How Do Toilet Repair Experts Replace Toilet Wax Rings?

Are you seeing water dripping around the bottom of your toilet? If yes, your wax rings may be damaged. Under every toilet is a wax ring forming a watertight seal between your toilet pipe and its drain. The ring is hidden, ensuring your floors are dry and last for years without needing maintenance.

However, the wax may fail over time, leading to water seeping into the floors. If the wax ring becomes damaged, you must get a toilet wax ring replacement as early as possible to avoid leakage. Understanding the indicators of failing wax rings can help you identify problems early, preventing costly repairs.

For a wax ring replacement, it is best to reach out to a professional toilet repair and replacement company for quick assistance. 

Drain The Toilet Bowl

After the plumbing professionals have assembled the supplies and built your materials, the next step is to flush. They begin by shutting off the water supply. The shutoff valve is in the back of the seat, and the professional will turn it. After that, the expert will flush the toilet to eliminate any accumulated water in the bowl and tank.

They will use a dry or wet vacuum to eliminate any lingering liquid from your bowl. A plunger can also be used for this task if a wet/dry vacuum is unavailable. The repair professionals will use a large sponge to remove leftover water from the tank and bowl, ensuring a dry workspace.

Unplug From The Water Supply Line

They will temporarily cut off the water supply to remove the toilet from the ground and extract it from the floor. Professionals mostly employ an adjustable wrench. 

In the case of a flexible line, they will make sure to drain the remaining water into a bucket. If there is no flexible pipe, the toilet repair experts ensure that the bucket is set to hold any water that escapes when they cut the line.

Make The Base Ready To Remove

They will locate the flange bolts on both sides of the seating:

• Extract the caps that cover the bolts, if they are any.
• Use the wrench to remove the nuts off the bolts.
• Remove the plastic disc and washer at the base of the bolts.

Lift The Toilet off The Floor

To get rid of the toilet seat:

• Check for the most leverage point.
• Lift the seat off of its two bolts for flanges.
• Once the toilet is off the ground, the repair professionals will place the seat gradually onto the blanket or towel.

Check The Flange

They will scrape off the remnants of the wax ring with a knife. Remove any debris and ensure a dry and clean surface. The flange must be affixed to the floor. They will remove the bolts to look at the flange. If it’s broken or cracked, the toilet will not sit securely in line with the drain pipe. So, it is an excellent measure to contact an experienced plumber to repair the flange, which will prevent further issues.

Change The Bolts

The repair professionals will fit the new seats in the slots already in place.

To ensure all is in the correct location, they will check if each bolt is the same distance from the center of the drain. They must also be at the same distance from the wall behind the toilet.

Place It On The New Wax Ring

When doing the toilet wax ring replacement, if there are no leaks, the repair experts will use caulking to secure the toilet to the floor and leave a tiny 1-inch opening at the back of the pot.

They will lift the seat again to align the holes in its base with the two bolts on its flanges. The new wax ring will “smoosh” effortlessly between the two items.

The Sitting Test

They will move around the seat to ensure no wobbling movement. If the seat does not show any issue, they will replace the plastic disc and the metal washer before fixing the nuts to the bolts on the flange.

Flush It

In the final step, they will connect the water supply line to the base inside the tank. A secure fitting is necessary, but not too tight, since excess pressure causes damage to the line.

After the water supply is turned back, the repair experts will check if it gets several good flushes. So long as there’s no sign of liquid coming out from the inside of the toilet, then everything is good to go.

Conclusion

Contacting repair professionals is a must to replace the wax seal if a toilet has to be lifted to take an object out or access blocked drains. These tips help simplify the task and get a new seat without buying one. Call a professional plumber for an appointment if you want it fixed quickly. They are available to offer advice or even visit your house for a check-up or repair. Read more on wpc2027.