Pan connector - is this normal?

[tawnee]

Understairs toilet has always had a smell to it. Not particularly a sewage smell, hard to describe. Plumber came out and changed the pan connector as he said it was at an angle and so smells likely leaking out. This is the situation I'm left with. Is it normal to have this gap where the pan connector goes into the floor?

I feel like smells could potentially come up from this gap. The only thing covering this gap would be the lino flooring. Can you get some kind of cuff or similar to go around the base of the pan connector to block the gap?

I don't know anything about plumbing as you can tell but trying to inform myself before asking the plumber / a handyman for help.

Thanks
tawnee

 

[kidgreen61]

Difficult to tell from the pic, but I can't see why he wouldn't have used a standard 90 degree pan conn rather than an offset and short straight.

However, as long as the bottom of the pan conn is sealed in the pipe below, it shouldn't smell/leak.

 

[tawnee]

Thanks - I think the previous pan connector was a 90 degree one but it had to be at a jaunty angle to go from toilet to floor. He thought this meant the seal was poor and could be causing smells.

Obviously there will be a gap where any pipes enter the floor / walls but is there something I can get to cover it over, rather than just putting the lino back over the top? I accept that there shouldn't be any smell from the pipes if everything is connected properly but would like to eliminate any potential smell coming from under the floor.

I'm planning to redecorate the toilet and get new flooring as my first DIY project and am literally brand new to any form of decorating or DIY so just want to know what people normally do with the gap where the pan connector goes into the floor.

Thank you again!

 

[ree]

OP,
As above in post #2 - why has a simple job been made a bit more difficult?
You seem to have a Back-to-the Wall WC so the centre for the hole in the floor is determined by measurement from the wall - allowance of a few mm's is made for a slightly larger circumference hole so that the soil pipe will project from below without impediment.
Your unnecessary swan neck fitting seems to be touching the floor - is it being forced off plumb?
The WC connector fitting appears to be off centre, maybe not sealing properly?

 

[tawnee]

This swan neck fitting was meant to be an improvement on the previous 90 degree one. 2 different plumbers felt that the 90 degree one wasn't fitted correctly but sounds like I'm no better off! The smell in the room is no different since they changed the fitting so planning to pull up the lino and see if there's been an old leak or something causing the smell.

 

[JohnD]

There are a few BO WC pans available. Measure the distance from the centre of the soil pipe socket to the wall (not the skirting). There may be a better way.

Cut away the flooring to fully expose the socket and the floor around it. Is it a concrete ground floor?

Is the socket clay ("porcelain") or iron or plastic?

 

[Elsa TLC]

McAlpine Rigid 90° Angled WC Pan Connector White 240-340mm - Screwfix

Order online at Screwfix.com. Polypropylene, rigid WC connector with 90° bend and adjustable length. Outlet seal can be removed, cut to length and re-attached. FREE next day delivery available, free collection in 1 minute.

www.screwfix.com

This I think would have worked better. But the main issue is the rubber seal is used and the pipe it's sealing is smooth as smooth can be, to prevent smells coming up.