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I have an upstairs toilet (with access below) that has an unsupported flange (floor was replaced a few yrs. ago with a cutout around the flange). The cast flange itself is not in very good shape. How do I replace the flange, raising it to mount on the flooring? It is leaded cast pipe – should I be concerned about using a torch around a waste pipe?
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Julie,
If I am reading your post right, your toilet is just sort of sitting there secured by its own weight and possibly some caulk. Not good. I can think of three possible solutions. However, without seeing the job I can not guarantee that any one of them is appropriate.
First, measure the distance from the surface of the floor to the elbow. Second, determine the size pipe you are dealing with. Go to a plumbing supply or home center and lay out a PVC toilet flange and a neoprene and stainless steel cast iron to PVC clamp connector the same size as your riser. What you want to know is the overall heighth of the assembly from the bottom of the connector to the underside of the flange. If the heighth is less than the distance you measured in the first step the following will work. If not, see Solutions #2 and/or #3.
Solution #1. Buy the clamp, flange, and a short length of PVC DWV pipe. You will also neeed primer, glue, stainless steel hardware to secure the flange, and whatever materials you will need to fix your floor. Start by cutting the riser. Leave a stub that is tall enough to receive the clamp connector. Remove the riser and fix the floor. It may be possible to attach a 3/4" plywood scab fom below and fill in the floor so that the flange is supported at floor level. You can also stack repair flanges, if necessary, to bring the flange surface above the floor.
Cut a PVC DWV riser and glue it to the flange. When the flange is resting on the floor, the bottom of the riser should be 1/8" above the cast iron stub. Put the clamp on the stub and insert the riser. Secure the flange to the floor. Use stainless steel wood screws or machine screws with washers and nuts secured from below.
Replace your toilet.
A note on cutting cast iron DWV. Cast iron is britle. If you are not careful, you can break the riser off and you will not be able to use the neoprene and stainless steel clamp (see solution #2). Plumbers have a tool for this. You may be able to rent one. They require some space. I suggest a reciprocating saw with a long metal cutting blade. You can do it with a hack saw but pack a lunch and some Ben-Gay.
Solution #2. Instead of the neoprene and stainless steel clamp, buy a neoprene adaptor designed to go into a cast iron bell and receive PVC DWV pipe.
Remove the cast iron riser from the bell on the elbow. Cut the PVC DWV riser so that it will extend into the bell. Put the adaptor in the bell and assemble as described in Solution #1. This sounds easier than Solution #1 but it is not. I have always had truble getting the pipe to go in the adaptor. It is a tight fit and even with lubricant it is a bear.
A note on breaking out lead and oakum joints. You can try a blow torch if you want. Remember, the jont consists of a lead seal over oakum. I have found that driving a screwdriver or small cold chisel through the lead seal and into the oakum works best for me. I chisel and pry it out in pieces. Take your time. Don't be overly enthusiastic. If you bust the bell see Solution #3.
Solution #3. If it is just too dang hard to work in the space between the top of the elbow and the floor above it may be possible to cut the horizontal run and replace the elbow as well. Simply adapt the techniques described in Solutions #1 and #2 as appropriate.
*Julie,One method would be to cut off the closet bend and flange, including some of the straight pipe and, with a hubless connector, replace that section with a new PVC bend and flange.If you have an oversized hole in the floor, a cutout larger than the flange, then you'll need to plug that hole with perhaps a doughnut shaped plywood patch that fills the hole but leaves clearance for the verticle section of the closet bend and then a larger plywood patch scabbed onto the bottom of that first then screwed to the underside of the subfloor. Then you have a surface to screw the flange to. Your flange does not have to be set into the tile as the drawing shows. There is also a metal flange ring that could be used in conjunction with the pvc flange to give the bolts a stiffer place to grab but is not really necessary.Please post if this helps. Ralph
*What ? No pictures ?
*Ralph's solution is pretty simple, particularly since the rubber (Fernco) connectors work so well to blend iron to PVC.
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I have an upstairs toilet (with access below) that has an unsupported flange (floor was replaced a few yrs. ago with a cutout around the flange). The cast flange itself is not in very good shape. How do I replace the flange, raising it to mount on the flooring? It is leaded cast pipe - should I be concerned about using a torch around a waste pipe?