Consumption and Real Estate
Resealing a toilet – do it ourselves or pay $55 and have home warranty do it?
Question : Resealing a toilet – do it ourselves or pay and have home warranty do it?
The old owners of this house replaced the toilet and/or the floor (it’s hard to tell which) and didn’t seal the toilet properly on the bottom. Every time some sits on it, it moves with the person.
Now, how hard is it seal a toilet and/or would it just be worth it to have home warranty do it for $ 55 (if they cover it at all–you would think that they do).
home owners warranty
Best answer:
Answer by pomegranatepants
it can’t be that hard if my father in-law did it! hahaha!
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#2 written by blj63 1 year ago
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#3 written by barrbou214 1 year ago
there is little device that your toilet sits upon called a flange.
It can be made of a variety of materials such as, but not limited to, p.v.c. cast iron, copper poly, black etc. if any of these areas have been broken (which sounds like they have) it is not a simple “just throw a new wax seal at it job” it is a job that will require the replacement of the flange its self.
this may require cutting, modifying, raising, lowering, etc. the plumbing. a quick fix if the toilet is not leaking when you flush are a nifty little device called “toilet shims”. these are inserted at the base of the toilet bowl(the bottom part) and tapped in to decrease the amount of shift a toilet will have when one is seated upon the throne. these are cheap so try them first. if they don’t solve the problem spend the $ 55.00 . -
#4 written by navyfalcon1 1 year ago
Do it yourself
There are several tutorials on the internet showing pictures of how to do it. As stated in another answer, you need a wax ring, they come in sizes.
First, turn off the water, then flush the toilet to remove the water from the tank. Then remove the flexable hose from the tank (unscrew the fitting and remove, use a pan to prevent water from getting on the floor. Then the tank has two bolts attaching it to the stool. Unscrew them and remove the tank. To remove the stool, unscrew the two bolts that fasten it to the floor. When it is removed, you need to scrape the old wax ring from the stool and the drain pipe. Use gloves (like the doctors use – can be obtained from hardware stores where you buy the wax ring), and plenty of newspapers. Place the new wax ring on the drain pipe (instructions are included with the wax ring), Place the stool back in place checking the bolts are in place. Thghten finger tight. Sit on the stool to seal the wax ring, then tighten the bolts. Replace the tank. You will need new washers (they come in a kit for the replacing of the stool and tank). Reconnect the water and test. Look for leaks on the tank, where the stool and tank connect, and the water source, and the floor around the stool. Wala, you are done.
hope this helps
falcon -
#6 written by private 1 year ago
If the “flange” that is on the floor, that holds to toilet bolts,
is broke, Your plumbing has to be replaced.
And if your floor wood is rotted and molded.
All that, has to be fixed too.
So call your local plumber, and have it done “right,”
according to “city code.” That way. You won’t have to worry
about, having it done, all over again. <}:-}) -
#7 written by Claude 1 year ago
Very easy . Shut the water off and disconnect the water with a pair of channel locks . Take the two nuts off and lift toilet up . Be sure to MT it first . A wet vac works well way less mess and set toilet down on a Peace of cardboard .you can flush the top part first . Change the wax donut and replace the toilet . I like to use two wax donuts one on top of the other just to make sure if the floor has been redone . If something else is wrong , you will know what you are up against
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#10 written by elementoflife 1 year ago
I did it and it wasn’t hard at all! Go to Home depot (or something equivalent) and ask for a wax toilet seal. You have to scrape off the one that is on the bottom of the toilet already (you can’t reuse them). Anyway, once you have the old one scraped off, put the new one on (read the instructions on the box) and place the toilet on the floor and bolt it up. The seals are about 5$ Cdn.
Cheers!
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You got a bunch of correct partial answers – but lets try to put it all together.
Between the bottom of the toilet and the drain pipe is a wax ring. When you set the toilet in place with a new ring, this squishes in place and makes a water tight seal with the drain.
BUT — the wax ring does nothing to hold the toilet in place. That’s the job of two bolts on the sides of the toilet base, and, if the job’s done correctly, a bead of caulk all the way around the base of the toilet and the floor.
Most likely, the previous DIY’er either didn’t replace the bolts, or they stripped out the holes where the bolts slip into the flange down in the floor.
Before removing the toilet, look for the bolts on either side of the toilet base (may have white caps on them). Are they there? Do they have nuts on them, or just bolts sticking up? If it’s just bolts and they’re too short to put a nut on (one reason the previous owner might not have done it right) – that’s not a problem, you’ll get new bolts with the wax ring.
Finally, if there are bolts there, try pulling up on them. If they pull out, it’s possible the flange is broken (they may wobble side to side, by they shouldn’t pull out). You might want to stop at this point and call the service people. If the flange is broken, it’s probably more than you want to take on, and if you procede any further, you’re going to have a disassembeled toilet sitting in the middle of your bathroom until the service guy comes out.
If the bolts were solid, or missing, procede to remove the toilet. Here’s a link to detailed instructions, including a video- http://www.doityourself.com/stry/removetoilet
But a couple caveats-
-I never seperate the tank from the bowl. If you’re strong enough to lift it in one piece, it’s not necessary, and if it’s an older toilet, you may be creating a big headache for yourself if the bolts are corroded. One person can manage the whole thing by themself, but with two, it’s easy. One person tips the toilet forward while the other removes the old ring and puts on the new ring
-If the water supply line looks like a metal bendy straw, stop and call the service guy. The metal bendy-straw supply lines frequently crack during removal, and replacing a stop valve and supply line is probably more than you want to take on
-If you don’t have a wet vac, a plunger will get most of the water out. As you get to the bottom of the bowl, use a dixie cup or styrofoam coffee cup, cut down to about half it’s height, to bail as much as possible out. If you’re going to set the toilet on the floor, use a sponge to get every drop of water out. If you’re going to set it in the tub, you don’t have to be as thorough, cuz it’s going in the tub
-I lay out a plastic trash bag to set the toilet on. If it’s a small bathroom, set it in the tub.
-Plastic grocery bags work great for pulling the old wax ring off the toilet bottom and drain flange
-Before installing the new wax ring, put it in a sink full of hot water for about 10 minutes. This softens it up and makes it easier to squish into place when you seat the toilet.
-When you set the toilet down on the new ring, DON’T rock it side to side — push it straight down. Rocking it will break the seal you’re trying to create.
-Don’t overtighten the bolts in the base – it can crack the toilet, but more likely, will break the slots where the bolt heads mount in the flange