Low toilet flange is a common issue when installing a new one. Whether you like it or not, the time will definitely come that you have to replace such a toilet component. When it is damaged, it can cause other annoying issues, such as leaks and bad odor coming from the sewer.
Normally, the flange should be .25 inch above the finished floor to allow the toilet to have a water-tight seal. However, there are cases where people would just install tiles in the bathroom right up to the level of flange, which often leaves the component below floor level. The most obvious solution to this problem is to gut the floor, remove the lead and oakum, de-solder the flange, add an extra pipe and coupling, and finally add the new flange to match the higher. This solution is not the most cost-effective and time-efficient, as you would have to disturb the mortar bed and the PVC bed liner that should be pitched to your shower drain. You can instead go for a non-destructive solution, such as installing a toilet flange extender, which nothing more than a funnel that provides a solid conduit path from the toilet bowl horn to the flange. This would just take you about 15 minutes to do.
1. Secure what you need for the project. Basically, you will require the toilet flange extension, caulking material, pair of pliers and a deep seal bowl wax to reset the toilet.
2. Cleaning off your old flange to make sure that the extension kit will be able to sit neatly and properly in place.
3. Apply plenty of caulk on the bottom of the flange extension and then set the piece into place. Make sure that the bolt holes of the extender are aligned with those of your old flange.
4. Slip the bolts into place, follow them with their nuts and tighten them with the use of pliers.
5. Set the extender in place and make sure the flange is once again at the appropriate level compared to the floor. Once all of these are taken care of, you can finally set your toilet using a deep seal bowl wax.
Useful Tips
If your extender is not enough to bring the flange to the appropriate height, then you can add another one, but make sure you use caulk in between them. There are also longer flange bolts if the standard bolts you have are not long enough to hold the toilet in place.
Other Options
Aside from a toilet flange extender, there are also other options you can have, such as:
Stacked Wax Rings – Using this will simply require you to use the same double stacked toilet wax ring to be set up again.
Spacer Kit – This comes with hard PVC rings with various thickness, as well as built-in gaskets. Some kits also come with toilet flange extenders.
Sani Seal – This is a thick, doughnut-shaped seal that is made of polyurethane foam ring with a cone mold on the bottom to replace the stacked wax ring.
All in all, these products require your old toilet flange to be in good condition to ensure positive seal. If yours already has cracks, rust rot or other defects, you need to address these issues first.
