BobL43
DIY Senior Member
OK, it seemed simple enough: I bought an Oatey TKO toilet flange with the stainless steel swivel ring on it. I wanted to remove the test seal molded into it because I'm just replacing the bend and the flange, and no test was going to be performed. So simple, even a picture is on the label showing where to hit the raise rim of the "seal" and then grab it with a pair of Channellock® pliers I figured it would be best to do it before gluing in in place and hitting the ring with the hammer and maybe damaging my newly installed porcelain floor tiles. I hit it easy at first, and it laughed at me I hit it harder, it just did not want to break where it made thin and was supposed to break at. I hit it harder yet on the raised area and the entire thing split all the way through vertically, even through the socket part that goes over a 3" PVC pipe. Actually, I had a short stub of PVC pipe inserted in the bottom of the flange, which probably wedged the whole thing open past its breaking point. A new one is very cheap, only around 6 bucks at Orange box store, but I don't want to break the new one. I guess it should be done with a piece of wood under the bottom (hub) of the flange and then stuck with the hammer? I am almost embarassed to ask this, but I thought others (none pros) would run into this situation without knowing how. A few years ago, I guess I would have been too macho too ask, I would have just bought maybe a dozen pieces and keep breaking one at a time until I did it correctly, but now, I am soixante neuf, (not the position) and will ask in front of all you guys, and not worry about it
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