Broken Cast-Iron Toilet Flange...

Pbartender

..and I want to make sure I fix it right.

I was replacing our basement toilet, only to find that the original installation wasn't... very well thought out.

In the picture attached below, you can see there's a cast iron pipe with the end sitting an inch or two below the level of the concrete floor, with a cast iron flange cemented right into the floor. The photo was taken after I'd cleaned everything up and used a chisel to find the edges of the flange.

The flange is sitting down right in the concrete, about 3/4" below the level of the tiles. Whoever installed the previous toilet simply packed extra wax down around that lip at the top of the pipe, and used a regular-sized wax seal... The seal wasn't very good, apparently. Everything was moldy and goobered up, and the flange so rusty the whole edge fell apart on the right-hand side.

So, what's the best way to proceed, here? I've run across a lot of ideas and suggestions for similar situations on the internet, but this is a new one for me.

The flange obviously needs to be fixed or replaced and at least raised up to the level of the tile. I can't say I'm excited at the prospect of cutting out that flange. Is there a good way to do it without removing the old flange?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Attached Images

 

cabinetman

If the slots and holes on the flange are usable (for the bolts), you can use a spacer to bring the level up. You can see on this page some repair products. You can use an extra thick wax ring. A ring with a funnel cone would be directional.






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joecaption

It's fixed with one of these and a few Tap-Coned screws.
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=...ge+repair+ring

epson

You can also use one of these to repair a damaged toilet flange it’s called a fix a flange by fernco. You simply slip it under the damaged section and bolt it to the existing flange.

joecaption

He can not use that one. The flange is below the slab.

epson

your right...

1950home

They sell 1/2-in Toilet Flange Spacer at the big box stores. There is a rubber seal that sits on the old flange. I thought at the blue store they had some for 3/4-in lifts but not sure.

Pbartender

"There are no stupid questions, only stupid people."

So let me ask a few stupid questions...

The slots and holes are empty and usable. The old flange was cemented into the floor without bolts, so I think I can just drill out the holes and sink a few anchors into the concrete.

Once I've got that set, it sounds like I should be able to bolt down a repair flange or an extension over the old flange.

1. From the pictures, it looks like extensions also act as flanges, correct? In other words, I won't necessarily need both an extension and a flange.
2. Can the extensions be stacked, if one isn't enough?
3. Does the space between the repair flange/extension and the old, broken flange need to be sealed in any way?
4. I know there are flanges designed to extend down into the cast iron pipe and seal with a rubber gasket, like so... http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/OAT...-Flange-1VNH8? Would it be worth using something like that?

Thanks again, guys.

1950home

I have never touched one of these. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XeTjnH7OUc

plummen

Cant tell from your picture,is the flange and pipe in floor leaded together?

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Posting from a concrete bunker under a non descript barn

joecaption

You just post the same part I suggest 5 post ago.
Any Lowes or Home Depot has them Far cheaper then Granger.

Pbartender

I ran across a website that sold those... Sold them piece by piece or as a kit. Looked interesting.

I'm not entirely certain... That space between the pipe and the flange was heavily gooped up with wax, mold and fungus. There's something solid down there, but I can't quite get it clean enough to tell what it is. It very well could be lead. Either way, I'd have to jackhammer out the concrete to remove it... That's not really something I want to do, if I don't have to.

Strange... The link you posted sent me to a bing.com page with dozens of images of assorted varieties of repair flanges.

The one from Grainger was just the first example of that specific style I'd run across, when I did a web search. I wasn't planning on ordering from Grainger... We've got a Menards, a Home Depot, a Lowe's, an Ace Hardware, and a Sears Hardware all within 5 miles of my house. I know the first three all have that piece in stock for a lot cheaper than Grainger.

So correct me if I'm wrong, but it looks like if I drill out the holes in the concrete and set some anchors for bolts, I should be able to bolt down the new "repair" flange right over the old one. I need to make sure I caulk (or otherwise seal) between the two. If it's not tall enough for the wax seal, I can add in an extension spacer, so long as I caulk it up in between. Does that sound right?

Also... How clean does the old flange need to be? I'm presuming it would be best to get the rust and grime cleaned off and down to clean iron for the best seal?