I'm in the process of replacing my toilet's wax ring seal and I'm running into a bit of a dilemma. The flange sits above the finished floor by less than half an inch, but I've noticed there's about 2 inches of height difference where the flange sides don't quite reach the drain opening in the floor. At this opening, there's around an inch of flat surface and no conical reducer to help with the alignment. The issue is that when I place a new wax seal under the toilet, it won't compress properly since it meets open air rather than something solid. I found an old wax seal around the bottom of the toilet which I removed, and there was another wax seal closer to the subfloor around the drain that I also replaced. I'm looking for advice on what to do next. My options seem to be: 1. Buy a jumbo seal and manually compress it to fit against the horn, or 2. Stack multiple wax seals so that the one on the toilet has something to push against. Any suggestions?
2 Answers
Stacking wax seals is actually pretty common for situations like yours. You can also check out some flange spacers; they help bridge the gap and provide a solid connection to the wax seal. A trip to the plumbing aisle at your local store could give you some good options! Just ensure you find the right fit for your setup, given the flange height and drain distance.
I hear you on the height difference! It can be tricky. Stacking seals works well, but just be cautious about using too many—they could potentially create more problems by raising your toilet too high. If you go for a jumbo seal, make sure it’s a sturdy one that can handle the compression you need to get a good seal. Keep an eye on the flat surface too; it needs to be secure!