Relocating Toilet Position During Bathroom Renovation

It is feasible to move the toilet position during bathroom renovation, but appropriate methods should be selected based on the drainage type and relocation distance, and attention should be paid to issues such as drainage slope and waterproofing. Details are as follows:

Same-Floor Drainage (Sunken Bathroom)

The drainage pipes for same-floor drainage are located within one's own bathroom, making modifications relatively convenient. The pipes can be directly extended or shortened within the backfill layer for relocation, providing relatively flexible relocation space that can generally meet various position adjustment needs.

Inter-Floor Drainage (Drainage pipes pass through the floor slab for drainage)

• Using a toilet offset flange: An integrated offset flange is suitable for short-distance relocation. Generally, there will be no blockage when used for relocations within 20 centimeters. For side-pipe offset flanges, the relocation distance should preferably not exceed 50 centimeters. For every 10 centimeters of relocation, a slope of at least half a centimeter should be reserved in the pipeline to ensure smooth drainage. When using an offset flange of more than 10 centimeters, a straight-discharge toilet should be purchased. Since the floor slab cannot be excavated, using an offset flange requires raising the floor slab. To prevent blockage, the relocation distance is not recommended to exceed 2 meters, and it is best to create a drainage slope.
• Negotiating with the downstairs neighbor: Holes can be drilled in the floor slab to reach the downstairs area and rearrange the toilet drainage pipes. However, this method is quite difficult in practice, and 99% of downstairs neighbors will not agree.
• Converting floor drainage to wall drainage: Connect the toilet directly to the sewage riser. The toilet position can only be moved to the adjacent wall of the sewage riser and not to the opposite wall. After modification, the toilet is less likely to get blocked, and this method is suitable for both same-floor and inter-floor drainage. Converting to wall drainage requires building a false wall, which can be combined with niches during renovation to create storage space.

General Precautions

• Relocation distance: A relocation distance exceeding 15 centimeters or an excessive number of elbows can increase the risk of blockage. Therefore, it is necessary to reasonably plan the relocation distance and minimize the number of elbows.
• Drainage slope: The ground relocation slope should generally be maintained at 2% to 3% to ensure smooth drainage; otherwise, blockages may occur in the future.
• Waterproofing: The relocated area must have a new waterproof layer. Otherwise, water leakage to the downstairs area can cause neighbor disputes and require compensation and repairs.
• Distance between the toilet and the wall: After relocation, attention should be paid to the distance between the toilet and the wall. If it is too close, it will be difficult to stretch one's legs. Leaving a distance of 30 to 40 centimeters is more appropriate for comfortable use.