A little help please, #DIY fediversians? A simple toilet swap-out turns out, of course, not to be simple. The black flange shown here (with wax removed) is slightly warped, so that the sides where the closet bolts go are slightly higher. The subfloor around it still seems solid but I suspect there's some water getting past it, as well. Is this a really replaceable thing? Can I unscrew it and install a new one, or would I be opening a new Pandora's box? Thanks.
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@msbellows Oh crap, I hate that one. I had to deal with that multiple times (rusted out bolts, rotted out floor, etc. etc.)
@ai6yr @msbellows wax rings suck, I got an equivalent made out of foam that doesn’t get ruined if you need a mulligan
I also use plastic shims and caulk around the base regardless
@flyingsaceur @ai6yr @msbellows Ended up getting a rubbery one vs those stupid wax rings that make a mess and are one-use-only.
@david @flyingsaceur @ai6yr Old plumber dude at the store vetoed the foam. Said who knows for long the plastic will last vs if you pull off a toilet from 1960 the wax is still soft and stopping leaks.
I learned a thing about toilets! I was replacing our toilet but once I got it off, the flange on the floor was a little loose and the wax had spread everywhere. Took photos to the old-school plumbing supply and the grizzled dude explained that the screws holding the flange down probably were loose, so that instead of bolting the toilet down I had actually pulled the flange up, so much so that all the wax had squished out and it wasn't sealing well. THAT'S why a toilet that rocks even a little is very bad news that needs to be addressed.
So because the subfloor didn't seem too punky and soft I bought longer brass screws and screwed the flange down better and then sealed all around it and then mounted the toilet and won't worry about it again until we decide to redo the bathroom flooring, when I'll expose and truly fix the subfloor there. And it only took a day and a half!