Help: Angled Toilet Drain Pipe in Concrete

Hello,

My builder installed a 4 piece rough-in in my basement. Unfortunately the lazy plumber didn't install the toilet drain straight and it comes out of the concrete on about a 10-15 degree angle. My first instinct is to break open the slab and to reset the pipe straight. However, I obviously really don't want to go to all this work if there is an easier way. Does anyone know of an angled toilet closet flange or ones that are adjustable? My local supplier sells a 45 dgree but thats way too much angle. Are there any shims or anything to help with this specific situation?

Thanks!!

Jay

pipe

Normally a problem like that means that there may be a more serious one under the floor since it is unlikely that he put the pipes together with that angle. Meaning that something under the floor may also have twisted to that angle.

No, I saw it like that before the floor was poured, by the time I got the message to the builder the floor was poured. So, that being said, it's actually off about 5-10 degrees upon second inspection and I'm still wondering if anyone has any ideas on how to set a toilet stright on this pipe.

Thanks.

flange

For all practical purposes you can't.

What is the highest point on top of the flange off the finish floor?

Add extra wax when setting the toilet to the low side if needed.

The highest point will probably be about 1/4" to 3/8" possibly up to 1/2" higher on one side than the other once I install the flange. I'm conerned about the toilet sitting on an angle and secondly the bolts not sitting straight and cracking the toilet. Are there any angle flanges on the market or flange shims of some sort?

flange

Jay

I'm no plumber, so I'll defer to the experts here. However, it would seem that you could install the flange (it would be at an angle of course) and then take metal flange repair rings and cut in half (or thirds, or whatever) and use those to build up the low side. I would also think that you would want to shim between the floor and the high side to protect the flange from cracking in the future. Then do what 2000 said by adding double wax.

One more thought, I have seen flanges that have an expanding donut that tightens against the inside of the PVC. If it's not that far out of alignment, you may be able to set this type of flange in level and still be able to get a seal all around. I don't really know the precise mechanism as to how these work (or whether the code allows), but as I recall they are tightened at 3-4 locations around the perimeter of the flange and this may allow you to expand the donut further on one side than another.

One final thought. If it were my house, I would dig up the concrete and do it right. If you can do the work yourself it will only cost you a few hours labor, a few bucks in fittings, and a sack of concrete, and you'll sleep much better at night.

You can only use an internal compression fitting for a toilet if the pipe is 4" diameter. I'm not a pro...if it hasn't been that long, I'd bug the plumber to fix it - they screwed up if you noticed it before the pour, it can't be blamed on the concrete people.

You cant really shim it as the pipe coming out of the concrete is angled. Once you glue the flange on the flange hub will also be angled thus throwing the flange itself out of level. The flange and pipe in essence become one when solvent welded therefore if the pipe is out of plumb then the flange will be out of level. Your first instinct to bust up the concrete around the toilet drain is the correct one.

Good luck

flange

Your problem is not shimming the low side of the flange or the toilet setting unlevel. Your problem would be the high side of the flange being too high to fit under the toilet when the toilet is sitting on the floor. If it does not contact the toilet then a regular wax ring will suffice, and the bolts will work as if the flange were level. You just have to cut more off the high one to fit the bolt caps on.