Moving Toilet Up One Floor

[takahe]

I live in an old farmhouse whose only commode is on a slab in the basement. I want to replace it and relocate it on the first floor, almost 7 feet directly above the old toilet (which would be removed).

1. Can I go right thru the first floor and straight down to the old toilet drain without using a "closet bend" immediately under the new first floor toilet?

2. I want to use the original toilet drain in the basement. Is there a way to connect this pipe which would come straight down from the new toilet into the old toilet's floor flange? Could I put the face of a new flange on the face of the original flange with a gasket or something between them, or would this be anti-code and begging for leaks? I would rather not bust into the concrete slab to cut out the old flange and the old closet bend, but will bite the bullet if there is no reliable way to connect the pipe from the new toilet into the original flange...

Thanks in advance!

Steve

[DUNBAR PLUMBER]

The new location of the toilet would require the fixture to be vented.


I would advise removing the existing closet bend and either reconnect at the tee or cap off the tee to avoid removing the tee from the existing system.



Remember that if you run a new battery of fixtures above the fixtures on the ground level, you must now take all vents from the lower fixtures and either group them together at 42" and come up as one or individually and bring them up to 42" above the highest set of fixtures in the home.



Sounds confusing but this disallows wet venting/problems down the road.

[takahe]

This house has rudimentary plumbing. There is no DWV stack. There is only a horizontal pipe buried in the basement, which the few fixtures in the house drain into. This pipe then goes outside to the septic system. The only vent is a pipe which runs from about 20' up the side of the house into the basement floor, presumably connecting to this horizontal pipe near the end of it (in the vicinity of the toilet)! But it seems to work okay except that it is inconvenient to have the commode in the basement.

Would it be feasible to install the toilet on the 1st floor, and vent using an "air admittance vent" (AAV) in the basement, tapping it into the 7 feet of DWV pipe between the 1st floor toilet and the horizontal pipe in the basement using a Y or T fitting? I know the house (120 years old, plumbing probably 50 years old) is not in accordance with modern codes. If I mess with the system at all, do I have to bring everything up to standard, or can I simply make sure the new commode has a proper vent and worry about the venting of the original fixtures when I have more time and money?

Thanks,

Steve

[Mr T]

From your descriptions, I would have to guess that the rest of the house's systems (electric, heat, gas, insulation, ect) also are in need of serious updating. If you open any walls/ceilings/floors, check out these other systems, it may save you time/money/stress later on.

Hate to say it, but you are probably better off starting some remodeling (aka, tear out, replace) then patching what you have now. Older stuff often does not like to work with new stuff. You may also cause more problems...especialy when you start screwing with venting. I doubt you want things backing up into sinks and bathtubs.:eek: Remember murphy's law of home remodeling....a problem worse then your origional problem is waiting to be uncovered around the corner.

Do you have any other plumbing fixtures downstairs or below the level of your new location?

[takahe]

Mr T wrote:

>Do you have any other plumbing fixtures downstairs or below the level of >your new location?

Presently, there is a sink in the basement near the toilet. I would move that upstairs so the only thing remaining in the basement would be the washer. (There are a kitchen sink and a tub on 1st floor. Both seem to drain into the horizontal pipe buried in the basement.

Yes, the electric was bad when I moved in -- 60 amp service with the fuze sockets melted. I upgraded to 200 amps and rewired most of the house without breaking into the walls. I've paneled over the old plaster/lathe walls, and hope I can get the toilet out of the basement without tearing that up for vent pipes. In retrospect, I guess I should have addressed the plumbing issues before completing the wall project! Still wondering if AAV would work for the 1st floor toilet. If I AAV the toilet and the basement washer, and have all the other fixtures on the same level as the toilet, would that be an accetable solution?

Steve