How to Level a Toilet Flange

Toilet installations sometimes get undesirable results when not properly set up. Take for instance, tiling a new bathroom floor that ended up raising floor height way above the toilet flange. This can be a very serious issue since it can cause some sewer gases to leak around the bathroom. Problems like this can be health threatening because sewer gases can contain toxic substances particularly when windows are closed during the winter and hot summer days.

An obvious solution can be done simply by gutting the floor, removing lead and oakum, de-soldering the flange, and adding a coupling with extra pipes, together with a new toilet flange matching the higher bathroom floor. However, this can be a bit destructive in the sense that it will force the modification of the mortar bed with the PVC connected to the bathroom shower drain. Here are some favorable options for those who want to level a toilet flange.

1. Use Stacked Wax Rings.

You can utilize double stacked rings for this type of problem in order to compensate for the high toilet flooring. Buying two wax rings can be used for this type of problem.

The issue with wax rings is that flange bolts aren’t supported horizontally, provided that space between the toilet flooring and the flange is approximately 1.5”. For this reason, it will only need a little bump on the toilet and these bolts will be thrown sideways. In fact, it can damage the wax ring and even producing gaps or cracks to the ceramic material of the toilet.

2. Try to Utilize an Extender Kit.

This setup is just like a funnel providing solid path from the toilet flange to the bowl horn. In this type of product, you can choose one that is standalone or one that is part of a kit.

Extenders for toilet flange are made with either hard or soft PVC. This type of solution can be used to substitute the idea of using wax rings. Some manufacturers even advice that their products can handle up to ¾” below the floor surface area.

3. Some Spacer Kits Will Do.

For those who are not familiar with spacer kits, it comes with PVC rings at different thickness. Some have built-in gaskets, while others have separate gaskets. Meanwhile, there are still others that do not have any gasket at all, so you need to use some plumber’s putty to seal off the flange completely.

4. Try to Use Sani Seal.

This is a type of product that has a thick form shaped like a doughnut. It is made out of polyurethane that serve as a foam ring coming with a built-in cone mold at the bottom part. This is a design to be a replacement for stacked wax rings. These products can be stacked as well just like how stacked rings are formed.

There might be some good products in the market that can easily compensate with the height of the bathroom floor. Toilet flanges are difficult to install with this condition, so it will require you to have complete knowledge of what you are doing. Simply make sure that you have spent ample amount of time to assess the situation before buying the materials you might not need.

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