Toilet Flange well below floor level

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leorob

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I am working on a newly tiled bathroom. Due to circumstances beyond my control, the old toilet flange is now 1 3/4" below the newly tiled floor. (Tile setters did this for leveling (long story, not important). Tile is finished in a very nice circle around and above the flange.

In addition, due to the thickness of the new tile on the wall behind the toilet, the rough-in dimension is now only 11".

So, my question is twofold:
1. Am I OK to install the toilet with what will be about two inches of wax rings? (The alternative is to breakout some NEW tile, down to the wood floor and move the plumbing and flange up and forward).

2. If 2 inches of wax is not going to be a problem...what suggestions for toilets?
I think I'd be better off with a Toto with the Unifit system.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 

Jadnashua

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That was a major mess up. You might get by with a waxless adapter - Fernco and Fluidmaster make them. I'm not sure if they'll handle that big of a reach, though...you'd have to read their instructions or spec sheets. Under no circumstances would I use wax for this without some other remediation.

What's underneath? Can you access it from below? If so, you could cut out the pipe and flange from below and maybe install a new riser and then put the flange where it is supposed to be.

fluidmaster_on_toilet.jpg

If you use the Fluidmaster waxless seal, push it onto the bottom of the bowl first.
 
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Gary Swart

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I don't think a unifit would solve the problem you have. To fix that much space without messing up the new tile floor, you might want to turn this over to a professional plumber to redo the drain and set a new flange on top of the finished floor. Otherwise, you might be fighting leaks and end up damaging the floor.
 
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This appears to be a good application to try the waxless adapter. It sounds like it would be oriented so as to make up some of that lost rough-in spacing too.

I wouldn't trust 2" of stacked wax for anything, but I'm just a DIY'er.
 

Jadnashua

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Maybe, but I wouldn't use one unless the drain was 4". Also, if the existing flange is already an internal mount, you can't insert another one without taking the old one out. Some flanges have a longer funnel shape, and that flange would not reach far enough to seal.
 

Doherty Plumbing

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The thing to do is redo the flange and it's connection to the trap arm.

1.75" is quite a ways... Patching that problem is a good way to ruin part of that tile floor you just put in.
 

leorob

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Thanks for all the advice.
I think I'm going to bite the bullet and redo the trap and drain and bring the flange up to the proper level.
Luckily this is on the second floor and there is easy access through the ceiling below.
 
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