Do I need to replace my wax?

[Nothingeverworks]

the bolts holding my toilet to the flange were a little loose and as result the toilet rocks just a bit. It also moved about ½-inch.

Should I replace the wax seal even if I don't see water or if there is no noticeable odor?

 

[Reach4]

Are you saying that you did not tighten the nuts once you found the bolts are loose, or did you tighten the nuts and the toilet still rocks?

I don't think that loose nuts alone would cause rocking. It could be that the flange is high. The problem may be the lack of shims.

I would consider pulling the toilet. Check things out, and then maybe use a SaniSeal rather than wax when you put it back together IF the cause of the rocking is not a high flange. There is not space between the flange and the toilet, I would use wax. Wax can be compressed to zero. Saniseal cannot. I think it takes more skill to use wax and not rock the toilet that is subject to rocking before the shims are placed. I expect there is a technique to accomplish that, but it probably takes practice. The Saniseal could maintain its seal through rocking that might occur until shims are in place.

In any case, I would put shims in to make the toilet level and not rock. If I pulled the toilet first, and especially if I used the SaniSeal, I would use a level to level the toilet with the shims. If I did not pull the toilet, I would use shims to keep the toilet in its current state without rocking.

Some people are more sensitive to smells than others. Sensitivity varies including with age, plus if you are used to something, the smell is not noticeable.

I am not a pro, and I have not used a SaniSeal.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Nothingeverworks]

No. The toilet bowl has gotten loose over time. I retightened the bolts and there is no more rocking. I'm just wondering if I should remove the bowl and change the seal.

Thanks

Are you saying that you did not tighten the nuts once you found the bolts are loose, or did you tighten the nuts and the toilet still rocks?

I don't think that loose nuts alone would cause rocking. It could be that the flange is high. The problem may be the lack of shims.

I would consider pulling the toilet. Check things out, and then maybe use a SaniSeal rather than wax when you put it back together IF the cause of the rocking is not a high flange. There is not space between the flange and the toilet, I would use wax. Wax can be compressed to zero. Saniseal cannot. I think it takes more skill to use wax and not rock the toilet that is subject to rocking before the shims are placed. I expect there is a technique to accomplish that, but it probably takes practice. The Saniseal could maintain its seal through rocking that might occur until shims are in place.

In any case, I would put shims in to make the toilet level and not rock. If I pulled the toilet first, and especially if I used the SaniSeal, I would use a level to level the toilet with the shims. If I did not pull the toilet, I would use shims to keep the toilet in its current state without rocking.

Some people are more sensitive to smells than others. Sensitivity varies including with age, plus if you are used to something, the smell is not noticeable.

I am not a pro, and I have not used a SaniSeal.

 

[Reach4]

No. The toilet bowl has gotten loose over time. I retightened the bolts and there is no more rocking. I'm just wondering if I should remove the bowl and change the seal.

I think you know the issues and can weigh the benefits. I think I would want to remove the toilet at a convenient time, inspect, and re-seal. Take the opportunity to shim right. Since the toilet rocked, the install presumably was not quite right. Yet if you decide to indefinitely postpone that in the absence of symptoms, I can see that.

So why did things loosen over time? Did the nuts back off? That seems unlikely but possible. Double-nutting could make sure that does not happen. Or did the flange creep? Pulling the toilet would let you inspect things. I guess the worst thing that I see is that your flange has a plastic ring, and that tightening has distorted it a lot. It should be the job of the shims to prevent rocking. It should be at least partially the job of the sealant around the base to prevent sliding.

Is there a seal around the base? Once you get your shims in place, you want to apply a sealant. At least in some cases, that is what keeps the toilet from sliding back and forth. Search for Polyseamseal in the search box above, and you will find some useful reading. Do not use silicone, because that will be bad when you later want to lift the toilet.

 

[Nothingeverworks]

thank you Reach. it only began to rock over the past month. there were shims but no caulk seal. I can only guess that the nuts back off with the continual touching. The double nutting is a great idea and I'll seal it this time Thanks.

 

[Gary Swart]

Anytime a toilet moves, the wax seal is broken. Tightening the bolts will not fix the seal. I suggest you pull the toilet and determine why there was movement. Start by clean all the old wax off the flange and toilet. Then set the toilet over the flange without a seal. If the toilet does not set firmly on the floor, or if you have low spots, you will need to shim the low spots. Mark and cut the shims then reinstall the toilet. If it does set firmly on the floor, then a new wax ring or saniseal, and redo the flange bolts are described previously (double nut) Caulk will help firm the toilet, but even without caulk, there should be no movement. Caulking will keep spilled water and/or urine from getting under the base. When setting the toilet, you should use body weight to compress the toilet's horn into the wax until the base is completely down. Flange bolts are not intended to do this. They are just to hold the toilet in place.

 

[Jadnashua]

Especially if the floor is tiled, there may not be much friction between the bottom of the toilet and the tile no matter how tight you get the bolts (and too tight can crack the toilet!), and this is where adding some caulking around the toilet can make the difference between long-term reliability and failure.