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Toilet Flange Repair

Of all the toilet repair tips we have covered on this website, toilet flange repair may be the most difficult. However, once you get into the repair its actually not too bad and just about anyone can replace a toilet flange in under two hours. If you have any mechanical / plumbing experience, you should be able to complete this job in under an hour.

If you have an existing toilet in place now, you may be concerned about the toilet flange for a number of reasons. Most likely, you are having problems with the toilet leaking from the base. Now, its important to note that water leaking from the base of a toilet is not always associated with a bad toilet flange. Some other causes can be a bad wax gasket, loose toilet or the leak may be coming from somewhere else all together. If you are unsure the cause of your leak, you can read our leaking toilet and toilet tank leak guides to see if perhaps the issue is not the flange at all.

Now lets get on with the toilet flange repair and replacement. If there is a toilet in place already, we encourage you to read our article on how to replace a toilet to get your toilet removed and access the flange. There are two types of floor flanges, metal and plastic. Both have benefits and faults. Plastic flanges can last a very long time, however they can become brittle and crack over time, especially if the toilet is used frequently. Metal flanges also have a long life span, however, as metal often does in wet environments they do begin to rust over time. Eventually that rust will lead to erosion and then replacement.

Once the Toilet Flange is Exposed

Once you have removed the toilet and the toilet flange is exposed, begin to look it over very closely. You are looking for any signs of rust, erosion, cracks, missing or broken bolts, check to see if it wobbles etc. A good toilet flange should not move at all when you try to wiggle it. Also, there shouldn't be any gap between the flange and floor.

If any of the above problems are present, you may in fact need to replace the flange. In most cases, there is little you can do to "repair" a flange. There are some metal and plastic repair plates that you can get from a hardware store, designed to fasten to the top of a flange should it be cracked or broken. In my experience, these are only a temporary fix and if there is a problem with the flange, I would advise replacing it while its already exposed.

Its important to keep in mind that floor flanges come in varying thicknesses, so you may wait to purchase a new one until after you have seen what size flange is currently in place on your toilet. Most floor flanges are held in place with four bolts that go down through the flange into the floor. You may need to thoroughly clean the surface of the toilet flange in order to find the bolts. They are often recessed and the holes can be filled with wax from the seal, making it difficult to find the bolts. A good scraper blade and a flat head screwdriver will usually get you down to the bolts.

Once you have identified what types of bolts or screws are securing the toilet flange you can use the necessary tools to remove them. After the old flange has been removed, clean the surface where it sat and place the new flange in its place. Secure the new toilet flange to the floor with the provided bolts, making sure that it is tight and secured to the floor.

You are now ready to add a new wax ring and reset the toilet. If you were following along toilet replacement guide you will also find steps on installing the toilet after your toilet flange repair has been completed.

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TOILET REPAIR HIGHLIGHTS

You may enjoy these random highlights from advice and information found right here on the My Clogged Toilet website.

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