Had a similar nightmare last Thanksgiving... wax ring decided to quit right before guests arrived. Switched to silicone after that fiasco, and honestly, never looked back. Easier cleanup, less mess, and no more surprise leaks ruining holidays. Worth the switch imo.
I've seen silicone rings work wonders for some folks, but honestly, I've had mixed results. Last summer, I swapped out a wax ring for silicone at a client's place after a similar holiday disaster—thought I'd found the holy grail. But a few months later, got called back for a slow leak. Turned out the flange wasn't perfectly level, and silicone didn't seal as forgivingly as wax. Silicone's great if your flange is spot-on, but if it's uneven... wax might still be your safer bet.
Had similar experiences myself—silicone rings can be hit or miss depending on the flange condition. A few thoughts from my own jobs:
- Silicone rings are great for clean, level flanges. If everything lines up perfectly, they're quick and easy.
- But if there's even a slight unevenness or damage to the flange, wax tends to mold itself better and fill those tiny gaps.
- I've had callbacks too when I trusted silicone rings on older plumbing setups. Learned the hard way that wax is more forgiving.
- If you're dealing with an uneven flange and still want to use silicone, you might consider adding a flange spacer or shim to level things out first. It's an extra step, but it can save headaches down the road.
Bottom line: silicone isn't bad, just less forgiving. Wax is messy but reliable—especially in older homes where nothing's ever quite straight...
Totally agree—wax is messy but it's saved my butt more times than I care to admit. Silicone rings look great on paper, but older houses laugh at "perfectly level" anything. Learned that lesson after two trips to Home Depot in one afternoon...
"Silicone rings look great on paper, but older houses laugh at 'perfectly level' anything."
Exactly my experience. A few months back, I tried silicone rings thinking they'd be cleaner and easier—big mistake. Ended up with a slow leak that went unnoticed until the subfloor started feeling soft. Wax might be messy, but at least it molds to imperfections and stays sealed. Now I always keep an extra wax ring handy... cheaper than replacing flooring again.
