Repairing toilet flange and installing new toilet

July 23, 2007 3:17 PM

We need to either repair or replace the toilet flange. If you'll look at the photos you will see that there is also a fairly decent sized hole in the foundation from when the flange was replaced before or when it was installed. I have several questions that I'm hoping one of you mefites can help me with since I'm completely clueless about plumbing.

1. Should we fill in the hole in the foundation with concrete?
2. The left side of the flange is rusted out or broken out. Can a flange repair kit work for this?
3. If we don't need to patch the concrete how do we keep the bolts from falling through before the toilet is in place and they are tightened?
4. If we get a flange repair kit/strap...how do these mount on to the flange itself?

Our biggest problem is the bolts. We can't figure out how to put the bolts in the flange and have them stay there without falling down into the foundation before we can get the toilet on top and the bolts through the base and tightened. The wax ring is also causing us some problems. The instructions say to mount the wax ring on the base of the toilet and then lower the toilet unto the flange. However, the wax ring is not really sticking to the base of the toilet and falls off when we flip the toilet upright. Is it ok to put the wax ring on the flange and then put the toilet onto the wax ring that way? If you can think of anything else that I might need to know that I'm too clueless to ask about...please pass that info along too. We've been working on this all day and we still haven't gotten it right. Thanks mefites!
Photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/anniiee/sets/72157600970176317/

posted by GlowWyrm to home & garden (6 comments total)

Sorry, I can't provide too much help, but I do have a couple suggestions.

Shove a big rag into the drain. It keeps the sewer gas out of the house, and saves you in case something falls in. You really don't want to try to fish things out of that pipe.

If you do this, put a BIG sign up that says "remove rag before installing toilet." Leaving it in would lead to a nasty suprise.
posted by Marky at 3:28 PM on July 23, 2007

You should use the flange kit, and forget about the concrete patch. You'll need to put the wax ring on the flange, and stick some of that sticky wax on the bolt heads to keep them stuck to the flange before you tighten the nuts. Good luck!
posted by kuujjuarapik at 3:44 PM on July 23, 2007

Thanks Marky. We do have the drain covered but took off the covering for the photos. You're right, fishing things out of that nasty pipe wouldn't be something I'd want to do.
posted by GlowWyrm at 3:44 PM on July 23, 2007

Putting some of the wax on the bolt heads is an excellent idea. Thanks kuujjuarapik!
posted by GlowWyrm at 3:45 PM on July 23, 2007

I'm not sure that you'll be able to get your bolts tight enough with the flange as rusted as it is.

I have used a product similar to this. You would cut away the existing flange and insert this new flange. The rubber gasket is on threads - you twist the flange to seal it against the existing pipe.
posted by davey_darling at 3:49 PM on July 23, 2007

They also make small metal semi-circular flange sections that span the rusted area. They slip under the existing flange, and have the slots for the bolts
posted by Gungho at 7:42 PM on July 23, 2007