I'm in the process of installing a new Drake CST744S toilet. A new floor was installed leaving the original flange 1/34" below finished floor. I reworked the flange to try to get it level with the floor, however, it ended up just slightly too high, about 1/16". When I place the toilet on the flange/floor it just about fits level, but rocks just ever so slightly. A couple of shims with get it level. Since the "Drake" only has a 3/4" lip it doesn't give any extra room for flange variance if it's a little too high. My question is, if I set this with a wax ring will it seal correctly or is the flange just slightly too high? it's almost too hard to tell if the stool is resting at all on the flange or the floor is just a little uneven.
Flange too High?
- Thread starter Bill411
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Jadnashua
Retired Defense Industry Engineer xxx
While it may be a pain, I'd measure the height of the horn area where the wax gets smushed and see how it corresponds to the height of the flange. Another possibility would cost a couple of bucks, just buy a second wax ring. Use the first one, install the toilet, then remove it to see hom much wax there is between the flange and the toilet. As long as it isn't smushed to zero, you know that it's just a floor/toilet flatness issue and shims are all you need for a successful install. I suppose you could put some carbon paper on the flange and see if any transferred to the toilet, but who has carbon paper around anymore? The days of a typerwriter and carbon paper are pretty much long past.
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hj
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A metal ring flange does NOT take up that much space above the floor. If you have a flange with a plastic ring, its thickness plus the distance above the floor may be too high. The critical thing is that there has to be SOME space between the flange and the toilet when the toilet is set over it.
Gary Swart
In the Trades
Did you set the toilet over the flange without a wax ring first? That would tell you if the toilet will set need shims and where they would need to be. A new floor should be level so no shimming needed, but the toilet can not rock. When you set the toilet on the wax ring, the ring should be a room temperature or it may not compress properly. Since it's winter, this could be your problem. Use body weight to push the toilet down, don't try to pull it down with the flange bolts. If the toilet set solidly all the way around without wax, it should set solidly with wax.
Thanks for all the feedback. It is a plastic flange and I have tried to set the stool first without wax to see how level the tile is. Good idea to test it first with a wax ring to see how much of a gap if any there is. I wonder if some play dough would do the trick. I could put some wax paper over flange holes and line it with play dough and set. Cleanup should be easy and I'll have an idea how close the flange is to the horn. If the dough is flat, than I'll need to rework the flange. Any thoughts or suggestions on the least amount of spacing between the flange and horn would be acceptable?
Jadnashua
Retired Defense Industry Engineer xxx
If there's some wax and the toilet doesn't rock on the flange itself, it's okay when shimmed so it doesn't rock.
