Broken Flange?

[Brian Hartman]

I installed a new toilet a couple of days ago. As I was tightening down the closet bolts, I heard the dreaded snap!. I stopped tightening and then loosened the other bolt about half a turn. The bolt of the side where I heard the snap still feels tight and very solid. Do I need to remove the toilet to inspect? Where do flanges usually break? (I'm in a new construction house, so the flange is new and is plastic/pvc.) If it just snapped along the slot where the bolt goes, and I still have a good solid seal with the wax and the toilet is sitting steadily on the ground, do I really need to pull it off to take a look? Maybe the snap I heard wasn't even a break since the bolt still seems tight and solid. My only concern is if the flange broke down inside and will create potential for a leak.

 

[Standardairconditioner]

You have to pull off the toilet to inspect BOTH the toilet and the floor.

All you can do now is guess and speculate.

It might be nothing at all, but you're only going to find that out one way.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Jadnashua]

This is one reason why most professional plumbers do not like to use an all-plastic flange! But, the contractor may have specified it for the dollar or so savings. They do make repair rings, and I'd seriously consider double-checking and installing one if it is in fact cracked. If you seal the toilet to floor joint, that will help the toilet from moving around which would break things further and break the wax seal.

Next time, use your body weight to push the toilet down to the floor, compressing the wax, then just snug up the bolts. Using them to pull the toilet down is risky and you're lucky you didn't crack the toilet.

 

[Babsie]

Do not leave that without knowing. Sub-floor damage caused by leaking water will cause BLACK MOLD to grow, and that's nasty. You should try out the new Barracuda Brackets Watertight Toilet Flange. It can actually be adhered to the floor with a construction adhesive. That makes it the strongest flange available, far stronger even than stainless steel. It looks like it's priced well, too, for being watertight. But definitely do NOT leave that unknown under there!! Black mold causes so many health problems.