"Correct" rough-in hole for Oatey SS spigot flange causes it to float 1/8" above tile

[Sokolq55]

Where the Oatey closet flange is supposed to sit on top of finished tile is actually 1/8" lower than the actual SS ring.
If installed as per Oatey, SS ring ends up floating 1/8" above tile. No good.
If rough-in hole enlarged to accommodate the pvc portion into the rough in hole, then there's not much "heft" left for the flange to actually rest against the floor - it will rest against the tile by only the outer circumference of the SS ring.

Any advice? I already have a 3" 90 hub installed in the floor - are there other 3" spigot SS flanges that fit into existing 3" hub that don't have this issue?

https://imgur.com/JnyqcQT

https://imgur.com/pr2TICa

 

[wwhitney]

No information on whether there are other closet flanges that don't have this problem, but if you have to make this one work:

Assuming you tiler is thicke than 1/8", you could just omit the tile in that annular region between the red lines, and let that plastic be supported by your backer board and a bed of thinset.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Reach4]

Is the one you bought called "level fit"?

Oatey® Level Fit Closet Flange Stainless Steel Ring | Oatey

Oatey® Level Fit Closet Flange with stainless steel ring sits flush on the floor and quickly and easily connects a water closet outlet to a plumbing system. The durable stainless steel ring has patented bolt slot shelves to stabilize bolts and eliminate bolt fall through during installation...

www.oatey.com

See https://terrylove.com/forums/index....flange-graphic-for-newbies.92174/#post-666217 #19.

 

[wwhitney]

Is the one you bought called "level fit"?

Evidently not, as that link says "available in 4 variations" which are ABS or PVC, and 3x4 and 4". Neither of those latter options is 3" spigot.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[Sokolq55]

Is the one you bought called "level fit"?

Oatey® Level Fit Closet Flange Stainless Steel Ring | Oatey

Oatey® Level Fit Closet Flange with stainless steel ring sits flush on the floor and quickly and easily connects a water closet outlet to a plumbing system. The durable stainless steel ring has patented bolt slot shelves to stabilize bolts and eliminate bolt fall through during installation...

www.oatey.com

See https://terrylove.com/forums/index....flange-graphic-for-newbies.92174/#post-666217 #19.

No, the level fit ones do not come in 3" spigot style

 

[Reach4]

https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.supplyhouse.com/product_files/Sioux Chief-886-PTMS-Product-Overview.pdf Sioux Chief 886 looks like it may fit. I scaled from the drawing and estimate the distance in red is about 4.22 inches.

 

[Sokolq55]

https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.supplyhouse.com/product_files/Sioux Chief-886-PTMS-Product-Overview.pdf Sioux Chief 886 looks like it may fit. See drawing.

From the second photo on supplyhouse, it's essentially the same exact design at the oatley one - the ss ring is held in place by three tabs below the ss ring and that is where the 1/8" comes from. Just seems like an odd design. I may stop by fergusson tomorrow to see it in person.

I think I have two options - either notch out my tile rough opening to accomodate this 1/8" or get a different 4" hub flange to go over the outside the 3" hub I have (but then I still have to notch out the tile to accomodate the large 4" hub"

 

[Reach4]

I could see why you think that.

However I think the line drawing gives a better perspective.

 

[Reach4]

I could see why you think that.

However I think the line drawing gives a better perspective.

Regarding an alternative, yes, if your hub is far enough down, you could put an outside 3 inch flange connected by a short 3 inch pipe, but you would again have to check clearances.

Is this ceramic or porcelain tile? An abrasive wheel may make cutting clearance on the tile easy enough. How big is the existing clearance in your tile -- more than 4.22 inches?

 

[Sokolq55]

I could see why you think that.

However I think the line drawing gives a better perspective.

Thanks! I will check it out in person at fergusson tomorrow. I think it may be a manufacturing tolerance issue. The cross section drawing of the oately also shows that the inner circumference of the SS ring is offset by 1/8" such that once in place, the outer ss ring circumference will be perfectly even with the bottom of the plastic in question.

However in practice, the offset between the outer and inner circumference of the ring does not make up for the 1/8". Maybe they engineered it such that once tightened with the 6 screws to the floor, the ring will get pulled closer to the finished floor.

I've emailed oatley technical about this. We'll see what they say.

 

[Reach4]

Take the dimension that you need to clear with you.

 

[Sokolq55]

Take the dimension that you need to clear with you.

This drove me crazy enough where I just took off the ss ring from the pvc entirely to properly measure how much the offset was between the inner and outer circumference.

The offset is ~.05 in, which is too short to make up for the plastic sticking down 1/8". But then carefully looking at the oatley line drawing again, it does appear that the top of the floor is not perfectly level with the bottom of the plastic in question. Which is weird. Why would they make it like that. I can only assume they figure that once you screw the entire thing tightly to subfloor, the ss ring will sit down a bit lower. Anyways, we'll see what the "engineers" say, if they do respond.

https://imgur.com/vHIUHuy

 

[Sokolq55]

Went to Fergusson today - the Sioux Chief 886-PTMS does indeed lie flat without the 1/8 lip found on the Oatey. However, the spigot end is significantly shorter. By like an inch. Given my waste pipe hub isn't flush with the top of the finished floor, I really needed the length of the Oatley.

Anyways, got a reply from Oately technical folks - they advise to notch out the tile by 1/8 all the way around even thought that's not how their drawings show this flange being mounted. I have porcelain floor tile. Cutting that would be too much PITA with tools I have at my disposal.

So I basically ended up using a multi-tool and a sander to take out the 1/8" lip from the oately flange all the way around. It does not compromise it in any way. The thing is way beefier than the sioux chief.

***Hopefully to someone reading this post in the future ---- save yourself the hassle and if possible, don't use a 3" closet bend with a hub. You'll be left with only 3 choices of 3" spigot closet flanges you can use that have a stainless ring. The rest are plastic.

Much easier to use a no hub closet bend or a 3" by 4" closet bend. Then you have a huge variety of stainless flanges to choose from.

https://imgur.com/FRZplut

 

[GReynolds929]

Looks like you cut the retaining tabs for the ring when you modified the flange. If this is on a slab it's probably a non issue, but if it's a standard crawlspace below then there will be issues as the SS ring won't keep the pipe from moving and deflecting causing the wax to deform and leak.

 

[Sokolq55]

Looks like you cut the retaining tabs for the ring when you modified the flange. If this is on a slab it's probably a non issue, but if it's a standard crawlspace below then there will be issues as the SS ring won't keep the pipe from moving and deflecting causing the wax to deform and leak.

Do you mean deflection coming from above or below?

The retaining tabs are still intact on the top of the ss ring so any deflection from toilet side down isn’t possible. The pipe can’t move down past the ring.

The three bottom tabs are indeed gone, so theoretically if someone was pushing up on the closet bend from below the floor, the ring won’t keep it from riding up a bit. Maybe I’m overlooking something, but what would cause such heavy deflection upwards? The toilet is bolted down. Even when those bottom tabs were in place, there was significant up/down slop of the ring. It definitely wasn’t solid like a single piece pvc flange.