Narrow toilet

I am re-doing the framing and subfloor of a small powder room in my house. The toilet flange is 11-1/2 from the finished wall to centre of flange. The spot where the toilet has to sit is boxed in quite narrow on one side, with a heating duct. It is 11 inches from one side and 12 from the other, to the centre of the flange.

I can lever the flange over towards the middle. It is at the end of a ~4 foot run of 3-inch copper and I just successfully levered the flange up to the new required floor height (about an inch higher than before) and heated up the nearest sweat joint to let it relax in that position. I could move it closer to the centre by 1/2 inch that way as well, if needed.

Having changed the angle of the pipe by a smidge, the flange itself is now not quite level. When the time comes, I think I will be able to heat up the flange to let the solder flow and adjust the level a little that way. Will that work? Is there enough play in the 3-inch sweat flange?

Aside from this being too narrow a place by far for a toilet, can anyone comment if a Toto Drake will fit in this narrow an opening? The old toilet that came out was not particularly narrow, so I can't imagine a serious problem with a modern one, but I reckon better safe than have to take back a Drake that doesn't fit after all.

Thanks

There isn't any play in a sweat joint.

A drake is about 20" at it's widest, so you should be able to squeeze it in there. And I believe you should be ok with your 11.5" distance of the flange from the back finished wall.

You don't want to apply the torch to it if we are talking lead bend...
It's a quick way to make a big project!

Codes usually require minimum 15" either side of centerline, so that is not a comfortable location for a toilet. In this repair work, your installation may be grandfathered.

I would be very careful about heating joints to "relax" the fit.

jimbo said:

I would be very careful about heating joints to "relax" the fit.

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I agree with jimbo...lead was used as solder back then and it can run out and cause a leak or other problems.

This is 3-inch copper soil pipe sweated together.

It is absolutely not a lead bend. I've never heard of a lead bend connected to copper drains. Is that something people did somewhere somewhen?

The solder is undoubtedly lead/tin and when I reflowed the joint I added some more 60/40 solder to it, so I think I will be fine on that score. This is a soil pipe, and therefore will not carry potable water, so adding compatible solder to what is there was the right thing to do.

There is *always* play in a joint -- until the solder solidifies. My question is if there is likely enough to correct a 1-degree out-of-level on the flange. Do I even need to worry about that degree of out-of true? If not I can shim the high side of the flange with a bit of brass shim before I screw it down to the finished floor.

The place where the toilet will go is narrow, yes. That's why I'm asking if I am likely to have physical constraints (as opposed to theoretical code-dictated ones) in my choice of toilet.

Basement_Lurker said:

A drake is about 20" at it's widest, so you should be able to squeeze it in there. And I believe you should be ok with your 11.5" distance of the flange from the back finished wall.

Click to expand...

Perfect. That should do me just fine then. Thank you.

gardner said:

There is *always* play in a joint -- until the solder solidifies.

Click to expand...

Hmm, that's news to me. If you are seating the tubing properly in the hub, there shouldn't be any play.

One of the basics of sweating joints is to avoid moving the joint while the solder is still hot. If there is wiggle in the joint, it would be because the joint was moved before the solder set and therefore the joint is not a good joint. I don't think that adding solder to an old joint is good practice either. You might be wise to spend a few bucks and get a professional to set the flange correctly. It could save you time and money in the long run.