Replaced wax toilet ring with two Korky seals

[y_p_w]

My parents asked me to help with this since my dad can’t manage it himself. The wax ring seemed to be leaking and they got a single Korky No. 6000 like this and asked if I could install it.

So I managed to get it off and tossed the bolts away thinking the new ones would be better. The flange was old (cast iron?), uneven, and didn’t look anything like in the instructions. It was also buried about a half inch below the floor. I tried installing the new bolts and when I placed the toilet in it didn’t reach the opening. I fished out the old bolts from the trash but figured we would need another ring. So we went to HD to get another one. We also saw an Oatey stainless ring thinking maybe we could put it in the opening. We also saw some extra thick wax rings but didn’t want to try that since we had issues with positioning and they don’t reposition well.

So we got back and figured that the stainless ring wasn’t going to fit, and a double seal was going to be needed. Finally got it on and it seems to be working now. I did have to sit on it to get the toilet down but I think that’s normal. The ring is a combination of their toilet flapper material bonded to a foam ring, with a separate foam ring that stacks on top. So this setup now has two of these, one on top of each other. Other than a little difficulty with with one old bolt (thread was slightly bent), it all seems good now.

Anything to look out for?

 

[oggb]

I've put in a bunch of that exact toilet ring in the exact same way for the exact same reason and I've never had a single problem. No idea how they're holding up but I know of a few that made it ~10 years without issue.

 

[CarLuver]

i use a fernco one instead. unlike wax it can be removed and reused . never tried the corky so can't comment

Wax Free Toilet Seal | Fernco - US

Wax Free Toilet Seal Features A strong and flexible to sustain a positive seal Ideal for wall carriers and floor mounts Accommodates floors raised above the toilet flange by up to 3/4" Maintains a gas tight seal even when minor movement occurs Fast, easy installation for a long-term solution Spe

www.fernco.com

 

[y_p_w]

I suspect that the previous wax ring wasn’t thick enough given that the flange was buried. My parents said it would leak a little bit. I guess my worry is that wax will eventually degrade, although I’m not sure how long the foam is going to last.

A lot of this was a pain too trying to drain the tank so I could turn it over and clean off the wax on the toilet. I had to search for a large enough crescent wrench to turn the fill valve nut. I guess OEM installations don’t use hand tightened nuts. Then when I turned it over the water in the trap spilled out. I put it back with the stacked seals but then forgot I needed to tighten the fill valve nut. It was next to a glass shower and I couldn’t really turn it without hitting the glass. I had to use it vertically to avoid damaging the glass.

Spending $24 and tax on this seems a bit pricey compared to $4 for an extra thick wax ring, but they didn’t pay a plumber $125 for this either.

 

[oggb]

drain the tank so I could turn it over and clean off the wax on the toilet.

I use a shop vac and suck the tank and trap out as much as possible.

Grab a few wood paint stirs from the paint department to use as "free" scrapers. Saves you from cleaning the wax off of a tool.

 

[y_p_w]

I use a shop vac and suck the tank and trap out as much as possible.

Grab a few wood paint stirs from the paint department to use as "free" scrapers. Saves you from cleaning the wax off of a tool.

Didn't have that available. Not sure what I could have done about the water in the trap. I improvised with a letter opener. Strangely enough when I was done I looked over my work and saw that there was a putty knife on the bathroom's window sill.

 

[ecotourist]

During some recent renovations my plumber found 3 wax seals under one of my toilets and it hadn't leaked - much - which amazed him. He had never seen 3 wax seals used before. The floor however had been water damaged at some point so there was a bit of carpentry repair too.

Another toilet had 2 wax seals which he says is not rare.

The fix was to raise the 2 plumbing bases to floor level and use a single wax ring. Although we hadn't planned to touch that room, we checked the third toilet and amazingly it had only one wax ring.

 

[Creekside]

On flanges that aren’t quite high enough I use the wax ring with the rubber flange and stack another standard wax ring on top. I learned this trick when I did building maintenance for a school district. Pulling toilets was a common thing.

 

[y_p_w]

On flanges that aren’t quite high enough I use the wax ring with the rubber flange and stack another standard wax ring on top. I learned this trick when I did building maintenance for a school district. Pulling toilets was a common thing.

There are thicker wax rings for that sort of thing. Most importantly, some of these kits come with longer bolts. I see HD shows their house brand with or without the hardware.

Everbilt Extra Thick Reinforced Toilet Wax Ring with Plastic Horn and Zinc-Plated Toilet Bolts 004374 - The Home Depot

The easy to install Reinforced Wax Toilet Wax Extender Kit features a polyethylene flange for floor and most wall bowls. It offers an extra-tick wax perfect for problem areas. Accommodates 3 in. and 4

www.homedepot.com

 

[oldhp]

The biggest thing I've found is to make sure the floor is dead level and does not move when one sits on the toilet. Those bolts will not hold a toilet that moves side to side.

 

[MasterSolenoid]

Many years ago, I caulked around the base of toilet to help keep floor area cleaner.
Last year I realized that if the wax-ring started leaking, I could damage the sub-floor.
I removed the caulk on the sides and back of toilet base.
The toilet does not have much clearance under it (also sitting on vinyl floor), but I may catch a water leak.

Another thing I did was go in the basement (ranch house) and inspect where the toilet-drain / sub-floor is visible.
Looking for damaged sub-floor and drops on basement floor is part of my yearly inspection.

 

[Lubener]

Fluidmaster makes a extra thick reinforced wax ring for your situation. I think that;s better than doubling up the seals to compensate for a lower setting flange.

 

[Kira]

I put the OP's Corky red silicone ring in our lower bathroom. I wanted to try one.
I mentioned it to a counterman at a good plumbing supply shop and he said all their customers (plumbers) prefer wax seals to the thin skirt.
So far so good.

 

[Creekside]

There are thicker wax rings for that sort of thing. Most importantly, some of these kits come with longer bolts. I see HD shows their house brand with or without the hardware.

Everbilt Extra Thick Reinforced Toilet Wax Ring with Plastic Horn and Zinc-Plated Toilet Bolts 004374 - The Home Depot

The easy to install Reinforced Wax Toilet Wax Extender Kit features a polyethylene flange for floor and most wall bowls. It offers an extra-tick wax perfect for problem areas. Accommodates 3 in. and 4

www.homedepot.com

Biggest problem is we live 50 miles from the closest Lowe’s or HD. Didn’t always have the opportunity to get a specific part. The hardware store in town was also the local feed/livestock supply store so they were limited on inventory.

 

[kschachn]

Another thing I did was go in the basement (ranch house) and inspect where the toilet-drain / sub-floor is visible.
Looking for damaged sub-floor and drops on basement floor is part of my yearly inspection.

This is a good idea. About three years after we built our current house I happened to look up at the subfloor under one of our toilets and found a large black mass of mold growing around the pipe. The thing was quite impressive, after cleanup and removal of the toilet I found where the plumber had slightly rolled the wax ring during initial installation.

I cleaned it up and soaked everything in bleach with no further problems. I hate to think what would have happened had that been on a second-story toilet.

 

[greenjp]

Toilet ring talk belongs on Terry Love don't you know

Wax rings work, are very inexpensive, and experience helps which is why actual plumbers like them. They're also a bit tricky in that if you make a mistake while setting the toilet, you have to pull it up, clean it off, and stick a new one on since they have no rebound ability. Also as noted if you don't have a properly installed toilet flange, that is it's resting on the floor surface and not level with or below, you have to use either one of the extra thick ones or double up.

I've done the double up, used the Korky one discussed here, and a similar product called Sani-seal which is a big thick foamy green thing. The foamy type ones will rebound if the toilet is moved, so you can fool around during the install and not worry about it. I also suspect they're more forgiving of movement down the road if your bolts get loose or the toilet rocks for whatever reason. They also tend to be sized to handle the below-grade flanges.

The flange bolts should hold your toilet down fine. Caulking around the base improves both the appearance (if done well) and stability in case the bolts get loose or the flange cracks or something. You can leave the back of the toilet un-caulked (it's hard to get back there anyway) if you want to be able to see a leak. Most leaks are probably small enough that they're not going to be spilling out beyond the base but rather a bit per flush getting into the subfloor and rotting it over time.

Use a pair of shims on either side of the back of the toilet base to keep hold it steady, especially on a tiled floor if not perfectly flat.

jeff