When replacing the wax seal, I noticed the discharge pipe was loose and I could actually pull it out of the ground if I wanted to. This tail piece is vertical and approx. two feet long and I was wondering if it might be installed as a slip joint to take care of any settlement in the house? It is hard to believe a glued joint came loose being underground and in the center of the house. Any ideas?

Thanks,
David

Indeed, that piece should be glued to the fitting under the slab. No, pipes are not installed this way to compensate for shifts caused by earthquakes.

There is very little you can do about it , especially when the point of connection is 24" below the slab - other then carefully reinserted the tail piece back into the hole and secure closet ring to the slab to prevent any movement.

Of course, the proper way of attaching the pipe would be to cut the slab, excavate down to reach the fitting and install the tail piece as it should be.

Milo

Is this PVC?

Yes, PVC pipe

hard to believe a glued joint came loose
Plumber just forgot to glue that fitting.


My suggestion is;
Using a flashlight, can you see the joint where the pipe fits into the fitting? If you can't see the joint you can probably feel the end of the pipe with the tip of a measuring tape.

Purchase some PVC primer and glue and two 3/8 wooden dowels. Get the small can of primer but get the larger (32 oz) can of glue. That is so that you get the larger swab.

Measure the length of the pipe to the joint. Tape the primer swab to a dowel with duck tape. Measure from the tip of the swab and mark length of the pipe on the dowel. Do same thing for the glue swab.

Make a witness mark on the flange and the floor. Carefully lift the pipe about 1", no more than 1 1/4". Probably should use a twisting or rotating back and forth action as you lift. If you pull the pipe out of the fitting completely you may not be able to get it back in.

Using the primmer swab, prime the fitting, be generous, excess primer won't hurt a thing.

Using the glue swab, glue the inside of the fitting. Again be generous, the larger swab should ensure that you get glue all around the fitting. Getting glue on the inside of the pipe won't help but it won't hurt anything either. Using lots of glue gives you a little more time.

Push the pipe down with a twisting motion. Align the witness marks on the flange and the floor and hold for 10 seconds.

I would either just forget it or buy a large bottle of super glue that you could pour down and around the whole pipe let it run down to the joint. There is no back pressure on this pipe unless you have a clog. If you have a clog backed up sewage 2' below your slap will not be the problem. Sewage backed into your house will be the issue then.