The work associated with the installation of a toilet, until recently, was accompanied by a difficult fit of its outlet fitting to the socket of the sewer system. This was due to the use of heavy cast-iron pipes, which made plumbing installation an inconvenient and hours-long process. With the advent of plastic components, metal parts were replaced by elastic corrugated connectors. Meanwhile, you need to know how to install the corrugation on the toilet using a minimum of tools.
What is corrugation and how can it be installed on the toilet
The corrugated universal connector is a flexible, pleated adapter that connects the toilet outlet to the sewer socket. The inner diameter of the corrugation is 75 mm, and its length can vary between 231–500 mm, depending on the distance between the plumbing and the drain pipe. The corrugated connector is put on the outlet fitting of the toilet bowl at one end, and its other end is inserted into the receiving socket of the drain system.
When to Use Corrugation
In most cases, a corrugated connector is used when installing a toilet bowl, when the sanitary ware is offset relative to the socket of the sewer system. This usually happens when installing new plumbing. At the same time, the release of the toilet bowl may not fit the old design of the drain system. The need for corrugation may also arise after renovation in the bathroom. For example, when the floor level was raised, an axial displacement of the toilet bowl drain and the sewer inlet socket occurred.
How to choose a corrugated connector
When choosing a corrugation, you need to give preference to a product that is equipped with a reinforcing wire or a metal mesh. This will provide a longer service life and allow such a connector to remain in its original form longer.
When choosing such a product, you should determine in advance the actual distance from the plumbing outlet to the sewer pipe. Matching the length of the corrugation to this parameter will prevent its excessive stretching or sagging.
Today, a fairly wide selection of such corrugated joints is presented on the sanitary ware market. Meanwhile, the quality of such products can vary significantly, depending on the manufacturer. When choosing a corrugation, it is necessary to pay attention to the density of the elastic material, the uniformity of the cuff, as well as the integrity of the outer sealing rings.
Corrugation installation
During the repair work in the bathroom, in most cases, new plumbing products are purchased. The toilet is no exception, the replacement of which is accompanied by the correct installation of the corrugated connector with the sewer system. Meanwhile, such plumbing products have differences, depending on the design features. For example, the toilet can be equipped with a straight, oblique or vertical outlet. This, in turn, will determine the length of the corrugation.
The process of replacing a corrugated connector on a toilet can be broken down into several technical steps. In this case, it is necessary to follow a certain sequence. Installation of the corrugation involves the following work steps:
- studying the design of the toilet in order to determine the length of the corrugation;
- purchase of a connector;
- treatment with a sealant on the surface of the drain pipe on the toilet bowl and the membrane on the corrugation;
- connector installation;
- additional processing of joints with sealant;
- tightness check.
There are two main options that involve connecting the toilet to the sewer system.In the first case, it is necessary to install a new plumbing product. The second option involves the correct installation of the corrugated connector on an already installed toilet. The difference between these two is only in the preparatory work before installing the corrugations.
The main stages of installation of a corrugated connector
In practice, connecting the toilet to the sewer system must be carried out in a certain sequence.
- Preparatory work. When installing a new toilet, there is no need to specially prepare it for connection. If an elastic connector is installed on an old sanitary ware, its outlet should be cleaned from traces of the previous sealing compound or cement mortar. The fact is that any solid layers will interfere with the tightness of such a connection. To clean the ceramic drain, you can use any metal tools that ensure the effectiveness of this process.
- Surface cleaning. After cleaning the ceramic surface of the outlet fitting, you should get rid of traces of clogging on the inlet socket of the sewer system. If such a structural element is made of cast iron, then it must be cleaned carefully, without hitting it with heavy objects. Otherwise, the destruction of such material can be caused. The same precautions should be taken in the case of a plastic socket.
- Sealing. Apply a sealing compound to the cleaned or new surface of the toilet outlet, evenly distributing it around the entire circumference. After that, a corrugation should be put on it with the edge where the internal elastic membrane is located. In this case, the cuff of the corrugated connector should overlap the edge of the outlet by about 5-6 cm. In this process, it is necessary to ensure the uniformity of the nozzle, excluding distortions.
- Installation of a toilet bowl and replacement of corrugations. After that, you need to wait a bit so that the sealant dries. Now you can proceed with the installation of the toilet in the provided place, which was determined during the preliminary fitting. Having installed a sanitary ware, you need to connect its outlet to the socket of the sewer system. To do this, firmly insert the edge of the corrugation, which has an external seal, into the cleaned hole of the drain pipe. If necessary, this connection can be treated with a sealant.
- Checking the tightness of the connection. Having installed such a connecting element, it is necessary to make a visual inspection of the entire system for visible distortions or insufficient tightness. If necessary, all problems should be eliminated, and existing gaps and loose fit should be filled with a sealing compound. You also need to inspect the corrugation itself in order to make sure that there is no twisting or kinks in it.
- Checking the operation of the exhaust system. After completing all the main work, you should check the operability of the system. To do this, you need to connect the toilet bowl to the water supply. After filling the drain tank with water, a test flush should be performed. In this case, you should carefully inspect all connections, making sure they are tight. If problems are found, corrective action must be taken.
In general, replacing the corrugated connector on the toilet is not associated with any difficulties and does not require special tools and equipment. Meanwhile, when performing such work, all the rules for installing the corrugations and a certain sequence of technical operations should be observed.
