Need some help regarding misaligned flange, please take a look at picture

Ok let me give a short run down, father in law replaced my bathroom floor with Pergo a week or so ago...when we go to put the toilet back what do we see but this:



Look at that flange! Those slots that are 12 and 6 should be more at 1 and 7 or 2 and 8 in order for the bolts to be able to be seated correctly no??

I am in a townhouse that was built in the 80's and finding all sorts of stuff that was really done on the cheap and not much attention to detail...So the builders just screwed it in any haphazard way and when toilet was attached it had to be put on with the bolt heads just BARELY hanging on. I know the pic looks like it may be enough to grab a bolt but it really doesn't


If I try to put the toilet back on now it is well..lets just say it is at a severe angle so that the bolts have enough seating in the flange in order to grab on......if I try to put the bolts right near the edge so it is not TOO crooked the keep slipping out and popping up so not getting it to lock down


So to my question...about 6 inches down the hole the is a seam where it looks like the flange (yes it is all one piece from top where the bolts go to about 6- 8 inches down.

Should a plumber with the right tools be able to replace this piece and put a new flange in that is oriented correctly?? I undid the 4 phillips head screws that go into the subfloor but I could not budge it frown

So I'm hoping a someone here either a plumber or a good handyman would know if this is a fixable issue?

That type of flange is designed to use either the longer slots, or the narrow ones (no adjustment on those). You can insert the bolts in either one, and the smaller slots are actually stronger. You may need a thick wax ring or install a flange extender to get a good seal.

1. laminate doesn't belong in the bathroom
2. you are correct about the flange not being set correctly
3. this is a job for an experienced plumber, not a handyman or apprentice

You have pvc there, so this isn't as easy as dealing with abs. I suggest you hire this out to a professional before you create a mess of it. Your only other options is to set a repair ring down in the proper orientation.

However, without actually seeing the orientation of the flange up close, it does look like you have enough to work with to put the bolts in their proper orientation and use a nut and washer to lock them into place while you set the toilet. You're not supposed to be torquing on the toilet bolts anyways...

Spanner Flange

Screw down a spanner flange on top. Put the toilet bowl bolts up through the spanner flange before fixing on top what you have. What you have looks flush to floor, so you have the space needed to fix.

Your REAL problem is that you have an all plastic flange. As far as the bolts go, just put them in the slots and center them on the pipe. Then put nuts and washers on them to secure them to the flange so they cannot move when you set the toilet down. That is how ALL bolts should be installed.

That looks like it MIGHT be a push-in flange, which means that you can remove the screws that are holding it to the subfloor and pull the flange up out of the pipe.

Since we can't see the wall, we can't tell for sure, but, as said, IF the small slots are lined up at 3 and 9 with 12 pointing to the wall, the flange if perfectly fine (other than that it is all plastic rather than part metal). It will work fine for 99% of all toilet whose holes are supposed to be in the proper position

Basement_Lurker said:

You have pvc there, so this isn't as easy as dealing with abs.

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Why would that be?

cacher_chick said:

That looks like it MIGHT be a push-in flange, which means that you can remove the screws that are holding it to the subfloor and pull the flange up out of the pipe.

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You don't think they used PVC glue on that?

Talked with plumber today and after describing the issue to him he seemed confident he could fix it. He said he had a special saw that he would be able to cut out the flange and a section of pipe and put a new one in. I've used him before and I'm confident in his abilities so I guess we will see Monday morning. He said with the laminate he could bring the flange up to the right height and secure it down solid.

Thanks for the tips and advice

dlarrivee said:

You don't think they used PVC glue on that?

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They DO make push in flanges with big rubber "o-rings" that seal to the inside of a 4" pipe. I have seen them used when retrofitting a plastic flange into a C.I. closet bend. I think Oatey calls them "no-caulk".

Can't say what is there looking down from the top.

Plumber came by today and and fixed me up. He cut out the old flange by going down into the pipe a few inches. Installed new pvc portion of what he cut (minus the PVC flange) and installed a metal flange as well. Toilet is in nice and secure and looks great (straight) lol 150 dollars which I was more than happy to pay as well. He showed me what he did before he put toilet back on and very clean job

Thank God for plumbers who know their stuff