from 32 to 50 mm. Whereas this parameter for a washing machine is equal to a figure from 20 to 25 mm.
Rubber cuffs for the toilet can have a diameter of 126/110 mm. For other pipes, the cuff diameter can be 50/32 or 50/40 mm. The pipe where the water will be drained from the washing machine must be raised above the floor surface by 500 mm. The system can be assembled much easier and faster if silicone sealant is used.
Sewer pipe connection methods
If you decide to replace sewer pipes inbathroom, you must first choose a way to connect products. For this, home craftsmen most often use rubber couplings. However, this method is most preferable for cast iron pipes.
Plastic products are usually connected in a socket way. The end of the pipe for this is inserted into the expanded part of the other. For sealing, you can use a rubber ring or seal. In order to get a plastic pipe of the required length, you need to use a hacksaw. To facilitate installation, one end of the pipe should be chamfered. If this is not done, the lip seal may be damaged.
Material selection
If you decide to replace plastic sewer pipes, you should think about what material to choose. It can be metal or ceramic. The last option is quite expensive. Among the advantages of such systems, one should highlight their resistance to aggressive environments. But polymer products have smooth surfaces, so they prevent the formation of blockages and do not overgrow over time. They can be made of PVC or polypropylene.
The last option is considered the most optimal for internal sewage. Such pipes are easy to lay, they are durable and resistant to high temperatures. Replacing sewer pipes at home can be carried out with PVC products. They are UV resistant and quite durable. But when burning and heating, they begin to release harmful substances. Among other things, polyvinyl chloridenot very resistant to aggressive environments, but quite suitable for sewerage in an apartment.
Should I use metal piping for replacement
Cast iron and steel are used as materials for metal pipes. These products are inexpensive. Steel pipes are resistant to high temperatures and durable. Today they are used to transport industrial waste. But steel products have an impressive weight and are subject to corrosion. Therefore, you should not use them in an apartment.
Cast iron pipes are more expensive than others. But they are corrosion resistant. It is possible to use them for laying sewerage in an apartment, but only if you are not embarrassed by the decrease in pipe patency over time, as well as the difficulty of installing them due to their high weight. But cast iron pipes have a long service life and high strength.
Preparation of tools
Before replacing sewer pipes, you should take care of having some tools, among them:
- perforator;
- chisel;
- hammer;
- hacksaw;
- mounting gun;
- adjustable wrench;
- screwdrivers;
- hammer.
Puncher can be replaced with an impact drill, and a hacksaw with a grinder.
Pipe removal
At the first stage of the renovation of the sewerage system, it is necessary to dismantle the pipes. Work to be doneimplement in stages. To begin with, the water supply is turned off, after which the hose that goes to the toilet flush tank must be disconnected. A wrench should be used for this. Next, the master will have to dismantle the toilet. The bolts with which it is strengthened to the floor must be unscrewed.
The room is vacated: everything that can interfere with the work should be taken out of it, somehow:
- washing machine;
- wash;
- bidet.
The old sewer system is being dismantled. Those cast-iron pipes that are located at some distance from the riser, you can break with a hammer, because this material is fragile. The master will have to dismantle the pipes that are adjacent to the riser.
Replacing sewer pipes involves the careful dismantling of elements that extend from the riser. To do this, with the help of a grinder, the pipe is cut off with a ledge from the socket of the riser by 10 cm. The remaining part can be taken out, for this it should be swung in the socket. The rest of the pipe falls out easily. If he is firmly seated, then you will have to spend more time and effort.
Along the pipe section, it is necessary to make several cuts with a grinder, stepping back between the cuts of 20 mm. By tapping the chisel with a hammer, you can split the pipe that is stuck in the tee. This method usually allows you to get rid of old pipes. The tee socket is cleaned. Before installing a new seal, it is necessary to remove the remnants of the old grease, which may interfere with the installation of the new system.
Installation of new pipes
If you decide to replace sewer pipes from cast iron to plastic, then at the next stage you can proceed with the installation of a new system. As soon as the new rubber cuff is in the prepared socket of the tee, it can be fixed, and then you should proceed with the installation of plastic products. The most important step will be the installation of the toilet. It should be connected to the sewerage system with a 110mm pipe.
Then you need to make a smooth transition to 50 mm pipes. An adapter for such a diameter should not be installed immediately. Properly use a 100 mm bridge. Then you should go to 50 mm, fixing the joints and observing a slope of up to 5 ° towards the drain.
When replacing cast iron sewer pipes, you must avoid going into 90°. A great option would be to use two 45° angles. When installing the system inside an apartment, welding is usually not required. Assembly can be done by inserting elements into each other, using gaskets for good tightness. However, to be sure, you should apply silicone sealant, which will connect the parts of the structure.
Recommendations for work
When a part of a sewer pipe is being replaced, you will need to use a ruler and a square to mark the pipe fixation line on vertical surfaces. At the next stage, the system is selected from pipes of the required length using tees to connect plumbing.
Attachment points for clamps are applied to the wall. Under them should be drilledholes. Elements are installed and fixed on the wall. A PVC pipe should be connected to the sewer riser. It should be extended with pipes of the required length to the next water intake point.
The whole system is mounted on the wall with mounting clamps. Connections can be sealed with cuffs. It is important to make sure the system is tight. Only after the plumbing is connected. Not all owners, when replacing cast-iron sewer pipes with plastic ones, use an open installation method. Modern interiors provide for a closed installation technique. To do this, the system is hidden in the wall or floor. Holes of the required depth are drilled in the surfaces for this, so that the pipes fit entirely in them. Next up is the podium. At the final stage, a decorative box is installed, it can be made from drywall. Subsequently, it is covered with tiles.
Conclusion
The replacement of sewer pipes must be approached with great responsibility. Dismantling the old system is quite simple, but putting new pipes in place, ensuring tightness, is not always easy. Replacing pipes is fraught with many nuances, at each stage of work it is necessary to follow its own rules, starting with the dismantling of the old pipeline and ending with connecting the system.
