More problems with a toilet?

Question

I have a leaking toilet that I dissasembled yesterday. I'm checking the two bolts next to the bowl, and one is fine, but the other has come loose from the wood (looks like the wood started to crumble from a previous water spill.)
Any suggestions about how I could get a new bolt in there, that will be strong enough to lock the bowl in place? The wood is pretty crumbly where the bolt should be, so I'm not sure what needs to be done.
Thanks.

Answer 1

OK, the first thing to do, is make arrangements to use another crapper while this one is being fixed.
The bowl is not fastened to the wood these days(or a seperate steel ring under the floor).
While you can try to retrieve that ring which has slid farther down...and make dismal repairs..


what I would look at doing is:

Shut off the water to the toilet and disconnet it and the other bolt to the toilet and flush and then with a 1 or 2 gallon bucket of water dump it into the bowl. That secondary flush will take the majority of the water out of the bowl....for those that don't have wet vacs. Then lift the unit straight up. It will resist because it is on a sticky wax ring....which will unstick as you continue to lift. Take the bowl and tank out of the way...put in the hall if it is a small bathroom. Scrape away the wax on the floor. Now you see. What I would do is lay a new sheet of 3/4"plywood on the floor where the bowl was sitting and around that area 4ftx4ft square or so. You are now making a raised area. If you don't want it raised....do the whole floor. Go to your supplier and get the flanged floor mount with a tail - and fit it so it inserts INTO the pipe opening and down a couple of inches(the more the better) . Ask the supplier exactly what you are doing(they can hellp alot) as the best way to connect if you have cast and you are using an abs floor mount. They have the glues, the clamps, the putties or sealants you need right there. So get what you need and do it. You will also need a new wax ring and possibly a longer inlet line.(really matters if you had a straight line to the tank(which is not gonna get any longer) or a "s" curved line(which can get longer if you straighten it)You need a new pair of bolts as the flange of the 4" pipe that comes up to floor level.
Lets do this right.
Actually, I need not tell you any more. Your best learning is actually at the builders supply or hardware store or Walmart if they sell toilets. Looking is a faster way to learn.
Whereever you get your plumbing parts from will be able to show you how it goes and showing is a million words easier to remember. Here is a quick website look. It was the first one I liked in 2 minutes of searching. http://www.rd.com/content/openContent.do?contentId=17705 Toilet is called a "water closet".

You will have to replace some plumbing parts (the wax ring for sure) and if it is cast iron - they may have rusted away. Ask at your supplier when you know for sure. The better the description the better they can help you.

So do the carpentry first and get a solid floor onto which to toilet can sit.

You will be able to see once you pull it. From that moment on, it is out of order.
Do it right and it is good for 50 plus years.

It takes so little to make it right. The major parts are there - toilet, and pipe. If you need to change out of cast to abs plastic, the store will have the necessary parts and methods to do the change over (it still can be cast piping to the sewer - it is just updated to the toilet - the last 3 feet.

If you want to have linoleom on the raised floor do that before you put down the wax ring. the linoleum does not go that close anyways. Cut it and glue it down and wait till it sets up. 2-4 hrs and then do the finishing plumbing with the toilet bolts under the heads under the flange and the wax ring in place. ((Before the toilet goes down make sure there is no old wax clumps underneath where the wax contacts)). And then with the bolts extruding out set the bowl down once ontop of the wax ring. Then carefully put on the washers and screw on the nuts without turning the bolts(unlocking the heads.) A little bit of molding on the edges of your raised wood floor(if you made a smaller area lift) and you are almost done. The supply water line to the tank from the shut off tap. Fasten that. and turn on the water. Your happening.

If you could make model airplanes and cars, this is just as simple.

Answer 2

You may need to make a repair to the wood floor when you remove the toilet. You really won't know until you get the toilet up. As for the bolt, if you are describing the bolts that hold the toilet to the floor, they typically attach to a mounting ring that attaches to the floor. It is possible that the bolt just came loose from the ring but more likely the mounting rings has rusted and broken. You do not necessarily have to replace the whole ring. There are kits you can buy at Lowe's or Home Depot to repair it. Also if you go to the hardware store be sure to buy a new wax ring for the toilet. The wax ring is what seals the toilet at the connection to the floor, and has to be replaced anytime the toilet is removed. You could also do your self a favor and get a wet dry vac handy when you remove the toilet. I have found it is the best way to get all of the water out and not make a mess when you remove the toilet.

Answer 3

You have a slow leak from the toilet tank to the bowl. This is a fairly common problem, and it can be difficult to notice. To verify, take the lid off the tank and add a few drops of food coloring. Check the bowl after a few minutes and you will note that some of the color has made its way to the bowl. If you look in the tank, there should be a mechanism that seals the outlet that supplies water to the bowl when you flush. In modern toilets, this is usually a rubber or neoprene "flapper" that is attached to the arm of the flush handle. Replacing this part requires only minimal skill and you can purchase a replacement at nearly any store that has plumbing supplies. I noticed the other day that our Walmart even has them. Older toilets and some more expensive models have different types of valves which may be beyond what you would want to try on your own.

Answer 4

I had the same problem at a house in Florida.

The tenant had used those automatic bowl cleaners (BIG NO-NO.) The bleach had eaten away at the wax seal and thus rotted the floor.

The best way? You're going to have to replace the rotten flooring!

We had to cut away the section of flooring under the toilet, running between the joists. We then replaced the wood layer with new wood, reset the bolts, and refastened the toilet.

It was a lot of work,but it beats placing a toilet back on a rotten floor, which eventually will sag and have to be replaced anyway.

Good luck.

Answer 5

if the wood is that compromised the floor should be repaired first. The floor is most likely not stable enough to keep the toilet from rocking and breaks the seal. a fix you mat try temporarily is a large washer called a fender washer on the bottom under the floor if you can get to it.If it it that crumbly it is possible to slip the washer under the edge of the ring with a nut and buy the "t" bolts that are used for newer installations, cut the threaded section off and thread on end into the nut. install the toilet and thread on the top nut.

Answer 6

If you are in the UK, remember that all this talk of wax rings and so on only applies in the USA, where they have a rather crude way of discharging the WC straight down, rather than out the back, after a U-bend integrated within the porcelain. Sadly, men and boys do not always aim straight, so the floorboards under the pan begin to rot. Replacing them is the best solution, so the rot won't spread. If the boards are damp, and any males in the house have been careful, check that the rubber sleeve at the back of the pan is in good order.

Answer 7

The bolts are most likely not the problem. The problem is probably the wax ring below the bowl. remove both bolts and lift the toilet off the floor ( disconnect the water supply first ) remove the old wax ring and replace it with a new one.

Answer 8

A friend of mine had that happen too. We took up the linoleum, and there was significant damage to the wood around the toilet. I cut the damaged wood away in a big square, and replaced it with good, treated plywood. We put down new floor and reinstalled the toilet.

That's the only correct way to "repair" the problem. Anything else is just a "patch".

Answer 9

I would try using canned expanding foam the kind with minimum expansion. That stuff sticks to anything. If you glue the toilet without plugging the drainpipe that might do the trick. Cost $5.00 for a can of full.

Answer 10

i hate to do it but if you cant redo that pert pf the floor you could always grout the toilet to the floor . if you want email me and i,ll give you my #