Closet flange distance questions(sink, side wall)

[Odrapnew]

I am working on putting in a small half bath in the lower level of our house. There is a drain for the toilet in an almost perfect place, but I wonder about the location from the side wall. It is a 10" rough in from the back wall, but the side wall is 14". I'm pretty sure that I read that it's supposed to be a 15" minimum, am I going to have code issues? The drain is set in concrete and I'd prefer not to have to move it.

Also, what is the minimum distance from the toilet to a pedestal sink? From center to center, I have about 20", like I said, its small. I might be able to turn the main water line coming into the house and gain a few extra inches, but not much.

The location would be like this: Wall..10"..Sink..20"..toilet...14"..wall Both the sink and toilet would be on the same wall.

BTW, I'm located in a suburb of St. Paul, MN if that matters.
I've tried looking for codes, but I've had a tough time finding anything.

Thanks,
Nick

 

[Jadnashua]

The common code requirement for a toilet is 15" from the centerline on either side must be clear, so if it is 20" to the center of the sink...unless it's a teacup, it's a no-go.

Now, depending on the inspector, just replacing a toilet may not require bringing the whole room up to code...you'll find it very confining, though, as I'm pretty sure you realize from the existing setup.

It sounds like, unless you enlarged the room, nothing would fit.

If possible, could you consider a corner sink? That may give you the room on that side.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Odrapnew]

The sink is pretty small, but not that small. There isn't a toilet or sink in this area, just the drain for the toilet.

I don't think a corner sink would work as that would pretty much put the front of the sink right where the toilet is.

The bad thing is we already have the toilet and sink. The sink is small enough not to really get in the way when sitting on the toilet(located where it will be installed), but its still not up to code.

I think we can push one of the walls over about 6", which might give us enough room between the sink and toilet.

Thanks for the input.

 

[Jadnashua]

Are you sure the drain was installed for a toilet? If it is a floor drain, you need to tear up the floor since it (should anyways) have a trap in it, and a toilet won't work with a trap under it. You'll have to remove the trap and in the process could move it where ever you need it to be. Also, if it's a floor drain, it might look big at the top, but may only be a 2" pipe in the floor...it needs to be at least a 3" pipe.

Since there never was a toilet in there, it would need to be built to code...no grandfathering.

 

[Odrapnew]

I'm not sure if it was a drain for a toilet or not. There is a floor drain about 10 feet away in the utility room. What is the easiest way to determine if its a floor drain?

Thanks for the help even though its not what I wanted to hear. Better to get it right than get it trouble.

 

[Redwood]

If it is a floor drain , vent, or, cleanout it can't be used as a toilet drain.

 

[Odrapnew]

How can I tell if it can be used as a toilet drain?

When I look into the drain, it goes down about 4 or 5 feet and takes a turn towards the outside of the house. There is a smaller drain that comes into the side of this drain about 8-12" down that looks like its coming from the drain from the second floor.

 

[Kingsotall]

How can you tell if it's a toilet drain¿ A floor drain will have a trap, which you can pour water down and see if it holds water after some goes down. You will notice it down in the pipe. Shine a light down it if you need to.

 

[Odrapnew]

I will try that. Thanks.

 

[Jadnashua]

A floor drain might not go to the sewer! Normally, it would, and would have a trap. A pipe installed for a toilet normally wouldn't go straight down 4-5', either.