Help! What am I looking at? Two flanges?

Ok, I've never replaced a toilet before. I looked up videos on Youtube and instructions in preparation but it now appears that I am stuck. I just removed a 1987 Kohler Wellington and this is what I am looking at. Are those two flanges, a plastic one over a metal one? It looks like the plastic piece on top is broken on one side but underneath is metal. Can somebody please provide step by step instructions on what I should do next to install my replacement toilet? I have a new wax ring and also a metal toilet flange repair ring made by Sioux Chief but I have a feeling I need something else. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Looks like a spanner flange on the right. cant tell if there is two flanges. remove the rag and sanp another pic. The broken flange needs to be removed. if its pvc there are a few ways to do it. lets see more.....

I realize the flange I see in the pic is PVC but I'm not sure if you have a flange extension on top of a cast iron flange with a spanner flange thrown in the mix.....

Ok. Ill do that and post a new pic in a few min. Thank you for your help.

Here are more pics. Looks like the side near that other bolt is cracked too in the plastic part (in the second pic below zoomed in).

Thanks for your help.

I'm trying to disassemble everything but there is one screw in the PVC near the metal side that is at an angle and just turns endlessly. The bolt on the left just came out when I slid it but the one on the right is attached to the metal flange underneath.

Yeah its broken. Looks to me its solvent welded(glued) inside the pipe. It needs to be removed.

This is how I do it. Use a sawzall with a long blade and cut the top of the flange off flush with the slab. Then make two vertical cuts about 1" from each other through the flange BUT NOT THE PIPE TO WHICH ITS SOLVENT WELDED TO. Thats very important. Now keep doing that all the way around whats left but you can space it out a little more,say 2" apart make a vertical cuts. make sure you cut all the way through the flange and only the flange.

Now take a thin flat screwdriver while wearing some safety glasses tap the screwdriver between the flange and the pipe. Angle the screwdriver toward the inside of the pipe slightly.
It should start to pop out. Start this processbetween the two vertical cuts you made that are 1" apart.

Be sure sure stuff your rag down into the pipe so the pieces do not fall into the pipe or a tool.

It takes me about 5 minutes to remove one.


Think your up to it? If you break the pipe your in for alot of work to repair it and maybe a new floor.

Hackney plumbing, thank you very much. I know my limits and in this case I have reached it. I will put the rag back in and call a plumber who is much more qualified to do this than me. It is certainly not worth the risk given my very basic skills at this. Your time and advice is much appreciated.

If you call a plumber he should have a "Ram Bit" which will remove the flange from the fitting very quickly. Hopefully the replacement flange, which probably has a spigot to go into a fitting, not into the pipe, will have a metal ring. If ti goes INTO the pipe, then space should be made around the pipe so the new flange can slide over the outside fo the pipe. The all plastic flanges like yours are useless.

hj said:

If you call a plumber he should have a "Ram Bit" which will remove the flange from the fitting very quickly.

Click to expand...

Which ones do you use?

hj said:

If you call a plumber he should have a "Ram Bit" which will remove the flange from the fitting very quickly. Hopefully the replacement flange, which probably has a spigot to go into a fitting, not into the pipe, will have a metal ring. If ti goes INTO the pipe, then space should be made around the pipe so the new flange can slide over the outside fo the pipe. The all plastic flanges like yours are useless.

Click to expand...

It appears the existing flange solvent welds inside the pipe. Some codes allow it and it works fine. if the flange is as it appears it will solvent weld inside 4" pipe or it can be solvent welded over 3" pipe. The cheap ram bits made by pasco are designed to remove pipe......The flange spigot has a different O.D. than 3 or 4" pipe.

I have 4 all plastic flanges installed in my home and have been there for 12 years. They are secured to the floor. I expect them to last longer than both us will. My parents have all plastic flanges and have bene installed for 22 years. I installed them.......they work fine. I use the ears,not the slots.