how often need change wax ring? affect flushing? rubber rings?

[digdugger]

I'm just a homeowner. Just wondering, besides an obvious leak, is there some kind of general plumbers rule on if it's a good idea to pull the toilet off the floor to check the wax ring, say every 10 years or whatever? Even if there's no leaking or rocking noticed ? The question pertains to my own house, but I'm Just wondering since for example when I replaced my Mom's toilet, the metal flange? thing that the screws fit into (on top the floor pipe) was somewhat corroded, although not to the point of needing replaced. Am I correct in assuming the wax ring helps prevent that? I also need to caulk around base of toilet (old caulk separated) but fear if water ever does leak after I caulk it, I would then not notice it since it would be sealed. So thinking it's good to pull up, replace ring, THEN caulk??? There have been several owners of my house before me and the house was built in the 80's so I have no clue if they ever replaced wax rings or toilets. Not that I am eager to do this, mind you due to the dirty nature of the job! I live in a hot desert area if that matters for my question.

I read about leaving a gap in the caulking to know in the future if there's leaks, but at times of the year I notice many extremely tiny bugs coming from around the separated caulk (almost need a magnifying glass to see them) so I'm not crazy about the gap idea.

Also wondering if a worn-out wax ring negatively affects flushing in any way.

Also, I've seen these newfangled rubber rings sold at Home Depot. They claim to be better than wax. Have these been around for long enough to know if they work as well, as well as hold up over time ?

Is it better to stack a couple wax rings to make a better seal? Two normal size ones? Or one heavy-duty one? Or two heavy-duty ones? (is more wax better?)

 

[Jadnashua]

You need to replace the wax ring anytime you remove the toilet. But, unless the toilet can rock, you should never need to replace it for maintenance. If the toilet moves (rocks) at all, each time it rocks one way, it compresses the wax, and the wax won't rebound when it rocks back. It is CRITICAL that you ensure the toilet sits rock solid on the floor without rocking. If you do that, wax seals have been found on things over thousands of years old and are still intact...

If the flange is positioned properly (on top of the finished floor), and not recessed, any standard toilet should be fine with a single wax ring. If it is recessed, you might need a jumbo or two wax rings. When setting the toilet, unless it goes to the floor with no resistance, you probably have a good seal. One issue could be if the wax ring is not sitting level, then, you might need more.

Always select a toilet flange with a stainless steel ring rather than a painted steel one, and it will last more than your lifetime. Choose all SS or brass bolts and you should be golden.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Gary Swart]

Wow! You have packed a bunch of questions into one post. Let's see if I can address all of them. Wax rings should last forever provided the toilet is never shifted, rocked, removed. Bolts and screws used to secure the toilet should be either 100% brass or stainless steel. Brass plated steels will still rust eventually. The wax ring prevents sewer gas from getting into the house. It prevents sewage from getting under the toilet in case of a clog. Caulking around the base is to keep spilled water from getting under the toilet. Some leave the back open, others seal it completely, codes vary. Caulking also anchors the toilet to the floor which helps in preventing the toilet from shifting. Flange bolts sometimes can use a little help in this regard. Rubber rings seem to work very well in place of wax. They do have one advantage in that the toilet can be removed and replaced without needing a new ring. They are also less messy.. Stacking wax rings is only done when the flange is recessed below the finished floor. Ideally, the flange is installed top of the the finished floor, but often flooring is replaced in a remodel and it's too much hassle to removed and replace the flange so their is a space that needs to be filled. The preferred methods here are to use regular ring on the flange then a ring with a plastic horn followed by the toilet, or if the space to be filled is quite small, a thicker ring can be used. Horned rings are not preferred as the only ring. So, no, more is not necessarily better.

 

[digdugger]

Thanks Gary and Jim. What about wax ring deterioration affecting flushing if at all?

 

[CountryBumkin]

Not from flushing - but you could damage the wax ring from plunging the toilet if it is not done correctly.

 

[Flapper]

The preferred methods here are to use regular ring on the flange then a ring with a plastic horn followed by the toilet, or if the space to be filled is quite small, a thicker ring can be used. Horned rings are not preferred as the only ring.

Rings with a funnel should never be used; they are notorious for leaking and the funnel is useless.

 

[Gary Swart]

Terry recommend the funnel when two rings are needed with the funnel ring the top one. I agree they are a PITA otherwise.

 

[Terry]

Terry recommend the funnel when two rings are needed with the funnel ring the top one. I agree they are a PITA otherwise.

If I use two wax rings, the regular ring goes on the floor flange first, and then the wax ring with horn drops down over that.
We install hundreds of toilets every year using that method. And we never have any problems.

 

[Wallijonn]

When you start smelling sewer gas and no one has used the toilet in over a day - that is a good time when to replace the wax ring.

 

[Flapper]

When you start smelling sewer gas and no one has used the toilet in over a day - that is a good time when to replace the wax ring.

Or when you find water coming out of underneath the toilet.

 

[Jadnashua]

Again, unless you have an unusual situation (rocking toilet, maybe aggressive plunging that creates a blowout), you should NEVER need to replace the wax ring. I suppose if you placed it right next to a radiator or a portable heater and let things get dangerously hot, you MIGHT melt it, but it would be a very unusual situation. The wax itself doesn't degrade, but movement of the toilet can cause it to be squeezed out when it compresses, and it does not spring back when the toilet rocks back the other way (which is why it is critical to shim it so it is stable). Unless you've used multiple wax rings, it's also pretty hard to blow out the seal if you plunge the toilet.