Had my first “midnight toilet disaster” last month—definitely not how I wanted to spend a Friday night. Pulled the toilet and yeah, scraping that wax ring is just gross. I tried a waxless seal this time since I was tired of the mess, but I get what you mean about flange height. Mine was just barely tall enough, so I’m keeping an eye on it. Still, anything’s better than mopping up toilet water at 1am...
I get why people like the waxless seals, but honestly, I’m not totally sold on them yet. When I replaced mine last fall, I stuck with the old-school wax ring. Yeah, it’s messy, but I’ve heard too many stories about waxless ones leaking if the flange isn’t just right. Maybe I’m just paranoid, but I’d rather deal with some gross wax than risk another late-night flood. Still, I get the appeal—scraping that stuff off is never fun...
I’m right there with you—wax rings are gross, but they just work. I tried a waxless one once and it felt like I was tempting fate, especially since my floor isn’t perfectly level. Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but I’d rather scrape wax than mop up a surprise puddle at 2am. That said, if someone invents a mess-free, foolproof seal, I’m all ears...
Had a similar midnight adventure last winter. Got called out for a “mystery leak” in a rental, and sure enough, the culprit was a toilet that’d just been reseated with one of those waxless seals. The floor was old tile, a bit uneven—nothing dramatic, but enough that the seal didn’t quite bite all the way around. It held for a couple days, then the first cold snap hit and the thing started weeping right onto the subfloor.
I’ll admit, I wanted to like the waxless option. Less mess, no sticky hands, seemed like a win. But after wrestling with that leak at 1am (and hearing the tenant’s horror story about stepping in cold water in the dark), I went back to wax. It’s not glamorous scraping that stuff off, but it’s predictable. Maybe if you’ve got a perfectly flat flange and floor, those new seals are fine... but for most of the old places I see? Wax is still king. If someone ever invents a truly idiot-proof seal, I’ll be first in line to try it. Until then, I’ll keep my putty knife handy.
Waxless seals always sound like a good idea until you’re ankle-deep in mystery water at some ungodly hour. I’ve been there—one time, I got called out to a 1920s bungalow with a “new and improved” waxless ring that was supposed to be foolproof. The floor was about as flat as a potato chip, and the flange had seen better days. Guess what? Same story: held for a week, then started leaking right when the weather turned cold.
This part hit home:
Maybe if you’ve got a perfectly flat flange and floor, those new seals are fine... but for most of the old places I see? Wax is still king.
Couldn’t agree more. I keep seeing these fancy seals at the supply house, and every time I think, “Maybe this is the one that’ll save me from scraping wax off my hands.” But unless you’re working in new construction or some unicorn of a bathroom with a dead-level floor, it’s just asking for trouble. Wax might be messy, but at least it’s honest about it.
Ever tried those double-thick wax rings for uneven floors? They’re not perfect either, but they’ve bailed me out more than once when nothing else would seat right. Still, I’d love to see someone invent a seal that works no matter how wonky the floor is—maybe something with adjustable squish factor? Until then, my putty knife isn’t going anywhere.
Funny thing is, tenants always think it’s something dramatic—like pipes bursting in the walls—when it’s almost always just that sneaky little leak under the toilet. Midnight calls are never boring in this line of work...
