Soil pipe in chimney breast

[309welman]

We live in a Victorian apartment on 1st floor. Our new upstairs neighbours want to relocate their toilet from the outside wall to an inside wall and run the soil pipe through an unused chimney. Is that wise?

 

[Last Plumber]

We live in a Victorian apartment on 1st floor. Our new upstairs neighbours want to relocate their toilet from the outside wall to an inside wall and run the soil pipe through an unused chimney. Is that wise?

Seems a strange thing to do. What reason is there for moving the soil pipe. Why can't they utilize the existing one?

 

[309welman]

Seems a strange thing to do. What reason is there for moving the soil pipe. Why can't they utilize the existing one?

I thought probably it needed the drop? And also, running a soil pipe under the floor boards could be a bad idea for mouse and smell reasons?

 

[Ben-gee]

What happens if you or the ground floor owners ( or future owners) which to make use of the chimney?

I would say it’s not wise.

 

[exedon2]

The guidance in document H building regulations recommend soil pipes should be accessible for clearance purposes. Don't think the proposed quite meets that!

 

[309welman]

What happens if you or the ground floor owners ( or future owners) which to make use of the chimney?

I would say it’s not

The guidance in document H building regulations recommend soil pipes should be accessible for clearance purposes. Don't think the proposed quite meets that!

That’s really useful information. Thank you.

 

[Ric2013]

The guidance in document H building regulations recommend soil pipes should be accessible for clearance purposes. Don't think the proposed quite meets that!

Yes, but does that mean as long as you have access to a rodding point then you are complying or do they literally expect you to have the entire run accessible?

What happens if you or the ground floor owners ( or future owners) which to make use of the chimney?

I would say it’s not wise.

It depends whose chimney it is, surely? If the chimney belongs to the ground floor, then they need to give the upstairs owners the right to use it (or sell the chimney). As the chimney is unused, I am assuming that means it is blocked off, not just whoever owns it decided to not to buy coal this year (which may mean they have lost the easement that allows them to use the chimney anyway). Ignoring that, unblocking it to bring it into use would probably involve lining it to bring it to current standards, and it's still not certain that a new heat producing appliance could legally be installed to the chimney as we don't know the full circumstances.

I agree there are things that need to be carefully considered, but I don't agree that finding a new use for an otherwise redundant chimney is a bad one in principle. At least the brick should have excellent sound absorbing properties.

 

[Ben-gee]

I was alluding to my opinion that they should not proceed with gay abandon (whoever he is).

In the future a new owner of a lower flat could quite reasonably expect to reinstate the chimney and would certainly not expect a soil pipe to be drilled through it.

Presumably these are leasehold flats? This work could not be carried out without freeholder permission- which I imagine would not be granted.

There is surely another route available...

 

[309welman]

I was alluding to my opinion that they should not proceed with gay abandon (whoever he is).

In the future a new owner of a lower flat could quite reasonably expect to reinstate the chimney and would certainly not expect a soil pipe to be drilled through it.

Presumably these are leasehold flats? This work could not be carried out without freeholder permission- which I imagine would not be granted.

There is surely another route available...

It is a shared freehold of which I belong. I am mainly trying to ascertain if practically it is possible and allowed. Restricted access in case of maintenance or emergencies seems like the strongest reason not to, as per building regs.
But if they had to connect the soil pipe to the existing one, then there wouldn’t be enough of a drop, right?

 

[Last Plumber]

gay abandon (whoever he is).

That tickled me

 

[exedon2]

The section of document H you need to look at is guidance page 6 of on line version and page 11 section 1.34 which states all pipes must be reasonable acceptable for repair

 

[WC1]

Seems very unwise. How would you achieve a 2 metre clip spacing?

 

[309welman]

Seems very unwise. How would you achieve a 2 metre clip spacing?

For attaching it? Yes! and we have no idea what state the chimney is in. They say they will provide an access point on their level but is that enough?