Hi all, I’m new to this (posting questions ) Anyway, I just installed tile floor in the bathroom and now the toilet flange for the waste drain is below the level of the tile about 3/8″. Is there a way or a product to raise the flange so its level with the finish floor? I do not beleive I’ll get a good seal with the wax ring if I leave it as is.
Thanks, Soap
Replies
This has come up here before. 3/8" is not that much. Thicker wax rings are available. If necessary, you can even use 2 wax rings.
-Don
Thanks,
Do you have any thoughts on using sleeved or unsleeved wax rings?
hey soap,
Just go to aplumbing store or big box store and tell them exactly what you posted here and they will set you right up with some flange extentions. No problems !
HAPPY NEW YEAR BE WELL
DAVE
P, S, Don't forget to get longer bolts to hold down the old toilet.
Edited 12/31/2005 5:17 pm ET by DPR9
Thanks Dave.
Happy New Year to you as well.
Yes, you can get a flange with greater vertical adjustability. What kind of waste pipe do you have - cast iron or plastic? Be sure to block under the flange to prevent rocking when setting toilet on wax ring.
An easier solution is to buy a wax ring which is deep/ extra thick and has an integral horn/ funnel. This is the cheapest and easiest solution and gives a fine result.
F
There he goes—one of God's own prototypes—a high powered mutant of some kind never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live and too rare to die.
—Hunter S. Thompson
from Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas
Thanks Frankie.
3/8" below flush is a bit much to take care of with just the wax ring, though it could be done. Better to invest in some sort of flange extension. There are a dozen or so different schemes, of which your local plumbing distributor would likely have 3-4 for you to select from.
Re flanged vs unflanged wax rings, I (a DIYer) generally prefer the flanged ones, since it reduces the chance of the ring "migrating" during/after installation. But 9 times out of 10 it won't make any difference.
happy?
3/8" is really minor.
Put deep seal wax ring ( the one with the plastic horn) on the flange.
Put regular wax ring on toilet bowl.
Put toilet bowl on flange, use your weight to compress wax--- bolt down --test toilet--- caulk the base & viola ya did it.
> caulk the baseNow we're in for an argument!
If ignorance is bliss why aren't more people
happy?
I know some are against caulking
But the code does say that all fixtures will have a watertight seal where they meet the adjoining surface.
Isn't that the wax ring?
If ignorance is bliss why aren't more people
happy?
His answer sounds more like the nsf rqmts to me. I would think wax does it. Not a plumber but have never heard that.
What Ive done in the past was double up on the wax rings. One thick and one thin. No problems. But I started using the spacers or closet extensions also. Either way I didnt have a problem.
This is almost a daily deal for us. You can get a horned wax ring that is extra thick and for 3/8" that is all you need. We use the extension flanges only if we are 5/8" or more deep.
If you use an extension flange be sure to clean the original flange well and use silicone to caulk the two together as without that seal sewer gas will leak from between the two occasionally.
The caulk at the base seems to be a preferance issue with some. We ask and if the customer says yes or they don't care we do it but leave it if they prefer not. On a tile floor sometime the unit wants to rock a bit and a little silicone in the right spot will take care of that. DanT
I understand what you're saying, but the wax makes a seal from the toilet to the plumbing.
2003 UPC section 408.2 "Joints. Where a fixture comes in contact with the wall or floor, the joint between the fixture and the wall or floor shall be made watertight."
On wall hung fixtures which I do more of I try to get away with leaving a small gap at the bottom so if the plumbing joint leaks you find it before it wipes out the wall.
If my inspectors find it they will make me fill that last little bit in.
Try this. I have two packs of the plastic extensions but have never used them. PlumbBill is probably one of the best source of info and his answer looks right on.
I tend to like the reinforced ones with the foam coil in them to take up a little slack if it happens.
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=13945-1409-G240&lpage=none
I will be doing the same thing shortly.But I am going to use the Fluidmaster Waxless seal.http://www.fluidmaster.com/connect_products_7500.html"# Seals on uneven floors or over tile floors with recessed flange.
# Eliminates the need for stacking multiple wax rings on new, raised flooring."
Let us know how that Fluidmaster seal works out. It looks like it should work well, but there's many a gap between theory and practice.
If ignorance is bliss why aren't more people
happy?
Seems like every time I do a toilet I pick that one up take it out of the box and look at it then decide that it is just too risky. Perhaps if it had a serious spring or something to make it stay tight against the toilet. Maybe even a layer of wax on top or something but it just does not give me a good feeling
Bill, Before you get a Fluidmaster, check out the Fernco product. You have to buy one specifically for either a 3" or 4" fit. They are much simpler and in my opinion, a much more foolproof design than the Fluidmaster.
You simply clean off the horn of the toilet and peel the release paper off of the adhesive on the Fernco, and then stick it to the toilet horn and then set the toilet over the bolts. No paper spacers, sleeves, o-rings etc. to fiddle with.
It will accomodate any irregular surfaces or flanges that are too low. Really a great product for only $ 4.25!
That one looks promising! Here is the link.
http://www.fernco.com/FTS.asp
Thought I'd jump on this morning and say thanks to all involved in the conversation yesterday re: the toilet drain flange being lower thant he new tile I installed. I unltimately decided to stack 2 wax rings (one with a sleeve) to make up the 3/8" difference. It's working well. Thanks again for your thoughts.
Soap
Thanks for all of your responses. I'll let you know how it turned out this afternoon.
Soap