Rant: Replacing a toilet wax ring turned into a 5 hour ordeal

So last Saturday I went to change out a toilet in my 1950s house, thinking it'd be a quick 1 hour job. I get the old toilet off and the flange is completely rusted and cracked, like it was original to the house. Then I realize the bolts are seized and I spend 45 minutes with a hacksaw trying to cut them off without damaging the floor. After I finally get a new flange in place and the ring on, I tighten down the toilet and water starts seeping out from the base. Turns out the floor is slightly unlevel and I had to shim it three times before it stopped rocking. By the time I was done cleaning up, my whole afternoon was gone and I still had to run to the hardware store twice for parts. Has anyone else dealt with these old cast iron flanges that just crumble apart? I'm wondering if I should just call a plumber next time.

2 comments

2 Comments

spencer_chen61mo ago

And yeah that flange situation is rough but I gotta point out something about the water seeping out. If you used one of those wax rings with the plastic funnel in the middle, those things are actually worse for unlevel floors because the plastic doesn't conform like regular wax does. I've been installing floors for years and I see guys use those and then wonder why they get leaks. Regular wax rings are way more forgiving on uneven subfloors and they compress better. Also next time check the flange height before you set the toilet, if its too low or too high that'll cause leaks too.

harper_wright1mo ago

Blame the flange height first though, @spencer_chen6. I've seen people shim the toilet level but forget to check if the flange is sitting flush with the finished floor, and that creates a gap no wax ring can really fill. Toss in a bit of movement from an uneven subfloor and you've got a slow leak that shows up months later, not even the regular wax rings can save you then lol.