Good advice right there. I switched to a waxless seal about two years ago after dealing with a similar disaster (ugh, never again...). As long as you prep carefully and keep things level, they're pretty reliable. Mine's been solid so far—no leaks or weird smells. Just take your time installing it and double-check everything before tightening down. You've got this.
Waxless seals are definitely a game-changer. I made the switch myself last year after a particularly messy weekend (let's just say towels were sacrificed...). One thing I'd add is to really take your time cleaning off any old wax residue from the flange and toilet base before installing the new seal. A little leftover wax can mess with the seal's ability to seat properly, and you don't want to redo this job anytime soon.
Also, make sure your flange isn't damaged or rusted out—sometimes that's the sneaky culprit behind recurring leaks. If it looks questionable, replacing or repairing it now will save you headaches later.
But overall, you've got solid advice above. Keep things level, tighten bolts evenly (but not too tight—cracking the porcelain is a whole other disaster), and you'll be flushing worry-free in no time. Good luck!
Totally agree on the waxless seals—made the switch myself a couple years back and haven't looked back since. Curious though, did you check if your toilet rocks at all when seated? Even a tiny wobble can break the seal over time. I usually shim mine carefully before tightening down. Also, did you replace the bolts when you swapped seals? Old bolts can corrode or weaken, causing uneven pressure. Learned that one the hard way...
Good points on the bolts—seen plenty of toilets fail just because someone reused old hardware. Another thing to check is the flange itself. If it's cracked or sitting too low, even a waxless seal won't hold up long-term. Had one job where the homeowner kept replacing seals every few months... turned out the flange was slightly below floor level. Installed a flange extender and problem solved. Worth double-checking yours if issues keep popping up.
"turned out the flange was slightly below floor level. Installed a flange extender and problem solved."
Good catch on the flange height... seen that happen more times than I'd like. Curious though, did you notice any signs of water damage around the subfloor when you fixed it? Sometimes that's an overlooked headache waiting to happen.
