Toilet Lifted - Now What?

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maternatura

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Yesterday my husband and I removed a toilet because it had been rocking and begun leaking at the base. We figured it needed a new wax seal which we could do ourselves based on previous experience. Unfortunately, we discovered that it appeared that the flange hadn't been properly installed. One side was fairly even with the linoleum flooring while the other seemed slightly tipped upwards. (We had some poorly executed renovation done last year, but that's another story). We think that the plastic flange might need to be replaced.

While we decide the next step, the toilet is parked in the shower and the pipe has been plugged to prevent sewer gas from coming up. There's some very good advice on the net, which is how I found this site, and also some great products for the do-it-yourselfer. We aren't intimidated by a project, but don't want to be stupid about this either. Are we at the point when we should call in the plumber, or with good advice and products we can proceed?

I welcome your comments.
 

Redwood

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Well a picture would be helpful to see this flange. Was the toilet rocking because of the flange being too high or just an uneven floor?
 

Jadnashua

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Depends somewhat on if you have access from below, how big the pipe is, and why it is cocked. Is there any subflooring where it can be screwed down, or is the hole too big? The flange needs to be anchored to the subflooring.
 

Gary Swart

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The fact that the toilet was rocking is the first clue that there is a faulty flange installation, and of course, that's what you discovered. Can you fix it? That depends on what has to be done to get the flange flat on top of the floor, even if the floor is not perfectly level. Sounds easy, but it could be a difficult task. Once the flange is flat on the floor and anchored to the sub floor, you can go to the next step. Set the toilet, without a wax ring, in place over the flange. The toilet should set on the floor all the way around without rocking. But if it rocks, you have to shim the low spots until the rocking stops. Then you can set the toilet with a wax ring and caulk around the base.
 

hj

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flange

The tilted flange may not be your problem, but if the flange is all plastic, that could cause the toilet to move. We cannot tell the best way for you to proceed, but I would remove that flange and install one with a metal ring. This is sometimes easier said than done, if you do not have the experience to remove the flange safely.
 
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Hey, wait a minute.

This is awkward, but...

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