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Repair Topics
How To Install a Toilet Wax Ring
Knowing how to install a wax ring can save you time, money and a potentially messy problem in the future. Putting a new wax ring on when the toilet is removed is an easy job. If you need to pull the toilet up just to change the wax ring it is more of a job.
Not sure if you need a new wax ring? See the articles 'Troubleshooting Toilet Problems' and 'Toilet Flange Repairs' for more information and a list of related topics.
Purchasing a Wax Ring
The first thing you are going to need is a new wax ring. Most of the time, you want to get one with an integral plastic flange, similar to an Harveys No Seep #1, this is a very popular wax ring that costs less than $5.
There are other wax rings that do not have the added flange. Generally, the only time you would want those is if you have built up the floor and not raised the toilet floor flange. In this case, a single wax ring may not be thick enough for a seal. When this happens you may need to add another ring without a flange, similar to a Harvey's Bol-Wax #1. This will offset the added depth from the new flooring.
Removing the Toilet
Removing a toilet is a job in itself. You need to drain the toilet, shut the water off and then remove it from the floor.
The article 'Removing a Toilet' has step by step instructions for how to remove the toilet without making a big mess.
Removing an Old Wax Ring
Before you can replace the wax ring you need to get rid of the old one. Have a trash bag ready and use a scraper to clean the wax off of the flange. Tilt the toilet up and see if there is any residue from the old ring on the bottom of the toilet. Scrape it off as required. This is the part that makes a toilet flange repair a less than desirable job. The old wax ring is going to be a kinda of nasty. The picture gives you the idea. Just get rid of it as fast as you can. Admit it, it's one of the nastiest things you've ever seen. You might want to consider wearing gloves.
New Anchor Bolts
You may have had some trouble with the anchor bolts when you removed the toilet. This is a common problem and many time a hack saw is involved and the bolts are ruined.
Even if you got them loose with a wrench, it is a good idea to replace them. They only cost a couple of dollars and they are not know for longevity. See the article on 'Replacing Toilet Anchor Bolts' for instructions and best practices. It is a good idea to double nut them, which is described in this article.
Installing the New Wax Ring
Most plumbers will install the wax ring on the bottom of the toilet prior to setting it back in place on the flange. The wax ring needs to be located correctly on the bottom of the toilet. Placing the wax ring on the flange first may result in poor alignment and potential leaks.
Press the new wax ring onto the bottom of the toilet around the opening. Set the toilet up on a couple of wood blocks until you set it back in place. For most installations a single wax ring with a flange on it will work fine. If multiple floors have been installed and the flange seems to be sunken below the floor, you may need to add an extra ring without a flange. You would not want this toilet flange repair to fail because the wax ring would not seat.
Summary
Replacing a wax ring is no big deal once you have the toilet removed. Hopefully you did some extra maintenance while the toilet was up, like replacing the anchor bolts.
How To Fix a Broken Toilet Flange
There are a couple of reasons why you might need to make a toilet flange repair. The toilet may start to leak around the base. This will usually be evident when the toilet is flushed. The other problem is that the toilet may loosen up. The topics included in this series are listed below. You can take a quick jump here or you can read the overview to get a better idea of what this repair involves.
For some related topics, see the articles 'Troubleshooting Toilet Problems', 'Toilet Leaking At the Base' and 'Tightening Toilet Flange Bolts'
Tightening up a loose toilet may be accomplished by tightening the tee bolts if they are not too old and corroded. If the tee bolts need to be replaced, you will have to pull the toilet up and put new ones into the flange.
There is a wax ring that seals the base of the toilet to the floor. Over time this seal may be compromised and the toilet will leak. A new wax ring only costs a couple of dollars, but it requires that you pull the toilet up to replace it. Taking a toilet up is a little more challenging than other toilet repairs.
Doing your own toilet flange repair will save you money and increase your skills around the house. Why not give it a try, if your toilet is not working correctly. With patience you can make your own toilet flange repair.
Toilet Flange Repairs - The Issues Involved
What Can You Save? - Tightening tee bolts that are still working can be done on a service call. $50 to $100 depending on where you are located and who you call. Pulling the toilet and replacing the tee bolts or the wax ring is a bit more involved. Probably between $125 and $200. So your savings could range between $50 to $200 plus the mark up that the shop charges you on the parts.
How Hard Could It Be? - Tightening loose tee bolts is not hard at all. A fifteen minute project. Pulling the toilet to replace the tee bolts or the wax ring is more involved. Allow two to three hours. The toilet is kind of heavy, up to fifty pounds for a standard toilet. More for a one piece. It may be wise to have some help available. These repairs will have a Difficulty Level of: A Bit of Work; These repairs require a Skill Level of: Handyman; For and explanation of the terms in this section, see 'How to Use This Site'.
Check the Simple Things! - Tightening the tee bolts is the simplest task. Tightening the bolts may stop a leak if it is not too bad. Try this first and wait a day or two. If the toilet still leaks or the bolts break off, then more drastic action is required.
What Can Go Wrong? - Making a toilet flange repair will not be worth the effort if something is damaged. The toilet uses water to operate. Take steps to drain the toilet tank down and flush the water out of the bowl. Anything that can be damaged by water should be removed from the area before the repair is attempted. The area around the flange will be dirty, wear rubber gloves as a precaution. Being without a toilet is not good, allow enough time to complete the repair in one session. Your whole family will thank you.
Troubleshooting Toilet Flange Problems
Replacing a toilet flange when they crack or break is very important. A broken toilet flange can allow the toilet to loosen and start leaking. A toilet that will leaks at the base will get dirty water on your floor.
Toilet Leaking Around the Bottom
The first sign of trouble with a toilet flange is when you start to see water around the base of the toilet. This is not always a sign of a toilet flange problem, but it is usually not good news.
The first thing to do is try to figure out what the trouble is. See the article 'Toilet Leaking at the Base' for instructions on what to do.
Replacing a Wax Ring
The wax ring is the item that seals the toilet to the floor. Over time the seal can break and water will start to leak around the flange when the toilet if flushed. Sometimes, you can tighten the toilet flange bolts and solve this problem. See the article 'Tightening Toilet Anchor Bolts' for instructions on what to do.
If the wax ring is too far gone it will need to be replaced. See the article 'Replacing a Toilet Wax Ring' for all of the information needed.
Removing a Toilet
You cannot work on a toilet flange or any of its components without removing the toilet. This is a job in itself. First you have to drain all of the water out of the toilet. See the article 'Draining a Toilet' for instructions on how to do this.
After the toilet is empty, you can remove it. This involves, shutting off and unhooking the water supply, removing the anchor bolt nuts and lifting the toilet off of the flange. For complete instructions, see the article, 'How To Remove a Toilet'.
Toilet Flange Anchor Bolts
The anchor bolts hold the toilet to the floor. Sometimes called tee bolts, the are specially made to fit into the toilet flange and protrude up high enough to secure the toilet base. Nuts and washers are used for this task.
See the articles 'Tightening Toilet Flange Bolts' and 'Replacing Toilet Anchor Bolts' for instructions on what to do with the bolts.
Replacing a Toilet Flange
Replacing a cracked or corroded toilet flange can be a difficult task. A better solution is to put a retrofit toilet flange sleeve into the existing flange. This a lot eaier to do and will work in most cases.
For information, see the article 'Replacing a Toilet Flange'.
Toilet Flange Repair – Summary
Toilet flange probems are a bigger repair. This is mostly due to the fact that you have to remove the toilet to work on the flange.
Replacing Toilet Anchor Bolts
Replacing toilet anchor bolts is not hard if the toilet is already removed. If you have to take it up for another reason then it makes sense to replace the anchor bolts. If the toilet is older, you likely ruined the anchor bolts getting the nuts loose.
Not sure if this is your problem? See the articles 'Troubleshooting Toilet Problems' and 'Toilet Flange Repairs' for a listing of all of the related topics.
Problems With Toilet Anchor Bolts
Toilet anchor bolts have a tendancy to corrode over time. If the toilet has been in place for a number of years, the nuts on the anchor bolts will be frozen and difficult to remove.
The other problem is the design of most toilet flanges. The 'tee' bolts as they are sometimes called need to have upward pressure on them when the nuts are removed. The 'tee' portion has to stay up inside of a recess in the flange to keep it from spinning. This is much harder to do than it sounds. Some plumbers will install a lock nut on the bolt to hold it in place and keep it from spinning.
Removing Toilet Anchor Bolts
To remove the anchor bolts, you need to remove the toilet. This sounds contradictory, but it is not. To remove the toilet, you need to remove the nuts on the tee bolts. See the article 'How To Remove a Toilet' for instructions on taking up a toilet.
Once the toilet is removed, the anchor bolts will slide in a slot on the flanges to a spot where they can be removed. If the nuts are frozen or the tee bolts are badly corroded, you may have to use a hack saw and cut them off, this of course ruins the anchor bolts.
Purchasing Toilet Anchor Bolts
Most toilet flanges that have been installed in recent decades use a 'Tee' style anchor bolt. It is a threaded bolt, that has a flat oval shaped end. The oval shaped end fits inside a slot on the toilet flange. The flat portion pulls against the flange and hold the toilet to the floor when the nut is tightened.
Some older toilet installation will have a lag bolt that screws into the floor. This type is troublesome, since there is a tendency for the wood in the floor to rot out around the anchor bolt.
Buy and extra set of nuts and washers. Install a nut and washer on the flange before you reset the toilet. This holds the bolts in place and eliminates the stripping problem.
At the supply store they may tell you that you don't need extra nuts. As mentioned above, when everything is new this is true. If you are certain you won't have to work on this particular toilet again, you can skip the extra nuts. I have found that having the tee bolts secure makes setting the toilet much easier. We are talking about less than a dollar for two extra nuts and washers.
Installing New Anchor Bolts
When you install the anchor bolts, use a set of nuts and washers to lock the bolt to the flange before you try and install the toilet. The bolts should be placed at 'Three' and 'Nine' o'clock when you are facing the toilet. Locking the bolts in will make the installation of the toilet and tightening of the nuts much easier.
The second set of nuts will go on the toilet. after it is installed. A trick is to use a couple of straws on the bolts to help guide the toilet when you are setting it. See the article 'How To Install a Toilet' for full instructions.
After the toilet is installed, the bolts may need to be cut down to the correct height. Use a hack saw for this chore.
Tightening Toilet Flange Bolts
Toilet flange bolts or tee bolts as they are commonly called are in my opinion very poorly designed. They work on compression, when the nut is tightened the flanged end of the bolt pulls against the toilet flange keeping it in place.
This works great when the bolts are new. However, when they are old and corroded, they can seize up, causing them to spin and not tighten. Take a pair of pliers and hold the threaded portion of the bolt and use a wrench to tighten the nut. Hopefully it tightens and you have solved your problem. If no threads are showing try to tighten it with just the wrench. If it spins you will have to replace the bolts.
Assuming the tightening is successful, tighten both sides until the toilet is secure and not loose. Be certain that the toilet is not leaking. You may want to wait a day or two to make sure. No leaks, good. Use a silicone caulk around the bottom of the toilet to keep water from the floor out. Replace the caps for the tee bolts and you are done. Good Job! That's all there was to this toilet flange repair.
Troubleshooting Toilet Bowl Repairs
Toilet bowl repairs involve the lower portion of your toilet. Most toilets are made of two pieces, the toilet bowl and the tank. The bowl or base it the part that is attached to the floor. The seat is attached to it and it has the trap that connects to the drain in the floor.
Toilet Bowl Issues
Water Level
Loose
Leaking
Broken Toilet Flange
Loose Toilet Seat
New Toilet Seat