sometimes those wax-free rings are tempting because they’re cleaner, but like you said, they don’t always compensate for floors that aren’t level. I’ve seen slow leaks develop months later, which is way more hassle than just dealing with the wax in the first place.
Couldn’t agree more about the wax-free rings. They look like a great idea on the shelf—no mess, quick install—but in real-world situations with old, uneven floors, they just don’t cut it. I’ve had to go back and fix more than one “clean” install after a slow leak showed up. Wax is messy, yeah, but at least it’s forgiving.
On the bolts—man, I don’t know how many times I’ve thought I could get away with reusing them. Every time it’s a gamble. Last time, one sheared off halfway through tightening and I had to run out for replacements at 2am. Lesson learned (again).
Stacking wax rings isn’t pretty, but sometimes you just need something that works till you can do it right. Midnight plumbing is all about survival mode anyway... nobody’s looking for style points at that hour.
- Wax rings are messy, but they just work, especially on those old, uneven floors. Tried the wax-free ones a couple times—looked great in theory, but ended up with leaks both times. Not worth the cleanup later.
- Bolts are always a gamble if you try to reuse them. I’ve snapped a few myself, usually when I’m already tired and just want to be done. Nothing like a hardware run in the middle of the night to make you rethink your shortcuts.
- Stacking wax rings isn’t ideal, but sometimes you just need to get the water stopped and the toilet back in service. Not pretty, but it’ll hold until you can pull the whole thing and fix the flange right.
Curious—has anyone tried those extra-thick wax rings with the plastic flange built in? I’ve had mixed results. Sometimes they seal great, other times they seem to shift if the floor’s really out of level. Wondering if it’s just me or if others have had the same issue.
Sometimes they seal great, other times they seem to shift if the floor’s really out of level.
Yeah, I’ve had that happen too. Those extra-thick rings with the flange are hit or miss for me—if the flange isn’t sitting flush, it just doesn’t feel right. I usually end up doubling up regular wax rings on old floors instead. Not perfect, but at least I know what to expect.
Honestly, doubling up wax rings always makes me nervous. I’ve seen them squish out and make a real mess under the toilet, especially if things aren’t lined up just right. I usually shim the toilet to get it level and stick with a single wax ring—less drama in the long run. The last time I tried stacking them, I spent more time cleaning up than actually fixing the leak... not my finest moment.
Yeah, doubling up wax rings has bitten me before too. I remember one tenant called about a leak, and when I pulled the toilet, there was basically a wax pancake oozing everywhere. Not fun. I’ve had better luck with those extra-thick wax rings if the flange is low, but stacking two just feels like asking for trouble. Shims and a single ring have saved me a lot of headaches over the years… plus, less mess to explain later.