Need to replace wax ring?

[MiamiCuse]

Last time I replaced the toilet, after I installed the new one, I caulked around the base but in the front I left a little hole. The thought was if it leaks from there it will be my clue that the wax ring seal is broken.

Well it happened. This afternoon I noticed my floor tile is a bit wet and it traces it to that toilet hole. If I mop up the water after half an hour I get more water leak from there.

Only thing is to take the toilet apart, removing the tank, mop up all the junk put in a new wax ring is a three hour project. I am now packing up for a business trip and no time to deal with this at the moment. Should I bite the bullet and do it, or can I "plug" up that hole and deal with it next weekend and tell eveyone to not flush this toilet in the mean time?

Thanks,

MC

[Sev]

Yup. Turn off supply valve, flush it dry, bail out remaining water. When you get back you can fix it (along with floor, ceiling of room below, etc that have all been wrecked by kids ignoring your directions and turning it back on).

[trader4]

I don't see why she has to turn off the water, bail out the water, etc. The water in the bottom of the toilet is a trap and above the area where the bowl seals to the flange. As long the toilet is not flushed, it won't make any difference until it's ready to be fixed.

[Toller]

Maybe my toilets are different from yours, but the ring is to give an air tight connection and prevent sewer gas from getting out. It should flush normally without leaking even if you left the wax ring out. No?

Last toilet I set with a plastic contraption with rubber seals rather than was; figured it would be so much easier next time if I didn't have to clean the old wax up. Working so far.

[trader4]

I don't have a toilet apart here to look at, but from what I remember, I would think it would leak quite badly with no seal at all. The horn of the bottom of the toilet really doesn't even extend much, if at all, into the flange below, does it? I thought it sort of sits directly above it and the wax ring closes off the space. Plus, I've seen lots of home inspectors identify wet or rot around toilets and say that it's likely the wax ring.

[buffalobill]

the floor gets wet if there is a blockage in the sewer. normally the toilet happily flushes its waste from its bottom lip into the flange's mouth. if you use a small wet vac your job will be so much faster at wax time. also see new no-wax seal at:

MiamiCuse wrote:

[Bob F]

Why would you remove the tank? Just disconnect the water supply, unbolt the toilet from the floor, and lift it off. Clean off the old wax, and install it with a new ring.

Bob

[MiamiCuse]

I need to remove the tank because I am skinny at 125 pounds. The toilet with tank is probably about 80 pounds and I cannot really hold the whole thing steady for too long. Also if I turn the toilet upside down to put in the new wax ring, wouldn't the tank be in the way and I am not sure there is enough room between the glass shower door and the cabinet to rotate the toilet around with the tank in place.

[Nick Hull]

If you bail out the trap the sewer gas can come inside your house ;)

[<aemeijers]

or

I think we may have tripped over the problem here- every toilet install I have ever seen or done, they put the ring on the floor, and dropped the toilet down on it. I suspect you are moving the ring, or maybe catching the ring on the mounting bolt, as you manuver it in place.

Yeah, whenever possible, most people do not split the tank and base. A PITA to get back together, and hard to get the correct torque on those bolts, in tight places.

aem sends...

[Sev]

Hmmm, I was suggesting he bail it out because he is going away, people _will_ flush it I suspect, but yeah, he should leave water in trap. I understand his point about lifting it- would be good to get a friend to help, he might crack tank if he tries by himself. Of course it&#39;a a pain to do this if not necessary- he&#39;ll be replacing bolts and rubber gasket as well as wax ring.

[Bob F]

He shouldn&#39;t lift by the tank. Lift between the tank and the bowl. It balances there. Lift it off, set it on blocks. scrape off the old seal, set a new one in place on the drain, and set the toilet onto it.

Bob

[krw]

I&#39;ve never watched anyone else do it but the instructions for every wax ring I&#39;ve used say to attach the wax ring to the toilet horn first.

I&#39;ve always split the two. As long as I&#39;m taking the damned thing apart *everything* gets replaced, including the tank bolts/washers/gasket. It&#39;s a lot easier dropping the bowl only straight down on the bolts. It&#39;s far more balanced without the tank on the back. It&#39;s not all that hard to separate the two, unless the bolts are corroded. If they are, that&#39;s an even better reason to replace them, while everything is apart.

[Harry K]

Same here. A toilet is unwieldly enough without being unbalanced by teh tank. What&#39;s the big deal about removing it anyhow? Two bolts and it is out of there and even those will usually spin free using fingers after a few turns with a wrench to begin.

Forget the wax rings. "Fernco waxless toilet seal" is the way to go, you will never use wax again. For those though, you do need to turn the toilet upside down.

OP said it would be a 3 hour job. Wonder what he is doing with the other 2 hours and even 1 hour is excessive.

Were it me in the same situation (no time), I would stuff something into the toilet so noone would even accidently flush it. Harry K

[krw]

Two out of three of mine were corroded enough to have to be cut off, one bad enough that the tank was leaking.

I do that with the wax ring too. I make sure the bottom is clean and the horn is free of old wax. I=3Fll look into the waxless seal though (surprised someone hadn=3Ft come up with this long ago).

I=3Fve spent (what seems like anyway) hours sawing off floor and tank bolts. I=3Fve since found that a dremmel with a metal wheel works wonders. ;-)

I think I=3Fd have some more say about what happens in the house while I=3Fm gone. If the house is that far out of control, shut the water off and remove the handle. THen warn the wife that any mess is hers.