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Replacing a Toilet FlangeHey folks,
I'm re-tiling my bathroom floor. I've removed the old tile and the toilet and vanity. The new tile is a little thicker and I'm putting down 1/4" hardibacker board that wasn't there before, so the new floor will ultimately be just over a 1/4" taller than it was before. This raises the following questions i have of what to do about the toilet flange:
1) I need to address the new height difference with the flange, correct? I.E. I need to raise the flange correct?
2) Rather than removing and replacing it, is there some kind of flange extender I can put on top to raise the height?
3) Everything I read online seemed to imply I can just unscrew the screws in the flange and pull it right out, but the home depot guy I talked to said its most likely glued in and I'll need to cut the drain pipe from the basement. Is this true?
Note: My drain pipe is a black plastic/PVC pipe and the flange is an orange plastic with 6 screws on top, black in the center (the black may be the drain pipe)
EDIT: Height difference should be 7/16"-1/2" |
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robbin Mod join:2000-09-21 Leander, TX |
If the new floor is only 1/4" taller you can just use an extra thick wax ring or two regular ones. Sounds like your plumbing is ABS and yes, it is glued together (if it was installed correctly). |
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rockotman...Blown On The Steel Breeze Premium Member join:2000-08-06 DSotM |
to NullQwerty9
There are several things that you could do. There are flange extenders that are available. There are double-thick wax rings that will make up the difference. You could double-up on single wax rings. You could replace the existing flange, but with the other available options, it seems like it would be more work than it is worth. At our old house, I did both bathrooms, and like you, I had essentially raised the floor by 1/4". In both instances, I went with the double-thick wax ring and had no problems.
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That's great to here. I measured it all out to get exact. The floor should end up 7/16" taller plus if mortar ended up any thicker, so figure 1/2". Would these options still work for 1/2" height difference?
Thanks |
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rockotman...Blown On The Steel Breeze Premium Member join:2000-08-06 DSotM 1 edit |
It should... just buy the thickest one you can find, and then buy an additional, single el-cheapo (as in about $1) plain wax ring. If need be, you can add the second ring to make up the difference.
The key is that the flange and the ring on the bottom of the bowl must both contact the wax to achieve an air-tight seal.
[EDIT]I defer to the plumber below me. If he says that 1/4" is the most he would go, then I would heed his advice. As I said, the double-thick ring worked for me, but it was only a 1/4" diff. I know others that have relied on thick rings to go deeper, but I never gave a thought to the downstream clog issue. |
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tp0dyabbazooie Premium Member join:2001-02-13 Bulger, PA |
tp0d
Premium Member
2013-Feb-3 3:00 pm
1/2" is pushin it for a wax seal. if the toilet clogs below the flange, you could have a pretty shitty blowout (pun intended) 1/4" is the most i`d float a flange. The wax seal isnt made to handle much more.. Get a flange extender, shim and screw it to the subfloor.. Then you can use a regular wax ring, without the funnel. I dont prefer the funnel, have had some clog issues with them extension kit--> » www.amazon.com/Oatey-436 ··· extenderIf you do decided to try using the old flange, make sure to get a new set of 5/16" closet bolts. -j |
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how2do join:2012-12-23 Pawleys Island, SC 1 edit
2 recommendations |
to NullQwerty9
I would take a look at Set-Rite's Toilet Flange Extension Kit...I have used their kits for the past 4 years on over 60+ toilets that were either having the flooring changed from vinyl to ceramic or I found that the flanges were never installed correctly to begin with... I used to use the thicker wax rings until I found the Set-Rite video on YouTube. The thing I like about them is that they are code approved and guarantee a water & gas tight seal. After looking through Lowe's & HDepot, nothing they were selling seemed like it would work. You can check out their website which I believe has the video on there... » www.set-rite.com I believe you can find them at Amazon too... The image above is what I show my customers and they pass my brochure around and figure same builder, same toilet install...same problem and most of the time it is... Clogging? Never had a problem...the waste outlet ID on most toilets is 2" to 2-1/2" tops and the inner diameter of the extender flange (yellow) is 2-7/8"... Handy Tom |
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Very cool. Thanks. Ordered |
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