We have a waste pipe coming from the upstairs toilet into the utility and presumably straight into the ground (sewer) , we are looking to knock the walls down into the utility to make a bigger kitchen but I didn't want to be left with a centre column to house the waste pipe, is it possible to re-route or move it, or does it have to go straight down?

Sorry if silly question, but not good at DIY, and just wanted to know what the art of the possible was.

Thanks
Darren

Not a silly question at all. Yes, you can relocate it but it will require a fair amount of time and $$. Jack hammer the floor, install new piping and reconnect. This is rarely a DIY job since you need to maintain drain pitch, minimize the number elbows, support the second floor piping etc. Any way you could redesign and leave it in a wall?

Thanks for the speedy response.

I'm not actually thinking of doing it myself as it would be part of the building work to remove the walls and put in RSJ's etc. but I just can't see how or where the pipe would go. We do have another toilet downstairs that goes in through the garage but this is some 8ft away from where it is now, so it would have a bit of a flat across piece to get it to that and I presume would therefore make it more susceptible to blockages.

To redesign it would be tricky to leave it in place as it would just sit in a column in the middle of a kitchen so wouldn't be very open-plan which is what we were looking for.

I'm thinking I need to get someone round to offer some ideas with the carrot of having them do the work should we go ahead, might see if there is a local plumber nearby who could have a look as it's quite difficult to explain in words! Thanks

That is what I was referring to with drain pitch. Going down is not an issue, going across is. You may find it impossible to go deep enough and that is why I suggested you consider possible alternatives. I have seen knee walls with ornamental columns backed against a peninsula. Still open plan but that drain will be an issue. If it was a vent might be a different story. Good luck.

What kind of pipe, cast iron or PVC? How far from where it is now to where you want to put it and is that in the direction of the second floor joist and what size are the joist?