Toilet keeps loosening from floor

[hans_idle]

I just installed a Toto toilet in my upstairs bath. It is a standard installation and didn't take long. But now I'm having a problem with the toilet. Specifically, after tightening the 2 nuts that hold the toilet to the floor, the toilet is nice tight. But a week or two later, it rocks side to side a little. So I tighten the nuts again, everything is tight, and then it loosens itself again.

I put lock washers under the nuts, but that doesn't seem to help.

What the heck am I doing wrong. I didn't have this problem with my other 2 toilet installations in house. What can I do to keep the nuts from loosening? I'd hate to put lok-tite on them.

Thanks.

 

[hj]

toilet

Are you sure the flange is secured to the floor. If not, it will resist when the bolts are tightened and then pull upwards from the tension and loosen the bolts.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[hans_idle]

I'm fairly certain the flange is in solid. I put 4 stainless steel screws down through it into the subfloor, and I drove them in as far as they would go.

 

[Terry]

If the flange is solidly attached to the floor,

And the bowl sets flat without rocking, (sometimes shims are needed)

And the bowl is caulked at the floor after installation,

Then the bolts will not loosen.

Unless, you have tiny gremlins that come out out night with little tiny wrenches and loosen them while you are sleeping.

 

[hans_idle]

I'm going to go with the Gremlins. Them and that damn invisible cat that I'm alergic to...

I never thought about shiming the toilet. That could very well be the problem. What do you use to shim it? Regular wooden shims, or something plastic?

 

[hans_idle]

Just answered my own question. Plastic. Pick it up a Lowes.

 

[Rombo]

If you can get it tight and it doesn't rock, don't use shims. Just caulk it to the floor

 

[Terry]

If you can get it tight and it doesn't rock, don't use shims. Just caulk it to the floor

But if it does rock, use shims before you caulk.

Shims are pretty inexpensive. We buy them by the case.
Not all floors are the same.

 

[hans_idle]

I'll take the nuts off of the bolts and see how badly it rocks.

Since there has been some rocking, does it make good sense to remove the toilet and replace the wax ring? My concern would be shifting by the wax ring during rocking. Probably didn't happen, but just curious.

 

[Rombo]

It most likely did so go ahead and replace the wax ring

 

[hj]

gremlins

Just remember what happens to gremlins when they get wet, so you might want to keep the bathroom door closed.

 

[rwagoner]

I don't know if this could be your situation, but just this week I changed out a toilet, and had to change the flange in the floor because it was cracked just slightly. In the past, it apparently was the cause of a SLIGHTLY moving toilet that just wouldn't stay seated right. This time the bolt pulled right through. You MAY be on the early stages of the same situation.

By the way, I installed a new Drake based on my past experience in another bathroom. This one has a pink flapper instead of red. Is there a difference?

Richard