No toilet flange?

[nc-terp]

I have just finished helping my daughter remodel a bathroom in an approx. 45-yr.-old house in North Carolina When we lifted the old toilet, I expected to see a 3 or 4 inch round hole in the floor with a flange with slots for the bolts all gunked up with wax. What I found was quite different. The opening was irregularly shaped, and no flange appeared to be in place (the toilet was actually bolted to the floor with rusted toilet screws--a new term I learned whan I went looking to identify what I was dealing with). After scraping off the old wax from around the waste pipe floor opening, I saw what appeared to be a shiny metal that is sort of crimped looking. The plumbing dept. staffer at Lowes told me that this is probably old lead. The part of the waste pipe that I could see appeared to be solid with no cracks or breaks, but the area around the opening at the floor level is not round. Since this is the only bathroom in a household with 3 small children, we had to replace the toilet so I bought a brass flange at Lowes and at thier suggestion, put a lot of Liquid Nails around the underside of the flange next to the opening and positioned it as best I could around the irregular waste pipe. I screwed it to the floor, bought the biggerst wax ring that I could find (one with a rubber horn extending down), and installed the new toilet. I know that calling a plumber might have been theh best thing to do, but I did not have that option at the time (Sunday night).

Have I created an invitation for a plumbing disaster by what I have done? Does the situation I describe with the crimped metal around this irregular waste pipe opening sound familiar? What would have been the best solution? Since the old toilet had almost no wax ring left and had those rusted out screws barely holding onto the floor, I feel that a disaster would have happened soon anyway but then I am an amateur so what do I know.

Thanks for any comments.

Go Terps!!

 

[Plumber1]

toilet

Did you put the brass ring down and screw it to the floor real well. And then peen the lead down all around?
That type of installation should also have the lead soldered to the brass flange.

You didn't say if this a second floor or if you could access below the floor to take out the lead and do something different.

At this point if you have screwed the flange down real well and used a pair of closet bolts, you should be ok.
Considering everything, I think you did good.........

 

[Sponsor]

 

[TheZster]

That's one of the things I really like...........

About this forum.... the real pros here recognize that sometimes you have to do what you can do.....even if it's not absolutely, perfectly "proper".

Hope your new toilet remains trouble free for years to come.....

 

[nc-terp]

Thanks

I screwed the brass flange down with 3 large wood screws. I didn't pry up the lead (if that's what it was), I just installed the brass flange over top with a large bead of liquid nails under the flange around the opening. I used the closet bolts that came with the wax ring to install the toilet. As "thezster" says, I guess I just did the best I could with what I had. Thanks for the input!