Toto Drake on thick flange?

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Gardner

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I read this thread about installing a Toto Drake on a thick ABS flange...

I just picked up a round Drake CST743 1.6 liter toilet based on the great reviews I found here.

Just in front of the drain outlet there is an area that is slightly too low to fit above the ABS flange. This left the toilet resting on the flange at this point

So I had to shim the weight-bearing ridges up that high to get a good solid mounting.

I'm worried now, as I have a thick ABS flange set on top of a finished porcelain tile floor. My flange is 7/16th (11mm) thick.

Am I also going to have trouble with fitting the horn of a Drake over this flange?

Is this something that happens with toilets? I mean I have a perfectly fine flange that I bought from a good plumbing supply just a few weeks ago, installed, according to the best practices I can find, screwed down to the top of the finished floor.

I'll be bummed if this winds up limiting the choices of toilet I have or causes some install nightmare.

Gnarfledonk, if that is your name :), I don't suppose you have any pictures of the offending part of the base? Any thoughts of whether it was a manufacturing defect? Would a touch with a diamond wheel have cleaned it up to fit properly?
 

Terry

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Most plumbers buy the hub flanges with the stainless steel ring, they are much thiner and stronger.
I can't think of many new toilets that would be any different.
Some of the old bowls had more room underneath.

Have you tried setting the bowl down over it without wax yet to find out?

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Gardner

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Hi Terry,

I haven't bought my toilet yet. I would consider this an issue and would likely change my choice of toilet if fitting this flange were a problem that could be worked around with a different model.

My preferred supplier for the toilet is the same place that sold me the flange, so I can likely go test fit the flange to their floor sample to see what I'm up against.
 

Gardner

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I got the plumbing supply to let me test fit the flange in question to their floor model. It seemed like it would fit okay. So I brought home my shiny new Drake and it looks like it will fit.

Interestingly, the unit I have looks to have been touched up around the horn for just this purpose.
 

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Gary Swart

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It's always a good idea to check how a new toilet is going to fit by setting it in position with the wax ring. When you do this, you check to see that the toilet rests on the floor all the way around and that there is no rocking. If it is not level, you must shim the low areas to bring it to level. Rocking is usually the result of the flange being too high. I don't thing the added thickness of the ABS flange will be a problem. Be sure you do not use a wax ring with a plastic horn that fits into the flange. These cause trouble more often than not.
 

Gardner

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Thanks Gary.

I won't use a no-seep ring, partly because the extra thinkness of the no-seep plastic horn will not fit. I know how the guys here feel abut no-seeps anyway, so would likely have skipped it in any event. In test fitting my toilet I think it will be okay.

I expect a little bit of shimming no matter what. The tile floor is not flat enough to avoid some rocking without shims.

BTW, I'm not sure what is officially ideal as shims. I know people use pennies and stuff. I have some slips of copper cut from tubing and flattened. For thinner shims I will use some aluminium from an old duct. We'll see how that goes.
 

Gary Swart

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As long as the toilet horn is not contacting the flange you should be OK with the flange, but if the toilet is not rock solid because of an uneven floor, then shimming is needed. I think the choice of shim material is somewhat individual. They do make plastic ones, but lots of fellows use other materials. I would probably stay away from wood, but the other materials you mention would be OK. A bead of caulk will conceal whatever you use.
 
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