You may have toilet flange repair in your future if you sit down on your toilet and feel like you just sat down a rocking horse. When the toilet flange wears out, your toilet will often become unstable and seem to see-saw back and forth. Another thing that commonly happens when you need to repair or replace your toilet flange is leaking from the bottom of the toilet. The floor around your toilet may always be wet (but don’t let condensation fool you… that can also cause the floor area around your toilet to be wet).
If you rule out condensation and identify that there’s a leak coming from the base of the toilet, then it’s time to get ready for some toilet flange repair. First you should shut off the water. You can do this either locally at the shut off in your bathroom or you can simply shut the main water supply off to the house. You’ll probably want to have a helping hand around in order to lift the toilet up and getting it set aside. Take the bolts out and move the toilet so you can get to the flange.
Once the toilet is out of way, you’ll see a wax ring that is connected to a horn-shaped metal piece. That is your flange. If it isn’t perfectly even, both vertically and horizontally, it won’t fit perfectly to the toilet and will give you a rocking chair of sorts for a toilet. There are special toilet flange extenders you can buy if it’s too low to properly seat.
Look at the flange and see if it’s worn away in any area or if is rusting. If there is no sign of damage, you could simply need a new wax ring. If that’s the case, remove the old one with a putty knife. Ensure you leave a smooth, clean and level area for the new ring. Put your new one on, replace the toilet and put the bolts back in.
In a worst-case scenario, your flange may have become ruined (you’ll need to replace it) and your floor may be damaged. This can happen from tightening the flange nuts to tightly or from the floor being uneven to begin with. You can get support brackets that will shift weight to good parts of your floor. Of course, if the floor has been damaged extensively, you’re looking at major repairs. If you aren’t sure if the flange needs repaired or simply replaced, a plumber can easily help you out. Often times, you’ll be able to see any obvious damage and know immediately that toilet flange repair or replacement is what’s needed.









