How to repair toilet flange is not a tough task for the non-techy person if you follow the details guideline that is described here. A toilet flange is known as a closet flange in the western toilets. It is the part of the toilet that connects to the drainpipe and secures the unit to the floor. A toilet flange is made with metal, PVC, rubber. It is generally circular shaped. It is secured in a toilet with a few bolts. Toilet flange may damage for any reason.
One of the main reasons is falling in various parts. The most common reason for a broken or damaged flange is generally the seal, be it wax or rubber. However, a metal or plastic ring is supporting the flange. It helps to connect the toilet to the floor. If it breaks somehow, it can cause leakage. Generally, when the toilet starts to wet the tile floor or ceiling, you must replace or repair the toilet flange.
Follow the steps given below to deal with this issue.
Toilet tank
The very first step of this process is to shut off the water supply. If you can attach the shut-off valve on the wall perfectly, it will help to cover up the leakage problem. You’ll find the shut-off valve behind the toilet. For shutting off, turn the knob clockwise. If you find water still there, use a sponge to absorb the remaining water from the tank. Use a sponge to absorb the water and transfer it into a bowl. Later disconnect the water supply gently.
Unscrew to remove
The next step is to unscrew the nuts. Use a wrench to unscrew the holding nuts beside the toilet flange on the floor. Remember, you can’t use a flat screwdriver to unscrew these nuts. If one of them becomes rusted to be unscrewed, gently slight it off. You can use a small hand hacksaw to cut this off. This small hand hacksaw will be best because it won’t be reused. After freed, slightly lift the toilet and store it aside.
Inserting flange
The most important stage of this procedure is to insert the flange. You’ll face 3 kinds of problems at this stage.
- Worn out seal
If the seal is worn out, simply replace the seal. You can use was seals but we don’t recommend you to do so. Because, it can cause problems, a wax seal’s integrity can be affected by temperature changes. At the same time, the size of the seal may change too. At the lowest temperature, the wax seal may turn to a hard one. It will lose its sealing ability at the lowest temperature. The best thing we will recommend you to use rubber seals rather than a wax seal. A rubber seal will not change by temperature and it is flexible too.
- Worn out ring
We previously knew that there is a metallic ring to adjust the flange. It can be a plastic material too. If the metallic rings become worn out, remove this. First, remove the seal. Later, remove the plastic rings. For removing the metallic ring, use a sharp tool to scrape it off. If you don’t use a sharp tool, there is a high chance for the ring to be rusted. Sometimes, it may stick too.
You may have to reinsert and install a new ring. You can reinsert if you use a rubber one. But you can’t reinsert if you use the wax-based seal.
- Cracked flange
If the toilet flange is broken or cracked, you have to replace it. The metallic flange may crack mostly. It can develop rust stain over time and this may get to the point of creating a tiny hole. These holes may cause leakage.
For a broken flange, you may replace the whole unit. We will recommend you to install a plastic one because it will not rust again. With this replacement, you have to replace the seal and ring at the same time.
Reseating
After the whole process is done, you have to reinsert the toilet seat. Reseat it near above the seal. Align the screws with the holes on the toilet. Do this carefully; otherwise, it will cause leakage. Now, you may need a washer and screw. You have to use both of them to screw a nut to the bolts. Make sure, you screw to each bolt. It will fasten the toilet and will help to connect them.
The last part is to reconnect the inlet hose. You have to connect this to the toilet tank. After connecting reopen the valve. Soon after opening, fill the tank with water as fast as you can. Test if everything has been completed perfectly.
A cracked or broken toilet flange may cause huge damage to your bathroom floor. It helps to connect the drain lines with the floor. However, if it is broken, you must replace it. We recommend you to use a plastic ring and a rubber seal for long-time use.
