Copper or plastic

[colinvansmith]

I am fitting a new bathroom, I have taken the bath out and I am replacing it with a shower instead as our bathroom is tiny, I am using a thermostatic mixer shower. It is not a standard 150mm centre but a slightly odd size.

I am having to run pipes from what was the old bath taps a few extra feet and up the wall for the shower few questions.

1) the existing pipes are copper should I use copper or plastic

2) if copper is best can I use compression fittings for all the joints etc or do I need to solder them.

3) if I am using plastic pipes is it easy enough to join plastic to copper pipes.

4) the waste pipe from the shower will have to travel an extra few feet and right at the end where the pipe goes outside to the drain pipe the water has to travel upwards a couple of inches which it has being doing so far will this be an issue, what kind of slope do I need on the waste pipe

Any help much appreciated as I'm a novice

Col

 

[Charnwood]

1) Either/or
2) Either/or. Or you could use push-fit fittings
3) Piece of p***. A push-fit fitting will take both
4) Water will not travel upwards unless pumped or syphoned

 

[Madrab]

Part H of building regs asks for a minimum fall of 18mm per meter run of 40mm waste pipe

 

[colinvansmith]

I understand about the building regs, but where the waste pipe from what used to be the bath enters the wall to the drain pipe outside is about 2 inches above the floor level, I hadn't seein it up until now because it was covered so the bath water must have emptied from the bath and then flowed slightly upward to get out the drain pipe what would be a solution for this problem, do I need to get a new pump or should I put a new waste pipe in lower down?

Is it hard to install an new pipe into a cast iron drain pipe

Col

 

[Charnwood]

View media item 65718

 

[Madrab]

OK, it's just you asked :-

what kind of slope do I need on the waste pipe

You need a drop, however slight, from the outlet of the waste to the entry of the soil stack however that may be achieved to avoid backflow.
Easiest way to do this sounds like raising the shower base by a couple of inches so it's in line or new waste pipe and fitting to cast iron stack > nice new sharp bi-metal holesaw and a cast iron boss.

Oh and nice drawing Char

 

[colinvansmith]

If I have an initial drop from the shower base into the waste pipe but then the pipe is almost level from the drop to where it leaves the house out into the drain pipe would that be enough

 

[Nige F]

Is it hard to install an new pipe into a cast iron drain pipe

Col

It`s not really a DIY job - it might be more DIY`able to install a new gulley and run drain to a nearby manhole - but should involve Building Control ( or Scottish equivalent ) If you can post some pics , and a measure of the drain pipe external diameter - the guys may know an exact iron boss to bolt on