How to Move the Position of the Toilet in an Apartment

Moving the position of the toilet in an apartment, also known as toilet relocation, requires selecting an appropriate method based on the drainage type. Details are as follows:

Same-Floor Drainage (Sunken Bathroom)

• Directly Lengthen or Shorten the Pipes: All branch pipes are on the same floor, eliminating the need to penetrate the floor slab, which makes maintenance convenient. The pipes can be directly relocated. In a naturally sunken bathroom, the floor slab is already recessed by 250 - 350mm, allowing for flexible arrangement of drainage pipes. First, apply waterproofing twice (on the floor and up to 400mm high on the walls), then backfill with expanded perlite or foamed cement. This makes renovation convenient, but it must pass inspection in one go.
• Use a Wall-Mounted Toilet: The pipes do not run along the floor. The toilet's drainage is directly connected to the main vertical pipe, with a pre-reserved sloped hole. A niche can be built above the water tank. However, this method is only suitable for modifications very close to the drainage pipe.

Inter-Floor Drainage

• Use a Toilet Relocator
  • Integrated Relocator: It has a fixed shape and can only make minor adjustments within 200mm. It does not raise the floor and prevents pipe blockages, suitable for relocations within 20cm.
  • Oval Flat-Pipe Relocator: It uses a connector + an extendable oval flat pipe to achieve a maximum displacement of 500mm. For every 100mm of displacement, the slope is raised by 5mm, and the bedding layer increases by at least 50 - 60mm. The longer the distance, the more likely it is to block. During construction, a groove 20 - 40mm deep needs to be cut in advance, and considering the thickness of leveling and tiling, the floor will be significantly raised. The relocation distance with a flat-pipe relocator should preferably not exceed 50cm. For every 10cm of relocation, at least a 0.5cm slope should be reserved in the pipe. For relocators over 10cm, a direct-flush toilet should be purchased.
• Raise the Floor Slab: Raise the bathroom floor by 180 - 200mm at once and embed a 110 sewage pipe inside, suitable for ultra-long distances of ≥1m. However, the threshold will be significantly raised, making it difficult for wheelchairs and strollers to enter. The construction sequence is embedding → backfilling with lightweight bricks → secondary waterproofing → tiling.
• Convert Floor Drainage to Wall Drainage: Connect the toilet directly to the main vertical sewage pipe. The toilet can only be moved to the adjacent wall of the main vertical sewage pipe. After modification, the toilet is less likely to block, suitable for both same-floor and inter-floor drainage. Converting to wall drainage requires building a false wall, which can be combined with niches for storage during renovation.
• Negotiate with the Downstairs Neighbor: Drill a hole in the floor slab to reach the downstairs and rearrange the toilet pipes. If the downstairs neighbor agrees, the modification is simple and cost-effective. When your apartment has inter-floor drainage and the downstairs neighbor is willing to cooperate, you can directly move the vertical pipe to above the downstairs bathroom, provided that the downpipe and the toilet's vertical pipe on the same side are on the same wall. A tee should be pre-installed on the vertical pipe with a slope of ≥1%, and wrapped with soundproof cotton.

For all relocators, ensure proper anti-leakage treatment between the relocator and the original pipe. After flat-pipe relocation, a "notch" should be cut in the threshold stone to prevent water backflow. The wall-mounted toilet tank should be at least 220mm above the ground to ensure flushing force. Waterproofing should be applied at least twice, with the first application before backfilling and the second before tiling in sunken bathrooms.