Toilet drain pipes deliver waste to the primary drain line of your home. You probably understand that plumbing regulations permit both 3-inch and 4-inch drains, but would you rather have 3 or 4 drains for the toilet?
A 4-inch drain is large enough to manage the waste from several toilets. You can install 4-inch drain lines from every lavatory in a new apartment. Alternatively, you can install a 3-inch sewer line from the restroom to the home’s primary 4-inch drain line.
Older homes will most likely feature 3-inch drainage systems. However, multiple toilets sharing a 3-inch drain are more susceptible to blockage and thus explain why well-known plumbers recommend 4-inch ones.
Find out more in this definitive guide.
Should I Use A 3-inch Or 4-inch Toilet Drain?
In present-day plumbing, toilet sewage drain lines are 3 inches or 4 feet wide. The larger the diameter, the more the sewer it can handle, and the less the clogging probability.
Even though a 4-inch toilet drain can easily handle nearly twice as much sewage as a 3-inch pipe, several factors come into play before selecting an appropriate toilet drain size.
A 3-inch pipe transports water, whereas 4-inch pipes transport wastewater and dump it in a sewage tank to minimize blockage. 4 inches is a reasonable diameter for multifamily dwellings. However, you may need bigger diameters for large flats or industrial structures.
The drain pipe attaches to the flange that holds the toilet in place, and this flange fits a 3-inch pattern 40 toilet sewer pipe. Multiple households employ PVC drain pipes rather than metal pipes.
To estimate the size of pipe required, plumbers utilize piping-size tables.
Drain Line From the Toilet
Although the drain pipe for the toilet is 3-4 inches wide, the primary drain pipe from the apartment to the sewer or septic tank should have 4 inches in diameter. The width helps it handle wastewater from the toilet, sink, shower, and other facilities in your house.
Toilet Drain Pipe
For most modern structures, waste drains are 4 inches in diameter. It is a more general size that can handle approximately twice as much garbage in a flush and is less susceptible to clogging.
The primary waste pipes in many older buildings are still 3-inch. However, you can fit both 3-inch and 4-inch waste drain pipes.
When using a single drain pipe for many toilets, 4 inches is preferable.
The drain pipe attaches to the flange that holds the toilet in place, and this flange’s design fits a 3-inch schedule 40 toilet waste pipe. Multiple house-owners use PVC drain conduit in most residences rather than metal pipes.
To estimate the size of pipe required, plumbers employ piping-size tables.
Read also Standard toilet drain pipe size
How Do You Measure A Toilet Drain?
You must measure the size of your toilet’s drainpipe to determine its size. Since the interior diameter of the piping might clog or shrink with time, you’ll measure the outside diameter to determine the correct size.
Toilet experts usually measure toilet drains in either inch/imperial or metric units.
Toilet Closet Bend
A closet bend refers to the elbow connection beneath the toilet that joins the angled drain pipe (heading to the apartment’s main drain stack) and the vertical toilet drainage pipe.
The bend features two widths since it joins the 3-inch drain line to the 4-inch drainpipe. The closet bend has 3-inch-diameter piping at the top and a 4-inch pipe at the other end.
Plumbers usually install toilet closet bends in the ground beneath the toilets constructed on concrete slabs or floor joists.
In addition, you will notice fittings used to connect plastic or metal pipes. They help you connect pipes in a straight line, attach to a fixture, split in two directions, or turn corners.
How Big Of A PVC Pipe Do I Need For A Sewer Drain?
Several variables determine the proper size PVC pipe for a sewage drain. A sewage drain(regardless of the material used to create it) is an object that should function seamlessly.
Bigger does not necessarily equal better in this regard to sewage drains. The ideal pipe size guarantees that sewage waste flows quickly away from your apartment.
What Is The Average Size Of A Toilet Sewer Pipe?
If you have one or two restrooms in your dwelling, the regular toilet waste pipe size is 3 inches. The sewage line connects to the toilet flange- a conventional 3-inch flange below the toilet.
There is no way to shrink the size of the pipe anyplace along the pipework. Asides from that, verify local plumbing guidelines before embarking on a task.
Read also how many toilet bends can you have in a drain pipe
Toilet Flange Size
The toilet flange is the part of the toilet that connects to the sewer line.
The conventional flange size for a toilet is about 4 inches by 3 inches. The top side attaches to the restroom, whereas the bottom side is compatible with the 3-inch schedule 40 piping.
You’ll need a 3-inch flange if the drain pipe and the closet bend are 3-inches wide. The width of the piping exiting the toilet may differ from that of the drainpipe; for instance, the lavatory could be 4 inches while the drainpipe is 3 inches.
Flanges come in unique designs, including lowering flanges for incompatible sizes to enable the drain and the toilet to link securely. If you have doubts about the precise diameters of your toilet pipelines, purchase a combination 3-inch and 4-inch flange that allows you to connect 4-inch pipes and slip in 3-inch pipes.
What Is The Size Of A Residential Sewer Line?
Residential lines are typically 4 inches in diameter. The local authority regulates the size and material of the pipes.
How Many Toilets Can Be On A 4-inch Drain?
A 4-inch drain can accommodate three tank-type toilets, four sinks, and one urinal.
How Many Toilets Can You Run On A 3-inch Line?
The International plumbing code demands a bathroom group to have five drainage fixture units (DFUs). It can handle four-bathroom groups or 20 DFUs.
Do not go above this limit or create a 4-inch drain pipe if you have two bathrooms on the same stack that require additional capacity.
Can I Use A 3-inch Toilet Flange?
Some flanges are 3 inches wide on the top and bottom. Since both holes are the same size, they are simple to install.
However, use 3-inch toilet flanges only if your toilet features 3-inch pipes. Using the improperly sized flange might have a detrimental effect on the alignment of your piping.
Read also How many toilets on a 3 inch drain
FAQs on 3 or 4 Drain For Toilet
1. Can You Use A 3-inch Drain For A Toilet?
The minimal drain size for a toilet is 3 inches, irrespective of local plumbing codes. The flushing capacity of a water closet is 1.6 gallons (or less) DFUs.
2. Are All Toilet Drains The Same Size?
You won’t obtain the same outcome with all waste pipe sizes. Today, plumbers employ 3-inch and 4-inch plumbing pipe diameters, implying that toilet drain pipes come in different sizes.
Professionals use pipe diameter as a measuring unit.
Final Thoughts
You can choose the proper pipe size for seamless waste disposal since you know from the article whether you need a 3-inch or 4-inch drain pipe for the toilet.
Inspect the drain status regularly to ensure that things don’t get too challenging to tackle later.