Toilets require some care as do other furniture and fixtures around the home. These are undeniably one of the essential parts of people’s daily lives. So without proper management and maintenance, toilets along with other home fixtures will not last for long. Untimely replacements can only cost a lot of money which can definitely hurt the budget.
Replacing some old or defective parts can be a good option instead of waiting for a product to experience total breakdown. This is applicable to any appliances around the house including but not limited to toilets. One of the parts that are prone to damage is the toilet flange. But how do you remove a toilet flange, anyway?
Take note that when your toilet can be wobbly or moves too much than usual, this can be a symptom of uneven floor leveling with the toilet bottom. If you could not do anything to address this condition, there is a great chance that you will damage the toilet flange. As a result, it will cause some leaks that will produce unpleasant odor and appearance.
Removing the Toilet Flange
1. Turn Off The Water Supply.
First off, you must switch off the water supply of your house. You can do this by locating the main valve or you can just shut off the valve supplying water to the toilet. This will ensure that no more water will be supplied to the toilet when you will be working.
2. Empty The Toilet Water.
You can do this by letting all the water inside the toilet through the handle to flush out the water. Do this until the fill valve will run out of supply to avoid unnecessary flooding of the bathroom.
3. Unscrew The Toilet From Its Position.
As the toilet is fixed with commonly two screws nailed on the bathroom floor, try to use screwdriver to unscrew it. However, try not to lose them because these will be used later. For instances when bolts can longer be shifted due to corrosion, it will be better to saw it off and look for a replacement afterwards.
4. Remove The Toilet.
After ensuring that the bolts are removed, begin to rock the toilet seat. Take note that this can take some time to move due to the existence of wax seal attached to the flange. When the toilet has been removed, put it somewhere on top of some newspapers or towels.
5. Clean The Toilet Flange.
Try to clean the remaining wax around the flange and remove screws that are keeping it fixed on the floor. As usual, do not lose the screws as you will reuse them later.
6. Remove The Toilet Flange.
Depending on the type of material used for your flange, your method of removing it will go with it. Alternatively, you need to cut off the pipe using a cutting tool or you will have to break the glue bond between pipes. For instances when the pipes are bound together with glue, try to use solvents to remove the bond.
You should be careful not to hurt yourself when cutting anything in the toilet. Likewise, if you ought to use chemicals, try to protect your eyes and skin so that you will not harm yourself in the process.
