Any sewage system will require repair over time. However, an emergency replacement of individual elements is sometimes not able to solve the problem. Restoring functionality is sometimes quite difficult, but replacing sewer pipes will allow you to 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, which can negatively affect the functionality of the system. Hot water gives way to an icy stream, and soapy water gives way to greasy residues from washing dishes. That is why no matter how reliable the sewage system in an apartment may be, sooner or later the question of its replacement will arise for each apartment owner.
What you need to know before starting work
In order to determine the materials, it is necessary to take into account all points of water intake. It is important to calculate everything that the sewer pipes that require replacement are brought to, namely:
- a bathroom;
- toilet bowl;
- a sink in the kitchen;
- a sink in the bathroom;
- washing machine and dishwasher.
An assistant in this matter will be a diagram that you can depict 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 may 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 bathtubs can be equal to a limit of 32 to 50 mm. Whereas this parameter for a washing machine is equal to a figure from 20 to 25 mm.
Rubber toilet cuffs may have a diameter of 126/110 mm. For other pipes, the cuff diameter can be 50/32 or 50/40 mm. The pipe where water from the washing machine will be discharged must be raised above the floor surface by 500 mm. The system can be assembled much easier and faster if you use silicone sealant.
Sewer pipe connection methods
If you decide to replace the sewer pipes in the bathroom, you must first choose the method of connecting the products. For this, home craftsmen most often use rubber couplings. However, this method is most preferred for cast iron pipes.
Plastic products are usually joined in a bell-shaped manner. 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, a chamfer should be removed from one end of the pipe. If this is not done, then the sealing collar may be damaged.
Material selection
If you decide to replace the sewer plastic pipes, then you should think about which material to choose. It can be metal or ceramic. The latter option is quite expensive. Among the advantages of such systems, their resistance to aggressive environments should be highlighted. But polymer products have smooth surfaces, so they prevent the formation of blockages and do not overgrow with time. They can be made of polyvinyl chloride or polypropylene.
The latter option is considered the most optimal for domestic sewage. Such pipes are easy to install, they are durable and resistant to high temperatures. Replacement of sewer pipes at home can be carried out on polyvinyl chloride products. They are UV resistant and quite durable. But when burning and heating, they begin to emit harmful substances. Among other things, polyvinyl chloride is not very resistant to aggressive environments, but it is quite suitable for sewage in an apartment.
Should metal piping be used to replace
Cast iron and steel are used as material 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 susceptible to corrosion. Therefore, you should not use them in the apartment.
Cast iron pipes are more expensive than others. But they are corrosion resistant. It is possible to use them for laying sewers in an apartment, but only if you are not confused by the decrease in pipe traffic with time, as well as the difficulty of installing them due to the high weight. But cast-iron pipes have a long service life and high strength.
Tool preparation
Before replacing sewer pipes, you should take care of the availability of some tools, among them:
- hammer drill;
- chisel;
- hammer;
- hacksaw;
- mounting gun;
- adjustable wrench;
- screwdrivers;
- hammer.
The puncher can be replaced with an impact drill, and a hacksaw for metal with a grinder.
Pipe dismantling
At the first stage of updating the sewage system, it is necessary to dismantle the pipes. Work should be carried out in stages. First, the water supply is turned off, after the hose that goes to the toilet flush tank, it is necessary to disconnect. Use an adjustable spanner to do this. Next, the master will have to dismantle the toilet. The bolts that secure it to the floor must be unscrewed.
The room is freed: everything that can interfere with the work should be taken out of it, somehow:
The old sewer system is disassembled. Those pig-iron pipes, which 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 provides for the careful dismantling of elements that extend from the riser. To do this, with the help of a grinder, the pipe cuts off with a step from the bell of the riser by 10 cm. The remaining part can be removed, for this it should be shaken in the bell. The rest of the pipe falls out easily. If he is firmly seated, then he will have to spend more time and energy.
Along the length of the pipe, it is necessary to make several cuts with a grinder, retreating 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 bell is cleared. Before installing a new cuff, it is necessary to remove the remnants of the old grease that may interfere with the installation of the new system.
Installation of new pipes
If you decide to replace the sewer pipes from cast iron to plastic, then at the next stage you can proceed with the installation of the 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 critical step will be the installation of the toilet. It should be connected to the sewage system using a 110 mm pipe.
Then you need to make a smooth transition to the pipes at 50 mm. An adapter for this 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 5 ° towards the drain.
When replacing cast iron sewer pipes, you must avoid a 90 ° transition. An excellent option would be to use two angles at 45 °. When installing the system inside the apartment, welding is usually not required. Assembly can be carried out by inserting elements into each other, using gaskets for good tightness. However, to be completely sure, you should use silicone sealant that will connect the parts of the structure.
Recommendations for work
When a part of the sewer pipe is 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 the pipes of the desired length using tees to connect the plumbing.
Mounting points for clamps are applied to the wall. Drill holes under them. Elements are mounted and mounted on the wall. A PVC pipe should be connected to the sewer riser. It should be increased using pipes of the required length to the next point of water intake.
The entire system is mounted on the wall with mounting clamps. Joints can be sealed with cuffs. It is important to ensure that 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 hides in the wall or floor. For this purpose, holes of the required depth are chipped in the surfaces so that the pipes fit entirely in them. Next is the podium. At the final stage, a decorative box is installed, it can be made of drywall. Subsequently, it is tiled.
Conclusion
The replacement of sewage pipes must be approached with high responsibility. To dismantle the old system is quite simple, but to put new pipes in place, ensuring tightness, is not always easy. Replacing pipes is fraught with many nuances; at each stage of work, you must follow your own rules, starting with dismantling the old pipeline and ending with connecting the system.