Wax Ring or Fluidmaster waxless gasket?

I'm about to purchase/install a Toto Drake or Dartmouth - and am considering using the Fluidmaster waxless gasket. Any thoughts/recommendations for or against?

Also, although I've installed several toilets before - I've never been comfortable with my technique for sealing/aligning to the floor drain and would appreciate any pointers. If I stay with a wax ring - is it better to place the ring on the pipe flange and set the toilet on it - or stick the wax ring to the toilet and then lower it onto the pipe flange. I'm always concerned that I don't have the toilet lined up exactly.

By the way I've always used the wax ring with the plastic flange and embedded foam ring - is this a good choice as far as wax rings go?

All suggestions appreciated!

Dave

I am not sure which gasket to go with, but I do know of a handy trick to keep things aligned. Slide two straws over the toilet mounting bolts. As you lower the toilet to the flange put the straws through the bolt holes on the toilet. The staws will guide you straight to the flange.

I used the Fluidmaster ring on the up and downstairs toilets I replaced during remodeling...I like them so far! One thing to note, though, is that the wax ring in addition to sealing the toilet to the flange, also seems to help keep it from moving; especially noticable when you have tile vs say vinal. There is only just so much tension you can put on the bolts. Now, if you caulk the thing to the floor, that becomes a moot point.

Most of our installations are with wax.
We set the wax on the flange, and drop the toilet on it.

If the flange is recessed, we may use two wax rings.

If I use the Fluidmaster waxless gasket, I only use it.
I don't add wax with it.
I push the Fluidmaster onto the bottom of the toilet, and then drop the toilet into the flange.

Added 1/7/2017

wax ring

The wax ring with the imbedded "ring" is designed for use with wall hung toilets. I am with Terry as far as putting the "waxless" on the toilet first and then lowering onto the pipe. I am not comfortable with depending on Fluidmaster's cardboard spacers holding the waxless at the proper elevation until the toilet seals itself and then crushes the cardboard.

For future reference; I used a waxless gasket when I installed a toilet some seven or eight years ago.

At some point, I'd say about a year and a half ago, my wife detected water in the area behind the toilet. We assumed it was a leaking shutoff valve, and it went on the to-do list.

Lately, though, the wife has been complaining about a strong urine smell every time passes the bathroom, and the blame had been placed on my young son, who doesn't always aim well.

Today I pulled the toilet, it looks like the waxless gasket has failed, and so waste water has been seeping under the tile around the toilet.

I get to replace the toilet mounting ring and I am going back to old reliable wax ring.

I have used wax rings on all my toilets and for years haven't seemed to have any issues with it. One day after having company over, I noticed water around the base of the toilet. I took the toilet off the base and realized that it was indeed the wax ring. I didn't think much more about it until it happened AGAIN and directly after having the same company over. One of our guests was near 400 lbs. I have every reason to believe that his weight had something to do with our wax ring going out and needing to be replaced. Perhaps his weight pressed it down further than it was before and caused the gap thus breaking the seal. I replaced it again with a wax ring and have needless to say not invited those same guests back over to my home. I bet they wonder why we are always making excuses

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Does the SaniSeal work Terry?

Dngrsone said:

For future reference; I used a waxless gasket when I installed a toilet some seven or eight years ago.

At some point, I'd say about a year and a half ago, my wife detected water in the area behind the toilet. We assumed it was a leaking shutoff valve, and it went on the to-do list.

Lately, though, the wife has been complaining about a strong urine smell every time passes the bathroom, and the blame had been placed on my young son, who doesn't always aim well.

Today I pulled the toilet, it looks like the waxless gasket has failed, and so waste water has been seeping under the tile around the toilet.

I get to replace the toilet mounting ring and I am going back to old reliable wax ring.

Click to expand...

Was the ring a Fluidmaster or some other? Can you shed any light on how the gasket leaked. I can't see the bottom leaking; that rubber ring should be quite tight in the pipe. The top has better prospects of leaking in my mind, but again it it was pushed all the way up the horn the risk would be minimized. Did you have a clog that backed things up? That would seem a possibility for leaking at the top if it were not tight against the toilet.

I have tried to use the Fluidmaster and I can't get it to go into the floor ring. The shoulder of the Fluidmaster hits the internal shoulder of the floor ring about 3/4" too soon.

One problem with a Fluidmaster when it attached to the toilet first, is that you need second person to guide the toilet into place so you can lower it "straight down" into the pipe. Wax rings with the "funnel" have caused more leaks than they have cured. If you put the wax seal on the toilet and it falls off while you are lowering it, there is absolutely NO guarantee that it will fall into the right place on the flange.

Disclaimer: To be clear… I have no affiliation with SaniSeal or any other plumbing connections.


I have installed 3 SaniSeal Gaskets as of yesterday and a 4th today.

My wife was complaining about an intermittent sewer smell in the mater bath of the vacation home. (I did not smell it) My Sewer sniffing Jack Russell Terrier alerted to the source. Today I pulled the toilet and installed a new SaniSeal to replace the wax ring.

I intend to replace the vacation home tioilets with a couple of Totos in the near future being I installed 2 Toto Drakes (using SaniSeal Gaskets) in the primary home bath remodel recently and my wife loves them. Now have to replace the vacation home toilets with a Totos. Unfortunately they both have Banjo counters over them so the Universal height Drakes will not fit.

The toilet that I worked on today was rocking a little and I suspect that the wax seal did not completely remain sealed, as alerted by the Jack Russell.

With the Banjo tops it was a little tricky to line up the toilet, being I had to move it around before it would line up exactly. With the SaniSeal holding the bolts upright, yet letting them move around a little, it was a snap.

See pictures taken today. .