Sewer Odor After Toilet Installation

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CHCK

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Just installed a new Drake and it seems like a great toilet ! Working fantastic. However, within the first day or two after installation, we noticed a strong sewage gas smell in the mornings. I guess it's a problem with the wax seal, however we're not seeing any water leaks whatsoever - just the foul smell.
I have not caulked around the toilet edge yet because I wanted to make sure we had no leaks for a couple of days. When I was installing the toilet, I did have trouble achieving a solid contact with floor - a small side-to-side rocking was evident while applying pressure trying to get good wax seal. Tightening the bowl to floor mounting bolts/nuts took care of that. Could I just have a bad wax seal contact ? Should the toilet have been solid (no rocking) against floor, even before I tightened bolts ? Appreciate this forum and any ideas on this problem.
 

Gary Swart

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Flange bolts are not intended to correct a rocking problem or to seat the toilet on the wax ring. They are meant to hold the toilet in position after it is seated. Here what you should do. Pull the toilet and clean off the wax ring from the toilet and flange. Now set the toilet over the flange with no wax ring. It should rest solidly on the floor with no rocking. If there is rocking, then it need to be shimmed. Mark the location of the shims if needed then pull the toilet up and install it with the wax ring and the needed shims. This is assuming (dangerous word, assuming) the flange is resting level on top of the finished floor. If it is not, that needs to be corrected first.
 

Terry

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Most of the time, unless the flange is above the floor, it takes two wax rings. Care should also be taken with shims. If you rock the bowl back and forth, the seal becomes broken.

shims.jpg

Composite shims

install_kit.jpg

My install kit
 
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CHCK

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Appreciate the responses guys ! If I need to use shims, is there a thread here dealing with that or can you provide any details ? Also, I used the wax seal with the imbedded ring (rubber?). Is that a good type to use ? Should I heat the wax before use ?
BTW, this toilet is right next to our main shower/tub.
 
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Jadnashua

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The plastic horns are more trouble than they are worth...use a regular wax ring. If the flange is on top of the finished floor, one ring should work, if not, then try two. Unless the wax ring just came in from freezing temp (room temp is fine), it shouldn't need to be warmed up.

I've found various change can be used easily for shims, from pennies to nickels usually work; maybe a dime if it needs to be thinner.
 

Gary Swart

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There are also plastic shims made specifically for this purpose. I should have added in my first response that the flange bolts are just snugged down after the toilet is seated. Do not over tighten them, you could break the toilet.
 

Jadnashua

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I've used both the tapered plastic toilet shims and coins...generally, the coins work better, and I don't have to go as far to get them. The coins don't rust, and being flat, stay in place easier than the tapered plastic ones. Either will work.
 
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