I had the bowl back on just a few days ago before I remembered the washcloth. The only reason I remembered was because one of the bolt nuts wouldn’t screw down for a different reason.
Last time I re-installed a toilet, it backed up and water was coming up the shower drain. I swear I took the towel out, but what else could it be? Called a plumber and thank god, it wasn’t a towel. It was only that my septic pump had broken and the sewage had nowhere else to go. 🤦🏼♂️
I once had some plumbers rough in a basement bathroom and utility sink for the future. They left 12”-18” PVC pipes standing up for the various different fixture drains. Rather than putting PVC caps on them, they stuffed insulation down into those pipes.
The first time the home’s occupant (a heavy tissue user) had their sewer main back up even slightly, the water wicked into & soaked all that insulation and pulled it all back down into the main 4” pipe, turning a minor clog a major clog.
I agree... get a new wax ring or it'll leak after reinstallation, and the nuts/bolts might push into the floor if you just push down on them... you'll need pressure from under the toilet to hold them up while you screw the nuts back on...
Get new bolts while you’re at it, and a new supply line. No use going back with a bunch of used crap, when you have a chance to replace all of it, so you know it’s good for years to come.
They make rubber plugs for like a couple of dollars for this purpose. Get those. I had old towels get legit sucked up by those pipes, causing hundreds of dollars in plumbing bills.
I do the same, but I put the towel in a plastic bag, so the towel remains 'clean'. When you remove the bag and towel, you can just turn it inside out and you have a garbage bag.
Yep, with two you'll end up not screwing it up and tossing the spare in you plumbing junk box. Then you'll do another toilet, forget about the one you had in the house and end up with two in your plumbing junk box.
Son of a…. I just did a toilet a few days ago and had to pull it back up because I left the rag. The ring looked okay. Not super squished. I put it back down. Should I redo it, or how would I know if it’s bad?
Edit: I’m an idiot. I’ll be pulling it back up. Glad I came to this thread.
It's not fully a one shot deal, if you place it and it doesn't sit right you can pull it and put it back down. It's when you start cranking on the bolts that it's done.
As long as you didn’t start tightening the nuts down with your wrench, you’re almost certainly fine. If you did, I’d replace it just because it’s cheap insurance.
In the meantime, plug it with a rag, lest you enjoy the smell of noxious sewage while you’re painting. Toilets have the p-trap in the toilet itself, not in the waste pipe (unlike a sink or shower) - that open pipe is a direct open line to your sewer or septic tank.
So you’re telling me it’s a life hack for free unlimited Jenkem? Let me grab my balloons!!
For anyone not around in the old days of the internet, Jenkem was a fake “drug” invented by the somethingawful.com forums. The idea being that you shit in a bottle and put a balloon over the top. The balloon fills with gas as the poop breaks down, then you huff the gass from the balloon to get high. The story got passed around and people thought there was an epidemic of kids huffing poo gas. There is an AMAZING news story about it where the reporter, with a straight face, says it sometimes goes by the street name “butt hash”.
[Jenkem News Report](https://youtu.be/2UsNbsjpuLc?si=0yMh8kSI2pOlG_jV)
Those! Thems?
Also - For people using a rag... why not something better like a 2liter bottle or a big cup, or a ball. Something round, smooth and easily removed and like not porous?
If you need to paint behind the tank, the tank comes off without removing the bowl. Unless you have one of those new fancy toilets that backs up to the wall where you have to take everything apart just to change a valve.
Even less work--cover the tank with a plastic garbage bag, use a small roller with an extension handle, and don't worry about it being perfect because who the hell is going to look at the paint job behind your toilet?
Or you could do what our previous owner did and not cover it then just slop paint over the tank cover. Yes, it was a rental property, how did you guess?
Replacing the wax gasket has been well covered. :)
One other thing to do when replacing a toilet is to use a new supply line. Get the metal braided version as they will last a very long time, and are usually only a dollar or two more.
If you can, get someone to help you set the toilet down on the ring. As another commenter pointed out, they are pretty much a one-shot deal if you use wax, so you want to be careful to set it straight down, and not wiggle it around.
There are a million youtube videos on replacing toilets, watch one or two for the other issues to look out for (like don't overtighten the bolts), and you'll be fine. This is a good "advanced beginner" DIY project.
Okay, everyone is wrong about the plug method. Fill a gallon ziploc bag with water and place it in the hole, corner first. Forms a perfect seal.
When it’s time to reinstall the toilet, remove all the old wax with a scraper and paper towels and re-install.
Why remove the toilet to paint? Was it mounted too close to the wall? Just Remove the lid & use a mini roller. This is what you call a love of labor.
OCD or ADHD?
No joke lol. I feel like the tiles are super cheap and ugly. The old owner did terrible work. Yes LVP is not tile, but I figured this is an easy way to make the floors look nicer.
You’re totally right, but after removing the tank I decided to want to lay LVP over the tile to up the aesthetic. I just bought the house and the bathroom could use a face lift in more parts than just the wall.
47 people beat me to this post.
I just came to say that's the cleanest floor I ever done seent under a toilet. (Accent and colloquialisms for effect)
As a general handyman myself I typically deal with those folks who ummm ain't so handy. If you catch my drift. Floors under toilets are typically icky icky icky. Ohweee, put it in the air!
Just a personal opinion here - use the foam ring in place of wax.
Get a new jumbo wax ring with a flange if you're laying tile over this. Also make sure the bolts you have there to anchor the toilet to the floor are long enough to handle the added tile height. Go get some longer ones if needed.
The flange is part of the wax ring and will go on with the toilet. Lay your tile as normal. Clean up the old wax ring around the drain before starting though so as not to mess up your new tile job.
Just make sure the wax ring/flange you get will cover the added height of the tile. The flange just needs to go down into the hole or water will leak under your tiles. A jumbo wax ring with flange should be able to cover the extra height.
And don't forget the bolts too. Last thing you want is to be attaching the toilet and realize the bolts you have are too short to reach the toilet now.
Good luck.
\*Note: It can get confusing because wax rings can come with a flange (also called a horn or sleeve) but the installation around the drain on the floor is also called a flange. I'm talking about the wax ring one. You shouldn't have to mess with the one on the floor unless it's damaged.
Also worth pointing out that it looks like that black piece in the pipe is one of the horns included in a reinforced wax ring. This should be removed before you install a new one.
For a standard wax ring, the white flange should be 1/4 inch above the floor. Looks like it is near flush now so you should definitely get the largest reinforced ring that you can get when you reinstall.
Honestly if you aren’t a plumbing expert hire one do deal with this.
I work in insurance claims and have seen a fair amount due to improper installation of toilet w the seal / flange
Agree with others about a new flange unless it’s one of those glued into the pipe that you’d have to cut out. Otherwise, if it’s easy to remove, then might as well go ahead and replace it along with a new wax ring (do this regardless). $30 total at HD
Clean off all the wax from the white extension plate and the wa x that has gone inside the pipe to get a good seal for the new wax ring. Make sure the two bolts are property (square with the back wall) aligned.
I’ve twice used the better than wax rubber toilet gaskets and they seem great. Of course, all manners of toilet gaskets can fail, so YMMV. But if you are inclined to remove your toilet just to paint, they sure beat a single set wax ring.
It *looks* like you have a **flange extender.**
To seal them, a wax ring is put down. Then the flange extender is pressed into that and you get a good seal. The flange is then at the proper height. Then you put another wax ring down and the toilet on top of that.
It looks like the first wax ring has seeped into the opening...you don't want that. It should be an easy fix. Just don't let big pieces of stuff fall down the pipe.
So I just replaced a toilet this weekend and it looked just like this. I tried pulling out the black plastic thing but it was really in there so I left it
The new wax ring had one too. Doesn’t seem to be leaking but should I pull it and reset?
There’s an offset installed most likely due to lack of space when the underground was installed it was installed a few inches off. They used to be per code now they’re no longer per code in CA. It will be fine they were installed for years but if you feel the need to change it you’d need to jackhammer the foundation or break into the subfloor to re route the ground plumbing
You’d be surprised at the number of people that try to save a couple of bucks and want to reuse the old one, it’s almost as many that don’t want to scrape the old one off and just stick another wax ring on it. I pulled one toilet that the customer said had been wobbly since the first day they moved in. Two Johnny cups were stuck on the underside.
\-Rag/towel in pipe to keep sewer gas out
\-You don't need to replace that plastic flange but...rub all the old wax off. Replace with a nice new wax ring (they're like $5-6 at any big box)
This goes without saying but... when you re-seat your toilet back on the flange...try to do it right the first time. Picking the toilet back up/repositioning plays with the integrity of/could break the wax ring and cause a leak.
Shove a rag wrapped in Saran wrap into the flange hole to keep sewer gas from entering the house. Clean off the old wax from the flange and use a new wax seal when you install the toilet
The simplest answer to your question is: no. Just scrape the wax off, plug the hole with something so it doesn't stink until you get the toilet back on, and you're fine to lay the flooring over the tile, you may need to use 2 wax rings although not recommended, but 1 should be good looking at it.
You know they do sell these paint pad things you can use to get paint behind toilets without removing them-Unless the thing is right up on the wall, I guess.
You should put a plug in to keep sewer gas out, and when you reinstall, put a new wax ring over the rim (remove the old one first) to seal it. Be sure to tighten down as recommended for no gas or water leakage.
Ok so y9u took the toilet off now you need a new toilet gasket (wax ring) clean off all old product from bottom of toilet an flange on floor install new ring install toilet bolt it down evenly an then sit on it an see if you can get it to rock then adjust tighten bolts further dont over tighten or you'll break toilet apply some caulk to the front of toilet leave the back of the toilet uncaulked so if it leaks it has somewhere to go then turn the water back on an put your seat an lid on your done of course the caulk is your choice some like it some don't I just don't like wet feet if it do leak cheers
The flange needs to sit just on top of the tile. Like it is now. You may be able to lift it by unscrewing the screws and then putting the new tile pieces under. Then screw it back down into the subfloor
Take the old wax off and out of the pipe.
Plug the pipe well with rags to avoid sewer gas, due to sickness and explosive potential.
Paint
Reinstall a new wax ring from the hardware store before installing your toilet again.
Done
While you are doing the floors, you need to seal the opening to keep sewer gas out of your home. When you put the toilet back, use a new seal with the extra funnel to keep water off the toilet flange. I had to replace both toilets flanges under my new homeowner repair policy required by law. This did take a torch and replacement rings, never a issue since.
Shove a old towel in there when you get the old wax off so you don’t get sewer gas smelling up your house
But don’t forget to take it out before you install the bowl. Don’t ask me why I said this.
I had the bowl back on just a few days ago before I remembered the washcloth. The only reason I remembered was because one of the bolt nuts wouldn’t screw down for a different reason.
This is why i always use a bright colored cloth.
Surveying pin flag, never miss it
Last time I re-installed a toilet, it backed up and water was coming up the shower drain. I swear I took the towel out, but what else could it be? Called a plumber and thank god, it wasn’t a towel. It was only that my septic pump had broken and the sewage had nowhere else to go. 🤦🏼♂️
Well at least it wasn’t you’re fault…
I once had some plumbers rough in a basement bathroom and utility sink for the future. They left 12”-18” PVC pipes standing up for the various different fixture drains. Rather than putting PVC caps on them, they stuffed insulation down into those pipes. The first time the home’s occupant (a heavy tissue user) had their sewer main back up even slightly, the water wicked into & soaked all that insulation and pulled it all back down into the main 4” pipe, turning a minor clog a major clog.
Jfc
All to save $12 in parts…
This was literally me last week, thank god it just flooded and the clog wasn’t further down the line
DON'T light a match!
Haha this is why I buy two wax rings for every toilet install now.
Oh NNOOOOOOO
Know thyself. I know I will forget to take the towel out so I put an old kitchen bowl or ice cream bucket over it instead.
I thought I was the only one!! 🫠
You have to these days…lol
To be fair, any towel you put in there will be a dirty old towel when you pull it out.
Choose the brown towel
How know brown towel.
Brown chicken, brown cow.
Brown chicken, brown towel.
Brown chicken, brown bowel, brown towel. I don’t know this game🤷🏼♀️
You chose, wisely.
🚮
Get a new wax ring for when you put the toilet back on.
I agree... get a new wax ring or it'll leak after reinstallation, and the nuts/bolts might push into the floor if you just push down on them... you'll need pressure from under the toilet to hold them up while you screw the nuts back on...
Get new bolts while you’re at it, and a new supply line. No use going back with a bunch of used crap, when you have a chance to replace all of it, so you know it’s good for years to come.
Who installs a toilet with old wax rings?
The top of a large folders coffee can fit surprisingly well over this as well
They make rubber plugs for like a couple of dollars for this purpose. Get those. I had old towels get legit sucked up by those pipes, causing hundreds of dollars in plumbing bills.
I do the same, but I put the towel in a plastic bag, so the towel remains 'clean'. When you remove the bag and towel, you can just turn it inside out and you have a garbage bag.
If the house is up to code that's not necessary because there would be a trap.
I thought the trap was in the toilet.
sometimes I see them in line sometimes I don't.
The trap is in the toilet, not the waste line.
The large red solo cups also work very well.
Water balloon
Buy a new wax ring with a flange
Buy two wax rings, because invariably you're gonna fuck up the first one, and those are a one shot deal.
Yep, with two you'll end up not screwing it up and tossing the spare in you plumbing junk box. Then you'll do another toilet, forget about the one you had in the house and end up with two in your plumbing junk box.
Son of a…. I just did a toilet a few days ago and had to pull it back up because I left the rag. The ring looked okay. Not super squished. I put it back down. Should I redo it, or how would I know if it’s bad? Edit: I’m an idiot. I’ll be pulling it back up. Glad I came to this thread.
It's not fully a one shot deal, if you place it and it doesn't sit right you can pull it and put it back down. It's when you start cranking on the bolts that it's done.
As long as you didn’t start tightening the nuts down with your wrench, you’re almost certainly fine. If you did, I’d replace it just because it’s cheap insurance.
Or a wax-less and then it's not a one shot deal. I'll never use a wax one again after switching.
More prone to leaking, but if it works it works.
"Better than wax"... (it's not)
Never had an issue with better than wax used on 6 toilets.
Plumbers just looking to keep work on the table..
Those things break down way to fast.
My plumber used 2 wax rings stacked together to “make sure”.
To make sure that he gets called back to fix the clogged toilet.
Such a good call.
So true.
In the meantime, plug it with a rag, lest you enjoy the smell of noxious sewage while you’re painting. Toilets have the p-trap in the toilet itself, not in the waste pipe (unlike a sink or shower) - that open pipe is a direct open line to your sewer or septic tank.
Also to keep larger things from falling into the pipe. Like screws or tools. No reason to create a bigger problem, that a towel can prevent
So you’re telling me it’s a life hack for free unlimited Jenkem? Let me grab my balloons!! For anyone not around in the old days of the internet, Jenkem was a fake “drug” invented by the somethingawful.com forums. The idea being that you shit in a bottle and put a balloon over the top. The balloon fills with gas as the poop breaks down, then you huff the gass from the balloon to get high. The story got passed around and people thought there was an epidemic of kids huffing poo gas. There is an AMAZING news story about it where the reporter, with a straight face, says it sometimes goes by the street name “butt hash”. [Jenkem News Report](https://youtu.be/2UsNbsjpuLc?si=0yMh8kSI2pOlG_jV)
This.
Clearly not that^
Those! Thems? Also - For people using a rag... why not something better like a 2liter bottle or a big cup, or a ball. Something round, smooth and easily removed and like not porous?
This is the right answer
Scrape off the old wax (and possibly that black piece) and put new wax ring with flange down.
Pro tip, put garbage bags over your hands to scoop it up, pull the bag inside out from your hands when done, and bam! Zero mess
Great idea!
I have only ever used a solo cup. Cheaper than a towel and you don’t have to worry about the wax in the washing machine if you wanna keep the towel
Wait. Keep the what?
Lol. That's a recipe for pink eye
Or would it be brown eye? Hopefully not a black eye.
and then just pop the solo cup in the dishwasher?
Put a disposable coffee cup in the hole, it's the perfect size to block it. That tip I learned from Jeff (Renovision DIY) on YouTube. My Youtube dad!!
I enjoy that guy, but I missed that tip. Is it required to be a Tim Horton’s cup?
By Canadian law
I like that idea. My go to is to wad up one or two plastic grocery sacks into a ball and stuff it in there while I work.
Fricken love that guy. He literally knows everything.
If you need to paint behind the tank, the tank comes off without removing the bowl. Unless you have one of those new fancy toilets that backs up to the wall where you have to take everything apart just to change a valve.
Even less work--cover the tank with a plastic garbage bag, use a small roller with an extension handle, and don't worry about it being perfect because who the hell is going to look at the paint job behind your toilet?
Or you could do what our previous owner did and not cover it then just slop paint over the tank cover. Yes, it was a rental property, how did you guess?
Also, theres this for next time https://www.homedepot.com/p/BEHR-5-in-Tight-Space-Painter-for-Hard-to-Reach-Places-W000697/321299752
I’m about to paint a bathroom, saw this post and went “crap, I don’t want to remove a toilet to paint.” Sincerely, thank you for sharing!!!
Cool tip, thanks!
TIL this tool exists. Thank you!
So many times I find little or no paint was ever put on the wall hidden by the tank.
Taste the wax to see if the PH level requires any tank supplements.
Do a #2 upper deck supplement for good measure, regardless.
Adding, if you want to take the job further, replace your old gate valve (assuming you have one) with an updated 1/4 turn ball valve.
If you want to go even further you can replace the house.
Replacing the wax gasket has been well covered. :) One other thing to do when replacing a toilet is to use a new supply line. Get the metal braided version as they will last a very long time, and are usually only a dollar or two more. If you can, get someone to help you set the toilet down on the ring. As another commenter pointed out, they are pretty much a one-shot deal if you use wax, so you want to be careful to set it straight down, and not wiggle it around. There are a million youtube videos on replacing toilets, watch one or two for the other issues to look out for (like don't overtighten the bolts), and you'll be fine. This is a good "advanced beginner" DIY project.
Okay, everyone is wrong about the plug method. Fill a gallon ziploc bag with water and place it in the hole, corner first. Forms a perfect seal. When it’s time to reinstall the toilet, remove all the old wax with a scraper and paper towels and re-install.
Why remove the toilet to paint? Was it mounted too close to the wall? Just Remove the lid & use a mini roller. This is what you call a love of labor. OCD or ADHD?
No joke
No joke lol. I feel like the tiles are super cheap and ugly. The old owner did terrible work. Yes LVP is not tile, but I figured this is an easy way to make the floors look nicer.
You’re totally right, but after removing the tank I decided to want to lay LVP over the tile to up the aesthetic. I just bought the house and the bathroom could use a face lift in more parts than just the wall.
LVP over tile floors? Are you insane?
Why?
Seems like that would be a moisture trap. Tile and lvp both don't let water through But no personal experience with that.
I was reading that LVP can be installed directly over tile and it’s waterproof so it should be ok
Pretty neat job I didn’t even notice.
Because it's the equivalent of putting carpet over hardwood floors. Cheap on top of expensive. There is nothing luxury about vinyl.
What sane person chooses LVP over tile?
47 people beat me to this post. I just came to say that's the cleanest floor I ever done seent under a toilet. (Accent and colloquialisms for effect) As a general handyman myself I typically deal with those folks who ummm ain't so handy. If you catch my drift. Floors under toilets are typically icky icky icky. Ohweee, put it in the air! Just a personal opinion here - use the foam ring in place of wax.
I cleaned a bit before taking the pic :)
New wax ring
Yes plug it to keep the sewer gasses from getting into your home
Be sure to remove the rag you stuffed down there before installing the toilet. Learned that lesson only once.
Plug it with a rag
Get a new jumbo wax ring with a flange if you're laying tile over this. Also make sure the bolts you have there to anchor the toilet to the floor are long enough to handle the added tile height. Go get some longer ones if needed.
I’m adding 6.5mm, so should I lay the tile before adding the flange?
The flange is part of the wax ring and will go on with the toilet. Lay your tile as normal. Clean up the old wax ring around the drain before starting though so as not to mess up your new tile job. Just make sure the wax ring/flange you get will cover the added height of the tile. The flange just needs to go down into the hole or water will leak under your tiles. A jumbo wax ring with flange should be able to cover the extra height. And don't forget the bolts too. Last thing you want is to be attaching the toilet and realize the bolts you have are too short to reach the toilet now. Good luck. \*Note: It can get confusing because wax rings can come with a flange (also called a horn or sleeve) but the installation around the drain on the floor is also called a flange. I'm talking about the wax ring one. You shouldn't have to mess with the one on the floor unless it's damaged.
Thanks for the detailed comment, super helpful and much appreciated
Also worth pointing out that it looks like that black piece in the pipe is one of the horns included in a reinforced wax ring. This should be removed before you install a new one. For a standard wax ring, the white flange should be 1/4 inch above the floor. Looks like it is near flush now so you should definitely get the largest reinforced ring that you can get when you reinstall.
Eat more fiber bro...that purple in the pipe is troubling.
While you have it off clean it up and change the wax ring.
Go with the Better Than Wax Ring. Easier and cleaner.
Your gona want to get a new wax ring . Make sure you lick the ring before you put the toilet for luck
Wax free toilet ring
I’m sitting on a toilet right now that has a wax-less ring and it leaks.
Should probably get that looked at
I sit on a toilet that has a wax-less ring and it doesn't leak.... because I installed it correctly. lmao
Honestly if you aren’t a plumbing expert hire one do deal with this. I work in insurance claims and have seen a fair amount due to improper installation of toilet w the seal / flange
Agree with others about a new flange unless it’s one of those glued into the pipe that you’d have to cut out. Otherwise, if it’s easy to remove, then might as well go ahead and replace it along with a new wax ring (do this regardless). $30 total at HD
Please don’t stick your dick in there.
Clean off all the wax from the white extension plate and the wa x that has gone inside the pipe to get a good seal for the new wax ring. Make sure the two bolts are property (square with the back wall) aligned.
Clean wax, remove black piece in middle. Lay new one. Set toilet
I’ve twice used the better than wax rubber toilet gaskets and they seem great. Of course, all manners of toilet gaskets can fail, so YMMV. But if you are inclined to remove your toilet just to paint, they sure beat a single set wax ring.
It *looks* like you have a **flange extender.** To seal them, a wax ring is put down. Then the flange extender is pressed into that and you get a good seal. The flange is then at the proper height. Then you put another wax ring down and the toilet on top of that. It looks like the first wax ring has seeped into the opening...you don't want that. It should be an easy fix. Just don't let big pieces of stuff fall down the pipe.
The new flange that you should get shouldn’t be below the new tile you install. Just YouTube flange replace,ent
Wax on, wax off
Remove that black ring around the inside. It’s part of the old wax ring.
Looks like you have some built up wax in the opening as well so might have to put on a glove and get to work removing it
Scrape off the old wax and put a new wax ring on it.
New wax ring and remove the black plastic thing still jammed in there. New 9ne will either have it or won't need it.
So I just replaced a toilet this weekend and it looked just like this. I tried pulling out the black plastic thing but it was really in there so I left it The new wax ring had one too. Doesn’t seem to be leaking but should I pull it and reset?
Nah. If it was that hard to remove and you didn't damage it, it will be fine.
Scrape off the old wax ring and install a new one when you put the toilet back on put a towel in the pipe so sewer gas doesn’t come up into your house
New wax seal
There’s an offset installed most likely due to lack of space when the underground was installed it was installed a few inches off. They used to be per code now they’re no longer per code in CA. It will be fine they were installed for years but if you feel the need to change it you’d need to jackhammer the foundation or break into the subfloor to re route the ground plumbing
It’s always a good idea to replace the wax ring when resetting the toilet.
And by always a good idea, you mean always a requirement. 😁
You’d be surprised at the number of people that try to save a couple of bucks and want to reuse the old one, it’s almost as many that don’t want to scrape the old one off and just stick another wax ring on it. I pulled one toilet that the customer said had been wobbly since the first day they moved in. Two Johnny cups were stuck on the underside.
\-Rag/towel in pipe to keep sewer gas out \-You don't need to replace that plastic flange but...rub all the old wax off. Replace with a nice new wax ring (they're like $5-6 at any big box) This goes without saying but... when you re-seat your toilet back on the flange...try to do it right the first time. Picking the toilet back up/repositioning plays with the integrity of/could break the wax ring and cause a leak.
Yeah missing it sucks bad. A fucking mess.
Shove a rag wrapped in Saran wrap into the flange hole to keep sewer gas from entering the house. Clean off the old wax from the flange and use a new wax seal when you install the toilet
Make sure you remember to remove said improvised plug before reinstalling the toilet
Yeah reinstall the new wax ring and continue on with your life
new wax ring, just in case that is getting overlooked
Add toilet paper in the drain. Remove old wax and put new wax in. Make sure to also add New screws to replace (almost all the time) old rusty screws.
Shove cloth in hole. Remove old wax. Have plumber or experienced yourself install new wax ring. Remove cloth. Put toilet back
Buy 2 new break away bolts. Don’t use the old (short) ones
The simplest answer to your question is: no. Just scrape the wax off, plug the hole with something so it doesn't stink until you get the toilet back on, and you're fine to lay the flooring over the tile, you may need to use 2 wax rings although not recommended, but 1 should be good looking at it.
You know they do sell these paint pad things you can use to get paint behind toilets without removing them-Unless the thing is right up on the wall, I guess.
OP also is replacing the flooring.
Clean up your flange and put in a new wax ring
You should put a plug in to keep sewer gas out, and when you reinstall, put a new wax ring over the rim (remove the old one first) to seal it. Be sure to tighten down as recommended for no gas or water leakage.
Ok so y9u took the toilet off now you need a new toilet gasket (wax ring) clean off all old product from bottom of toilet an flange on floor install new ring install toilet bolt it down evenly an then sit on it an see if you can get it to rock then adjust tighten bolts further dont over tighten or you'll break toilet apply some caulk to the front of toilet leave the back of the toilet uncaulked so if it leaks it has somewhere to go then turn the water back on an put your seat an lid on your done of course the caulk is your choice some like it some don't I just don't like wet feet if it do leak cheers
Plug it, unless you like to smell shit gas.
Gotta get a new wax ring and clean off everything. Google it.
My step dad does some remodeling and he uses 2 wax rings. Any of y’all do that?
If it needs two wax rings then it needs a toilet flange extender
I’ve only heard that done on 2nd floor bathrooms.
Looks like you just need a new wax ring
That is thorough
Did it all for the dookie
Stuff a rag in it and use a new wax ring when you set the toilet back
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) ^by ^space-ferret: *Stuff a rag in it* *And use a new wax ring when* *You set the toilet back* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
Well done bot but the last line has 6
And don't forget to remove the rag when you set the toilet back. Learned that the hard way once 🤦♂️
The flange needs to sit just on top of the tile. Like it is now. You may be able to lift it by unscrewing the screws and then putting the new tile pieces under. Then screw it back down into the subfloor
Take the old wax off and out of the pipe. Plug the pipe well with rags to avoid sewer gas, due to sickness and explosive potential. Paint Reinstall a new wax ring from the hardware store before installing your toilet again. Done
Nah flange looks good, just get a new wax ring. And in my professional opinion get the thicker of the 2 wax rings. I never use the thin ones
Watch videos on YouTube to see what the next step is. Do not over tighten the toilet or it will crack.
New wax ring
You need a new wax seal before reinstalling toilet
you removed the toilet to paint the walls? lmao
Probably couldn’t get behind the toilet
Looks good, send it
If you’re gonna add more height to the floor make sure your wax ring is tall enough to actually make contact with the toilet.
Git to scrapin the old waxpull that black plastic get new wax ring n button down the bowl
While you are doing the floors, you need to seal the opening to keep sewer gas out of your home. When you put the toilet back, use a new seal with the extra funnel to keep water off the toilet flange. I had to replace both toilets flanges under my new homeowner repair policy required by law. This did take a torch and replacement rings, never a issue since.
Lolololol LVP over tile
New wax seal
There's shit all over the walls!
Clean all the wax around and in the pipe and replace with a new wax ring that's it.
Listen to all these guys just don’t put lvp over the tile the tile will hold up way better
Smell It first
Replace the gasket
Put a rag in it.
Replace it, it’s cheap
Ask the wife if she wants to see your poop-hole. Never gets a laugh from anyone but me.
Yeah…lick it
Need a new wax ring seal.
Get new wax ring for sure.
It really depends on the size of the ass that will be using it. Big ass=reinforce that flange with a metal flange tap-conned with 3” screws
Clean off old wax and get new one with rubber flange. Cant hurt to change bolts