If you have just installed new flooring in your bathroom, but immediately noticed some leaks from the toilet base, you need to use a toilet flange spacer. A toilet flange has a plastic or metal ring to which the bowl is secured to. And to prevent leaks, this component must be at the same level as the floor or your toilet will not be sealed properly. Here is how to install a toilet flange spacer:
1. Drain The Water In The Toilet.
Make sure you cut the water supply by turning off the shutoff valve that is usually found on the wall behind your toilet. Then, flush the toilet to drain out water as much as possible. You can use an old towel or a wet vacuum to take out remaining water in the bowl and in the tank.
2. Disconnect The Water Line From The Shutoff Valve.
Start by removing the nuts on the toilet bolts with a set of wrenches to loosen the water line connections and removing the bolt caps with a flat screwdriver. Place the tip of the screwdriver at the cap’s base and then pry it upwards. Then, slide the 2 closet bolts out of the existing flange. Take note that when installing the spacer, you will need to use longer bolts.
3. Remove The Toilet.
When lifting your toilet, make sure you do it straight up, and then set it on old towels in a secure area in your bathroom or another corner in your house. Remove the wax ring from the center of the flange and clean it off of any remaining wax using a putty knife. Remember that you cannot reuse the ring once you remove the toilet.
4. Install The Flange Spacer Kit.
Wipe the existing toilet flange up with a rag and mineral spirits to make sure it is clean and free of wax before you install the spacer. Place the gasket onto the center of the flange and then place the spacer onto the gasket. Slide the new toilet bolts into the same holes from where you removed them, noting of the notch and groove on the flange’s both sides, which allow the wide end of the bolts to fit into the flange. Also, take note that the bolts should be evenly aligned directly across from each other. Now, you can finally slide the spacer down over the bolts, making sure that it lies flat on top of the gasket.
5. Re-Install The Toilet.
Before placing back the toilet, see to it that the new wax ring is placed at the center of the flange with the ring’s rounded edge facing up. Lift the toilet and make sure the holes in its base are aligned with the bolts in the flange. Set the unit straight down over the bolts and then lower it to the floor. Press it down and do not rock it, as this movement can destroy the seal created by the wax ring. Place the nuts onto the bolts and tighten them just enough with a wrench. Reconnect the waterline and turn the water supply back on.
There you have it. By following these steps, you will be able to replace a toilet flange spacer!
