Two parter--Reseated toilets/Water hammer

[inaz]

I recently had 2 toilets reseated after installing new vinyl. When the plumber reseated the toilets he installed new wax rings, gaskets, angle stops and supply lines for both toilets.

Part 1:
Now the toilets don't sit flat to the floor. Both are elevated about 3/8" above the floor and the gap is sealed with silicone.

I didn't notice this until after the plumber left. I called the plumber and was told that it's because of the new flooring. However it's the exact same flooring (style, manufacturer, etc.) as before, and the toilets used to sit flat on the floor. They then said it must be a problem with the subfloor. They said as long as the base is sealed it isn't a problem, but I'm not buying that. Thoughts?

Part 2:
After one of the toilets was reseated I noticed water hammer when it's used. I mentioned this to the plumber when he was here. He said it was unrelated to reseating the toilets and that they'd have to tear up my drywall to try to figure out where it was originating from. However, that noise wasn't there before -- only after the toilet was reseated.

Not happy with the plumber's response, I called the office and was told to turn on all the water in the house to release any air that might be in the pipes, but the water hammer is still there. Suggestions?

 

[Jadnashua]

Unless the toilet is shimmed up that high, it will create problems. Disregarding that, I can't think of a good reason why any competant plumber would do that - the toilet should be sitting flat on the floor; it might need a minor shim to keep it from rocking, but 3/8" of caulk around it is not right.

Make sure that the valve is opened all of the way. If it is, then try closing it a little. He may have bent the pipe out of the original position pulling the compression ferrule off, and now it is hitting on things. Again, not very good craftsmanship in my unprofessional opinion. If there is some play in the valve, try pushing it back a little (probably won't help since the pipes, once bent, don't like to bend back). But, if while holding it back, flush the toilet and see if that stops the noise. In fact, prior to that, watch the stop and see if it bounces when the toilet shuts off.

Did he replace the flush valve, too? Some brands are more prone to water hammer than others. Korky QuietFill and the Fluidmaster 400a both seem to be pretty good about minimizing water hammer.