Toilet pipe not 100% vertical -- how "out" can it be?

[bf00979]

I had a plumber come in and do some renovation work with re-plumbing our basement washroom. The previous home owner had done their own work and it was done ... well ... poorly. The plumbing work itself initially was done well, all to code and fully passed municipal inspection.

A long while ago I filled in the slab with concrete, and then we put the renovation on hold (young kids will decimate your time and budget! ) Now we're ready to revisit the next stages and I noticed something. It would appear that the 4" ABS pipe that was put in for the toilet isn't totally plumb, i.e. vertical. I think it might have moved when I filled in the concrete, because I know for a fact the plumber checked and re-checked his work -- I watched him.

So, my question is: how "out" can that pipe be and still allow me to get a good weld when I put in the toilet flange? Here's how "out" it currently is: If I was to push a 4" coupling onto the pipe as far as I can, the top of the coupling would be out of level by about 1/8" from one side to the other, in two directions. I can adjust the coupling so it would be level, but I'm concerned that adjustment would mean a poor weld.

Do I need to break up the concrete, adjust the pipe as best I can, and then fill it in again? If I need to do it, I certainly will, but would rather not go through the effort if I'm being concerned without justification.

 

[Reach4]

I am not a pro. I think 1/8 or 3/16 tilt would be fine with a glue-in flange.

However I would consider a Push-tite 887-GPM or 887-GAM. http://www.siouxchief.com/products/drainage/residential/closet-flanges/pushtite Those do not glue in, and it seems to me that you would have a nice stress-free flange with the stainless ring screwed to the top of the floor.

Since you are not gluing the flange in place, I think that you could use either the ABS or PVC version.

 

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[bf00979]

Thanks for your reply Reach4, I wish I could do that. When things were plumbed in, the top of the 90 for the toilet plumbing is maybe 1/4 inch below the top of the slab in the basement. So I wouldn't have the distance to insert something like what you referenced. In fact I'm even a bit worried about whether I'll have enough clearance to put in a standard 4" toilet flange without trimming off some of where it couples with the pipe. I have to add a small amount of self leveling compound plus tile, so I'm hopeful but not confident it will fit.