wax ring

[Bob Marley]

I have wondered for quite some time: Why not use a rubber seal between the comode and the waste line rather than the wax ring? Does anyone know why we still use the wax rings?

[Mike Grooms]

"Bob Marley"

Wax lasts longer and doesn't deteriorate at all. I've pulled toilets that are 60 years old, and the wax looked practically brand new.

Only in certain applications, like wall-hung toilets, do synthetic seals work better (I think).

[<JP]

You had toilets back then ?

[Jeff Wisnia]

I still prefer wax, it's got a "traditional" look and feel, and I think that like a diamond, they last forever.

Apparantly Fluidmaster feels there's a big enough market for elastomeric seals to manufacture and sell them. Here's their "no wax" bowl to flange seal:

I notice that they don't warrant them "forever", but only for 10 years...

Jeff

[Champagne Jan]

One of the big benifits of wax is it doesn't compress but "squeezes" to fill the void. Rubber compresses and constantly pushes back against the toilet. You would always need the proper size rubber to fill the void..