Repair of the sewer system in an apartment is a difficult and responsible business, therefore, serious grounds are needed for its implementation. This may be the wear of old pipes, accompanied by constant blockages and unpleasant odors in the toilet or bathroom. Replacing the sewerage system in an apartment is the only way out if the old communications can no longer cope with the load and can start to leak or even burst at any moment.
Before starting work, you need to carefully weigh everything, think it over and soberly assess your strengths. If there is the slightest doubt, it is better to turn to professionals. Mistakes in replacing sewer pipes in an apartment can lead to unpleasant consequences for other residents. No need to explain at whose expense they will be liquidated.
Which pipes to choose?
The best option for repairing sewers in an apartment with your own hands are plastic pipes. They can be made from polypropylene or PVC. Such communications have a smooth inner surface, due to which they are less prone to blockages. In addition, they are durable, lightweight and fairly easy to install, so with their help not only the drainage of sewage from the apartment is successfully organized, but also internal and external autonomous sewage.
Ceramic and cast-iron pipes are also used in the arrangement of sewerage. But for an ordinary apartment, the main advantage of ceramic pipes - their resistance to aggressive liquids - is not essential. Such materials are expensive, and therefore rarely used in ordinary residential buildings.
Cast iron pipes have high strength and resist corrosion well, but their heavy weight and difficulty in installation tilt the bowl of choice in favor of plastic counterparts.
Preparatory work
To purchase pipes, it is necessary to draw up a diagram of the location of all sewer communications in the apartment. It is not necessary that it correspond to drawing canons, the main thing is that it can be used to accurately determine the quantity and range of purchased material. Therefore, it is necessary to indicate all bends, branches and hydraulic locks. In the future, using this drawing, the required number of plastic pipes of various diameters, couplings, branch pipes, tees, sealing cuffs and other fittings is calculated and purchased.
Pipes made of polymers are connected using the socket method: one pipe is inserted into the thickened part of the second, and tightness is achieved using a rubber seal. If necessary, the plastic pipe can be easily shortened to the desired size with a hacksaw. A small chamfer is necessarily made on the cut, which is necessary in order not to damage the sealing ring.
Sewer pipes in the apartment should be located at some distance from the walls, metal clamps should be purchased to fix their elements, and tow and silicone-based sealant may be required to ensure the tightness of the connections.
Do-it-yourself replacement of sewer pipes in an apartment requires the abandonment of the use of any plumbing fixtures for the duration of the repair. The inhabitants of the upper floors are lucky, they will only have to control themselves. But everyone else will have to negotiate with the neighbors. There are recommendations to simply turn off the water supply by contacting the housing office, but no one will guarantee that someone from the apartment from above will not use the toilet, just flushing from a bucket of stored water. So it's better to negotiate in a good way, although you can hear a lot of funny stories with the most exotic ways to neutralize intractable or inadequate neighbors. For the same reason, the replacement of pipes in the apartment must be carried out as soon as possible.
In any case, additional insurance will not hurt. Therefore, it is recommended to remove the toilet, and protect the walls and floor with plastic wrap, securing it with ordinary tape. Protective equipment made of rubberized material will not interfere either.
Dismantling of pipes of the old sewerage in the apartment
Experts advise, without extreme need, not to replace the old cast-iron riser in the apartment. If it is impossible to do without it, then dismantling work should be carried out with extreme caution.
The biggest trouble that can happen at this stage is the entry of debris into the sewer system, which can lead to blockage. That is why, when deciding who should change the pipes in the apartment, many people prefer to trust professionals.
- Before starting work, the upper part of the riser is securely fixed. Usually the pipe has its regular fastening, but it is better to add semicircular brackets, linked to the wall by means of studs embedded in it. A rubber gasket should be placed under these brackets, which will protect the cast iron from damage and serve as a kind of damping device. So you can be sure that the upper part of the riser will not collapse on your head in the process.
- After disconnecting all plumbing fixtures at a distance of at least 10 cm from the tee, the old wiring is cut off, disassembled and taken out of the apartment.
- In the middle of the riser pipe, the grinder makes two cuts, located at an angle to each other. Sawing to the end is not worth it - the disc of the grinder can pinch.
- Using a hammer, chisel and wedges, carefully knock out the sawn piece.
- The upper cut of the pipe is cut off, leaving room for docking a new riser.
- The lower piece is loosened together with the cross and removed from the socket.
Installation of a new riser in the apartment
Forming a new sewer system in the apartment begins with the installation of a riser.
- The tee is connected to the bottom of the old pipe, if necessary, if their diameters do not match, use a cuff.
- Cut off the necessary pieces of plastic pipe and assemble the future riser for fitting without seals. The pipe must be inserted into the compensator until it stops.
- The structure assembled in draft is attached to the docking points and the attachment points are marked. These are 3-4 clamps, with which the pipe is fixed at some distance from the wall.
- After the holes for the fasteners are drilled, the new riser is finally assembled with rubber seals, and all joints are securely sealed.
There are some useful tips that will make it easier to assemble this part of the sewer in the apartment and ensure its long functioning:
- To make the pipes easier to fit into each other, a little liquid soap can be applied to their ends.
- In addition to a rigid fastening near the sockets, a floating connection can be used as an additional fixation: in this case, a rubber gasket between the pipe and the clamp is not used, and the fasteners are slightly tightened.
- The presence of inspection hatches on the riser will facilitate inspection and cleaning of the pipe in case of blockage.
This process is more clearly presented in the video.
Installation of wiring in the apartment
The assembly of the sewer network in the apartment is carried out according to the drawn up scheme. Each apartment will have its own characteristics, but there are also general rules that must be observed:
- The direction of the sockets must match the direction of water flow.
- It is necessary to observe the general slope of the system to the riser.
- You can not change the shape and size of shaped parts.
- To prevent the penetration of unpleasant odors into the apartment, a system of water seals is used.
- The toilet is connected using a corrugated pipe at the lowest point of the entire sewer distribution in the apartment.
After completion of work on replacing pipes, all joints and connections are checked for tightness, first visually, and then when filling with water. You can ask the neighbors from the upper apartment to drain the water. Or fill the bath and then drain it by opening all the taps at the same time. Identified shortcomings must be eliminated. If there are no leaks, then you have succeeded!
sewer replacement cost
Prices for work on replacing sewerage in an apartment start at 3,000 rubles and depend on the complexity of the pipe junction. It is also worth considering the cost of materials, in different regions different prices. For a more accurate estimate of the cost of work in your particular case, we recommend using our free service for calculating the cost of work in your bathroom or kitchen.
