Wax Rings?

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Beerman

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I have more plumbing problems! I'm tiling our bathrooms that were carpeted when we built in 1988 and am not happy with the now deceased plumber! First bath done I pulled the toilet and discovered a hole still around pipe never cemented in and pulled flange and about 18" of 3" pipe right out of elbow below! Had to dig out, go back with new pipe and flange and used thinset for tile to fill in around and set new flange correctly. On our bath I also discovered no concrete around pipe and flange come off with tug as I expected pipe to pull out also. This time at Lowes I bought a flange that went inside 3" pipe as I was thinking it was easier to use than cutting pipe below grade for a coupling and new flange. WRONG, when I knocked out the top, after I have tiled and grouted floor of course, there is just a 2-1/2" I.D. ! All I had was wax rings with sleeves that will not fit so I went back and got plain rings. As the flange is 1/8" above tile I used just one. The flange was a recess before the hole but I'm getting seepage as the grout line stays wet.

Does anyone make a wax ring with a sleeve that tapers down to 2-1/2" instead of 2-3/4" diameter? I'm reading this morning that the inside flanges are not code most places but will work with 1.6gpf toilets like the new Am/Std I just installed!

Thanks for any help. I foresee myself chipping out the grout and thinset and starting over Sunday morning!

Ken T.
 

Cal

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Better get started on the chipping. Might as well do it right,cut it off ,couple it and set the right flange. It's a pain , i know , but why wreck all your hard work !
 

Beerman

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Get-Er-Done!

My homebrew shop is open til 7:00 and I'm welding a brewing structure now but I agree, I'll have it chipped out and replaced by bedtime so I can grout and set toilet tomorrow. The wife is having one of those up your *ss scope jobs Monday and she gets to "clean" herself out Sunday, other baths are at other end of house! Back to my "shitty" plumbing, after pulling 2 out of 3 toilets I'm kinda scared about fittings under showers, tub, sinks, etc. If they didnt glue risers in elbows we got a big problem, I think. Short of tearing up floors I was thinking of digging up clean outs, cut if needed to install plug or cap and then fill the lines up to toilet flange, shower would be to high, and see if there is any dropping of level over a given time.

What do you think?

Ken T.
 

Breplum

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That insert flange should at least have had o-ring seals, so let's assume for the moment that the closet flange-to-pipe connection is good. In that case the leak could be from a less than perfect wax seal.

When you set the toilet did you experience that the bowl was held off the ground at first by the wax, and then had to press down hard to get it to seal? If this did not occur, you could just need to use thicker wax.

IF this is the case you can double up wax or if you don't like double, cut one plain wax in half.

I have also had three brand new toilets in the last few years which leaked right out of the box (various brands). So I would also bench test the toilet while its pulled.

Are we having fun yet?
 

Jadnashua

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Does the toilet rock at all? If it does, it will break the wax seal and leak. You must set the toilet so it doesn't rock. Use shims if necessary. Some people use coins, nickel, dime, penny, or plastic tapered ones.
 

Beerman

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Saved!

Well I saved it! I took a dremel tool and cut about an 1/8" chamfer around the opening to accept the plastic sleeve on a new jumbo wax ring. Set the wax ring on flange first, then lowered toilet onto it. Pushed it down and snugged the bolts so tank was level. Mixed up some more grout and worked it in under base and wiped down as it set up. Allowed it to dry overnight and then lightly tightened flange bolts. SOLID AS A ROCK!

Thanks Guys!

Tha Beerman!
 

hj

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flange

Good luck. I consider either the wax ring with a "funnel" or a 3" insert flange as a leak waiting to happen. Now you have both of them, so I don't know what will happen.
 
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