Professionals are trained to do the most cost effective installations that are up to CODE. DIYers have more investment into their projects and benefit from overkill because they are already saving money from not hiring a pro. Just because it is above an beyond CODE, doesnt mean it is wrong. Remember that installation CODE is the bare minimum that must be followed by law. You did a great job that will last as long or longer than any pro. Dont listen to internet trolls. A+ for taking the time to do a rock solid install.
Some so called professionals are nothing more than cash grabbing hacks. There is cutting corners responsibly and then there is doing substandard work to cram in more calls.
Stumbled onto your video; I rarely comment. As a professional plumber I enjoyed your video and would agree, social media is full of Monday morning quarterbacks and "experts" there to tell you how you did it wrong. As a homeowner who cares, and is willing to put in the work/effort, you can sometimes do a better job than someone you might pay. Now to your repair; I noticed you are very concerned about the level of the flange. I've never put a level on the flange and know that the odds of finding a perfect one are nil. What's more important is where the flange is in relation to the top of the floor(I know it's not level). Only reason that's important is it determines how thick a gasket/ring you will need to make a good seal. Since I started my business doing service and repair, I've never stocked wax rings on my truck. I've always used different types of foam gaskets like the ones you show in the video. Sani Seal is a great one. For a while I've been using a product called Tight Seal gasket made of elastomer. Gaskets always more $$ than wax, but so worth it. BTW, I hold no ill will to those who want to do their own work. Of course I don't make money as a pro that way; but I also don't have to do the work! Keep up the good work.
Yes this is a good comment, and a good video. Essentially the end product is to get a good long lasting seal. As it your own toilet, you have the time and attention to research and do the best possible job you can. Plumbers will never go out of business, because who wants to do a job like this in a well used high traffic commercial restaurant😊 But good job 👏
One thing my Dad taught me that he was truly right about is that just because you're not a professional at doing diy projects doesn't mean you can't do a better job than professionals . I've seen some so called professionals do pretty sloppy work.
I agree, with tons of how to videos on youtube and personal experience by the old timers I manage to find a solution. My mom always encouraged me to learn from the older heads and pick their brain. Good thing is youtube has some of those mentors like Essential Craftsman etc. I do a combo of learning from my elders + youtube videos.. i personally believe if there is somethinf that needs a repair youtube has a video for it.. im not that old (38) but im used to passed along knowledge but youtube specfic videos have saved my butt..
No kidding. I'm an amateur but even I have done better plumbing work than the "professional" plumbers in my area. Granted there are only 2 of them in my area and both of them suck. One of them busted holes in an elderly man's brick wall to run a vent pipe for a washing machine & didn't even seal or patch around the hole on the exterior. He also only ran the pipe up a few couple feet and slapped an AAV on it. AAVs aren't even allowed by my state's plumbing code. And this is an exterior vent! When he did the other drain pipes he had the customer's grandson dig the trenches but then charged for digging even though he never touched a shovel and he just slapped the pipes into the trenches without any slope and left them sticking out of the ground (he didn't set them all the way down into the trench). I almost hired that guy but after that I would never let him touch a project at my house. The other guy won't sweat copper (which I admit I won't do either) and rushes jobs & doesn't care if he leaves a mess in a customer's yard or house. He didn't even bring the right equipment to do the job & had to use our wire hangers (got mad last time he came out bc he used up the last of our hangers & we don't have anymore and they don't sell them in the area). Doublecharged for literally 2 minutes of cleaning a drain because he was mad that he showed up a day early without calling first & my disabled mother had trouble getting to the door-- the kicker is, he saw her come out but because it took her so long to answer he left anyway and charged us for that visit. After that I learned to snake drains myself.
He's lucky he has 2! We only have 1 where I live. Granted he is awesome and does great work. We also don't have any handymen who aren't strung out so I'm looking at having to do everything myself if I want it done halfway decently. I sit here watching videos about the product I already bought to fix my toilet which started leaking lol. Glad the product I chose is the one people seem to like and use.
Kevin Sorenson. Back in '03 I was building a small work shop. I did the framing, insulation and all the sheet rock work but before the insulation and rock, I asked the electrical inspector if a DIYer could do the wiring and save a ton of money. He said yes as long as it was code. So I bought a bunch of romex, switches and recepticals and spent a week mapping out where I wanted stuff. When I was nearing the end of the project, I called for an early inspection as the dept suggusted. He pointed out a minor few things that needed to be corrected. About 3 weeks later after I was sure everything was up to code, he came back and told me for an amateur, I had done a first class job, better than some pros, in fact. He signed the job off and I had power the next day to where I could work nights putting in insulation and rock. The days were just to damn hot to work in. Plumbing isn't usually my thing but the wife needs a new more modern toilet, so I guess I will try it. If Joe the Plumber can do it, I guess I can too. Cheers, my friend. Bob
I'm a plumber,and your 100% right in the fact of there's more then one way to skin a cat. But I say you did an excellent job. I'd shake your hand and say well done mate.
Your NOT stupid. You are very thorough. Nothing wrong with that. You obviously hit a nerve with plumbers. That tends to happen when people get jealous. Great job.
Toilets have changed for the better. Our new 1.6gpf Kohler one-piece has yet to be clogged by our olympic dumper 15 yr old son. He was clogging our old 1984 Am.Std Plebe 4gpf on a weekly basis. The Kohler has 2 flush modes: quick press/release of the handle to flush .75g for pee, or depress the handle for 4 seconds to release the full 1.6g for a dump flush. My wife loves the one piece design for teenage-boy-spray cleanup. Also, one-piece design avoids the possibility of the water tank leaking through those bolts and seals that attach to the bowl. And we all love the soft-close seats.
I was wondering the same thing. Why not use the height spacer? I mean, if you want to buy two then go for it. But what do you gain by using two versus the added spacer?
Friggin Hilarious. Marty you're the funniest home improvement hack I've ever seen. With regard to your extended bolt idea I couldn't stop laughing. The stackable seals were probably the least desirable option but you made them work, and by doing so you have earned the respect of all the home improvement hacks everywhere. Keep on hacking (with videos) because the world needs as much humor as possible.
Great job on the flange, I used the fludmaster seal and had to use both pieces from the kit because my flange is below floor level due to the way they tiled my floor. Our issue is that with wax every winter we would develop a leak. The rubber and the foam seals have held up for two years so far.
Your comment about the "20 minute man" was spot on. You call a plumber today, he's on the clock so it's "Blow and Go". They are pigs, almost never cleaning up behind themselves. Yeah, this was a little overkill, but your toilet didn't leak a drop. Can't tell you how many times I reseat a recently installed toilet that is leaking. Other than not using the 3 1/2" closet bolts (and hacksawing them down so the bolt caps fit) don't apologize to anyone here. It's the "Pigs" reputation that you can't equate to his value. I encourage all my home owning customers to take a swing at doing this kind of home repairs. It ain't rocket science. If not, there are guys like me out there who do make love to making sure these jobs are done right and left cleaner than when I showed up.
I use the green foamy seal (managing rental multi units) all the time . Installed a few dozen so far for a least 6 years. None failed yet . No leaks and being reused every time if toilet needs to be reinstalled .
btw, great job doing a detail presentation... the beauty of doing our own work, is that we CAN take the TIME to do extra things a "professional" would NEVER do (95+% of the time) And I think plumbers are AFRAID that people will watch videos like yours and REALIZE HOW EASY it is to DO IT YOURSELF... AND do an even better job...
I have got to give you props for doing it yourself. People have directed the same kind of comments to me over the years but I've saved a lot of money and, knock on wood, have never "learned the hard way" by having one of my repairs fail. Sadly there is too many unscrupulous and/or hurried "pros" out there for anyone not to try a repair themselves... especially with all of the resources now available to the public
Working in building for over 30 years what I learned is most of the people that do it have no formal training on how to do it and you’re absolutely right I can afford to do things myself wrong three times more than paying somebody to do it wrong for me once I love your comment
Bravo, you hit the nail on the head here. I installed a new toilet two days ago and -after doing a little research- decided to give the Fluidmaster non-wax ring a try. However, my comfort level about having achieved an actual seal immediately after the installation was next to zero, so I went straight back to using the wax ring that was fortunately included with the toilet. Back to the stone ages…
I guess this is a common experience. I did exactly this 2 years ago. When I set the toilet down on the rubber gasket I wasnt feeling good at all about how it was seated and just used the wax ring that came with it instead as well. I just really perfer that nice seal you get with a wax ring, and with how cheap they are it isnt the end of the world that it cannot be reused.
Proper video man. I do everything myself. Electrics, Plumbing, carpentry, masonry etc. I may take longer than the "Professionals" to do the jobs, but it will be done right, unlike the so-called "professionals" who may show up late or never. It's not so much about saving money, but more about a sense of satisfaction that one can do their own maintenance and also saving yourself a lot of aggravation by not having to deal with the so-called professionals. Keep up the good work.
Kudos to you for going the extra mile to double check your work. I especially like how you added additional wax to fill in the possible voids in the seal creating a hybrid of both. Great job.
Thanks. Yeah, I did what I felt like needed to be done here, but I have a follow-up video to this one and it didn't hold up all that well. The biggest problem was that my drain opening was too big for this seal. Also, these rubber seals have a problem holding up to the chemicals in the water ...over time.
I like your straw trick dropping the bowl on the flange. I use the straw trick on the flapper chains to keep the chain from getting to trapped in the flapper seat. I use an extra washer and nut to hold the johnny bolt rigid so dropping the bowl onto the flange is easier.
Man, you are hoot! And where did you get those socks?! I had to turn down the brightness on my monitor. Seriously, your video is 100% worth watching. I am about to replace a toilet in my house and I never would have known about all those seal options and pros and cons of each. I appreciate all the time and effort you put into this quality video. And with your personality, you could have your own show on HGTV.
i really like how he filled in the space between the flange and tile to prevent water from going under the tiling and creating a bigger problem. This helps to know if their is a leak from the wax ring, The caulking around the base should have some hole to let the water out.
I like this guy he's not afraid to reinvent or try something different. He questions an established mentioned looking for a better way. There's always a better way if you are willing to try and question things most of the time.👏👍
I'm a nurse who loves doing things by MYSELF! I've had previous upstairs disasters with leaking plumbing so I like to be able to know how I sealed it and check it periodically. Your creative methods are awesome - I wish there was a leak indicator that we could mount on the subfloor to be able to know if water is soaking into that if leaking under the tile floor that would save lots - thanks.
How about using spacers to raise the flange above the floor and seal the gap between the flange and the tile floor using silicone? If there is leak, water is on the tile floor, not under.
Great job! We find that when we do projects around the home ourselves, we also take more time yet we also take a lot more care and put more thought into the finer touches. We have had some pretty shoddy work done when we have let the 'pro's do the work for us. Generally, because they are in a rush to move on to the next job. Some jobs though I really don't enjoy and struggle through, watching countless videos until I feel I can tackle it, and sometimes struggling through, yet in the end, I have a better result. We tend to overdo things too, especially now as we are tiling the bathroom my hubby had to remind me we are not making a swimming pool as I was taking the waterproofing the outside corners of the shower pan too far. The toilet was an issue as to save having to tear out more ceiling below and redo the drainpipe I opted for a 'twist and set' flange to work with the existing pipe. It seems to be a good seal and once our shower drain is also installed we can test it as they share the same line.
Forget the people who want you to pay them. What you did worked great and you didn't have to pay a know it all! Keep doing and learning and you'll be self-sufficient! Remember there is no one way!!!! If your way works keep going! Learn as much as you can and never stop!
I had a toilet that I fought for over two years. My problem was not leaking but sewer gas. What started my trouble was we had a bathroom totally remodeled. After a couple of weeks I noticed water around the base of the toilet. I called the contractor. He sent a worker over who just tightened the two toilet bowl bolts. This did not work. I decided to remove the toilet. What I found was the contractor had cracked the plastic flange on the sewer pipe that the two long toilet bowl screws attach to. Now what to do? Since I am retired I decide to tackle the job. I am not going to bore you with a lot of details but I am as meticulous as you are. The flange repair was straight forward. In fact when I had finished with the flange repair it was better than the contractor's work. The flange was level about 1/8 inch above floor level. I placed a wax ring on the toilet bowl and was ready to go. For six months things were fine but then I detected a smell of sewer gas. Replaced the wax ring but still smelled sewer gas. I decided to go with a synthetic ring similar to the ones you show. Problem solved or so I thought. A little over a year later I began to smell sewer gas again. Now what? As a last ditch effort I researched TH-cam again to see if I had missed something. A product that caught my eye was Perfect Seal. Perfect Seal injects the wax downward as you install the toilet bowl. I used the product as instructed and low and behold problem solved and has been holding strong for over two years. What was causing the sewer gas to escape is beyond me but Perfect Seal fixed the sewer gas leak that no other product could. I really enjoyed your video especially the comments on plumbers. I guarantee you there is no way a plumber would have done the meticulous job you did. Also your points on the lack of advancement in toilet technology are very well taken. What the hell are we living in the middle ages or what. Again great, great job on your toilet project. Take care and have a grrrreat day!!!
@@TH-camStalker My Perfect Seal is still performing perfectly going on four years now. I guarantee you if I ever again have an issue with a toilet leaking at its base or sewer gas odor I am going to use Perfect Seal. Take care and have a grrrreat day!!!
Job well done, I enjoyed how you addressed, then dismissed, the 20 min bonehead. Those people are out there no matter what you do. Great information. I've used wax rings for 20 years, and will continue to do so for 20 more.
A properly installed wax ring can last almost forever if no plunging is required. However most toilet removal photos show a lot of creepy crud around the flange and even on the floor. In my case I have Kohler Rochelle toilets installed in a tight location where I can't peek around the rim to see the flange bolts. It's also a bit tight to try to use a spotter. I have been able to do it with some difficulty by using stacks of shims and removing them one at a time but Have often damaged the wax ring and had to reform or replace it. This time I am going to try either the Sani Seal or the Fluidmaster and the shims hoping for a more forgiving placement.
Marty, you are a funny guy and a pleasure to watch. Your solutions are logical and effective. As a high school art teacher, many years retired, solutions were always in the back of my mind. Name it, I taught it. That's 35 years of fun. I own a house built in 1904 and with 4 johns I always looked for a solution or two in my 50 years of ownership
Marty, thanks for this video. I'm not a plumber, I'm a mechanic, I'm about to swap out the old wax seal on one of my toilets in my condo with a new rubber one. Unfortunately, I'm left with which seal to use since I was bent on using that green one like you originally were, but the warning you gave about those leaking really caught my attention, because I hate doing something twice. Thanks for the heads up my friend, and I agree completely with you that the toilet manufactures should really come up with some better ways/better products. These things suck!!
Well done, Marty! My son just bought a house with a slightly wobbly toilet. He tightened the bolts. Now he has an EXTREMELY wobbly toilet. I am going to use your guidance and attempt a Dad to the rescue repair. :-) Thanks Man!!
I really like that straw idea! That blue flange stuff- not so much. Anything with foam in a wet environment is not likely to hold up. If I am only a little out of level, grab the coned wax ring with 35% more wax and put a regular wax ring without a cone on the downside, do the straw trick-especially if you are by yourself, and set your toilet. The bolts kind of hold the toilet to the floor-but the caulking is totally necessary to keep the toilet in place over time. Use slow drying silicon and tape the floor around the toilet to have better caulking results at the joint. If you are putting a new two piece toilet in, set the base first and assemble the top tank afterwards- it saves your back and you have more control lining up with the floor bolts. Don’t forget to test your toilet wax ring seal before you caulk the base- use lots of toilet paper to simulate real use. Test it good. Actually, I do the two wax ring system every time- it never fails.
I feel you man! Cheer up! I did a similar thing for my dad and he gave me heat cause it took me long but I didn't care. I was trying to learn, study, experience and experiment with my skills. Especially, when running into hiccups such as uneven floor surfaces.
I come from Industrial Maintenance and EVERYTHING in Residential and Commercial Construction drives me CRAZY. Not designed for long term or from a preventive maintenance perspective at all!! But the absence of these creates such a target rich environment for our innovative NATURES that at least I am having a fun time inventing, prototyping and testing my devices in numerous situations. I, like you, see a better way in everything I see. Not so in aircraft where I admire the progress and reliability, but in construction design, maintenance and repair the objective is always, and always has been, BASED ON TIME CONSTRAINTS FROM BEGINING TO END ! I can't blame them in the trades and love every one of THEM doing the work MOST OF US DON'T WANT TO DO!!!! I feel your PAIN !!
My Kohler Cimarron toilets do use in-tank mounting bolts which I love. Kohler engineered it with exterior metal bracket that mounts to the underside of tank via the opening under the flapper. Bracket and bolts never come in contact with water. The bolts actually slide into that bracket. So the only potential leak point left in the tank is where the water line fitting enters the tank.
First of all I would like to say I’m a licensed plumber and although you didn’t technically fill in the whole with concrete I would say you tackled it pretty well. Sometimes it’s way too expensive for someone to fix it properly and although I believe that a plumbers work is justified I completely understand you. Looked good and clean. I like to use that green sani seal now although the old fashion wax ring is just fine. Haven’t had a problem with the rubber getting cut (must be those messy plumbers) lol. But I like that the material bounces back with any rocking or movement over time and it’s clean and if you mess up you can reset it. Great video!
I read that the SaniSeal coating has problems holding up to the chlorine in the water over time. I'm not sure how much time, but I'm sure you could google it and find a plumbers forum where they're talking about it. I couldn't fill the hole (for the drain pipe) with concrete because it's directly over the top of the drywall ceiling of the condo below me. It seems to be fine the way I have it, and it was working okay with no support at all since the place was built in 74. Thanks for watching. I guess you plumbers watch just to see the ridiculous stuff people are doing, lol.
@@MartyPollio ah ok makes sense I assumed it was on the first floor. And no I honestly watched this video to see how other people tackle this project. Sometimes I find good tips and tricks from others. I didn’t mean to offend you. Anyway thanks for the tip on the sanseal
Marty...I grew up with a great Dad that always said.."If you want it do right ..do it yourself." Like your idea of using the straws for the bolts. You are not stupid ..Marty. Thanks for the education...always learning. GOOD VEDIO. Just remember...Thermometers have degrees...and you know where they stick them!
Great job. I love an un biased approached of a product or a method of doing something. I have installed numerus toilets but I have never removed a toilet that I installed to see the problems that my mistakes might have caused. It is great to see somebody trying different things and then analyzing them. Great job.
I used the green rubber one a couple of months ago when I repaired my toilet. I even pulled the toilet off once to repair the toilet flange. It worked perfectly with no problems and is still working months later with no problems.
Great video! Just replaced my failed wax seal with the blue “Better than Wax” seal. The original seal was wax, leaked horribly, the plumber sealed around the toilet base with silicone (before I bought the house). When I removed the silicone the floor flooded with brown water. First attempt with a wax seal lasted 6 months then started leaking. Called plumbers, they all quoted $500 to replace seal so I bought some seals like you. The non-level flange was 1/4” above the non-level tile floor and was not level. By adjusting the nuts on the bolts and using shims (Wobble Wedge) was able to stop the leakage and stabilize the toilet. Plumbers only want to take your money and could care less if they actually solved the problem.
Central Coast CA. HD associate told me to use 2x wax rings. The blue “Better than Wax” seal is still leak free. When I asked plumbers why they charged $500, they said “going rate, toilets break, this covers the replacement”.
From one toilet ingineer to another: I approve of your work. I like Marty because he talks to me on the same level, don't make us wait long time for the next video 🚽
The ideal scenario is to have the piece of pipe that the flange attaches to at the same height as the flange so that way you can avoid having difficulties like the one that you describe in your video.When I replaced my soil stack I used DWV PVC with a cast iron no-hub flange that I bolted to the floor.I could have used a PVC flange but past experiences with PVC flanges do not inspire me with confidence because PVC flanges have been known to break off where the johnny bolts go due to the fact that PVC though strong becomes brittle with age and/or cold weather.What I did was that I installed the DWV PVC in the basement,made all of the necessary connections then came upstairs,slipped the cast iron no-hub flange over the piece of DWV PVC that was protruding from the floor,fastened the cast iron no-hub flange to the PVC pipe and to the floor then with my dremel multi-tool I trimmed the excess PVC pipe to be at the same height as the cast iron no-hub flange thus giving the Fluidmaster gasket plenty of solid area on which to rest on to prevent any leaks.I hope you don't mind my advice but in your situation I would have used acrylic caulking on the inside edge of the flange's mouth and allowed the caulking to cure before resetting the toilet or you could have gotten a piece of 4" PVC pipe,cut a piece of the 4" PVC pipe at the same height as your flange to take up the extra space inside the mouth of your flange,caulked the 4" PVC nipple in place and done.Wax is good but if you ever need to remove your toilet you will have to go through the same thing again using wax as a filler because the wax is not going to stay in place once you remove your toilet where as the acrylic caulking will stay in place if allowed to cure before the toilet is set.Slowly but surely we are seeing and will hopefully continue to see improvements concerning toilets.When I removed the old toilet that we had to replace it with our new TOTO toilet I was astounded at how small the flush valves on old toilets actually are.You did a very good job Mr.Pollio,forget the nay-sayers.With the economy in such dire straits causing such financial difficulties now a days there's nothing wrong with you or anyone else wanting to save a few hundred dollars here and there when ever it's possible.The few hundred dollars that you can save here and there help to pay for other home repairs that you cannot or might not want to do yourself.I'm certain that the plumber that you consulted with was asking at a minimum upwards of $700.00 at the very least in which case you did the right thing,jerry-rigging is nothing to be ashamed of,getting taken for upwards of at least $700.00 is nothing to brag about either so you did well Mr.Pollio,God bless you and yours.P.S.,The one mistake that you made was that you didn't properly align the flange before you set the flange in place which is why the johnny bolts are stretching the eyelets on the gasket.The top and bottom notches on your flange are supposed to be in the 12 and 6 o'clock positions but instead the top and bottom notches on your flange are in the 11 and 5 o'clock positions which is why your johnny bolts are sitting so far apart from each other and stretching eyelets on the gasket and also results in your toilet not being properly held in place by the johnny bolts.The johnny bolts are supposed to sit midway in their respective slots and centered on the flange which would be the case if the top and bottom notches on your flange were in the 12 and 6 o'clock positions.I have worked with licensed NYC contractors and licensed NYC plumbers since I was 16 years old and I am now 59 years old.While I do not know everything there is to know about plumbing what I learned I learned well.The last part of my post is not to mock or ridicule you,the last part of my post is meant to help you and others.
I like the way you used foam to seal the flange. That stops ants from getting in and if there is a leak it stops the water from going down and ruining the wooden floor below.
as you showed, it comes with a black spacer flange that would have done what your stacking of 2 did, and for half the price....always read the directions, but your steadfastness is still impressive, while it took you much longer than it should have, you made it work, there are simply sometimes easier and better ways to get to the desired result
The spacer they include is too tall for most cases if the flange is flush with the floor. I suggested above that a longer neck on the blue part... and different sized spacers would be perfect.
@@TH-camStalker Its made of foam and it compresses so it seem higher than it should but usually will compress down to what you need. In the video he needed that spacer, the two stacked caused the seal to be uneven and fail, using the spacer would have fixed this issue.
Oh, how smart, Marty, putting wax where glue is not holding, going to do EXACTLY as you did...getting 2 of them! Tiling my bathroom but never did a toilet area. Thanks for your wonderful “meticulousism”. You are soooo funny, so glad I found you!
The easiest fix for the rusty screws you mentioned is just to buy a one-piece. HD has them in the house brand. Work great for me. Stays cleaner too as nothing seeps between bowl and tank.
Great video. I agree so much with how ridiculous the modern toilet is and the fact that no one has come up with a fail safe version. I’ve used the Danco products a couple of times to compensate for height issues and have had good luck. Thank you for the video!
I'm no pro but have replaced a few toilets in my life (I'm replacing one now) and every time there has been water damage (as there is now). This is one area I think deserves extra care and attention since once you place it so aren't going to know you have a slight leak unless it's just a gusher (which is rare). Most damage is done over a long time and not found until it's replaced. Nice job!
Yes it's stuck to the bottom of the toilet. No staining under the base of the toilet. You did a great job! The wax seal will make up for the flange being un-level
Hey Marty I Like a guy that speaks the truth and you also went out to show everyone the differences of these items! Wow I think that's special, I agree with you and thank you for a nice waking up video on how to repair these issues!
The Danco Perfect Seal was great for my application. My floor around my toilet is not level. Big hump on the right side and the back left corner slopes away. Almost impossible for the toilet to sit flush on the flange and be level without shimming. I replaced my original toilet with a new toilet a year or two ago and used a standard wax ring. I decided to install it flush on the flange and leave it unlevel. Great seal, but you could tell the toilet wasn't level when you sat on it. The other day we put new flooring in, so we had to pull the toilet. Used a standard wax ring again and decided to level it this time. With all of the rocking and lifting to level it, I must have broken the wax seal and it leaked. I decided to give the Perfect Seal a try. This was great for when I was shimming the toilet level, since no matter how much I lifted and repositioned the toilet, the rubber gasket will still be sealed on the toilet. My flange (looks like a repair flange) sits at least 1/4 inch above the floor, so I took out the blue extender and took out the black insert before even trying it once. Seems to have worked so far! I had similar concerns about the small diameter of the hole, but I have not noticed any difference in flushing power or speed in my toilet. However, I don't think my pipe is as wide as yours.
Alright, Marty, you go guy. I think you're on point w/ your comments and very funny. I had a plumber do this job, and yes, he sent his son who called and asked if I had the money, $200. He was in and out in 20 min and I still had a leak in the downstairs apt. He said he did test flushes and there was no leak, but the tenants say when the upstairs toilet is flushed, it still leaks, and now it's worse. This was about an hour after they left. Now the owner wants to cut out the bend and do all that big work, and I'm about hey, what about the job that was done and may not have been done right for my situation. Maybe the seal didn't take, the floor might not be level, and was the right ring used? There are many different types of ring seals. I can't believe the owner argued w/ me about that saying there aren't many different types of rings. They didn't cut the bolts which I think for the money should be part of the project work, and they didn't clean up the mess. I'm not that knowledgeable about this stuff, so I was looking things up and came across your video among many other good ones. I also don't live in the house, I'm in NJ, so I handled this remotely. Guess you have to stand over them. Many questions, but this is Queens, NY, and it's hard to get good, reliable, quality service. People are so used to bad service that they wouldn't know good service if it slapped them in the face. And, of course, most people couldn't tell a ring from a donut, so that doesn't help either. If you show any knowledge that challenges the aura of their expertise, they get their backs up. Thanks for your independent thinking.
I bought and tried to use the fluidmaster better than wax seal when attempted my first every install of an American Titan Standard toilet. The flange was slightly above the floor and the toilet was wobbly. It never balanced so I was forced to use the wax ring that it came with. Sucks to have spent 10x more than a wax ring. I would say the wax ring is more DIY friendly and easier to use.
I used a combination of the blue flange repair setup on the lower right, and the better than wax ring and horn many years ago to fix a rotted copper or brass flange in a 120 year old house, worked really well. It was not an ideal situation and a plumber would have probably insisted on placing part of the drain to do it “right” but for $25 and some elbow grease i never had an issue from it again.
I think you did a great job. People that want to help each other, do so by explaining how they might have done it differently than you did. Not by critiquing the way you did it.
I like your video and the socks scare me. You may want to cover up your legs, they scare me too. I like the flange with the drill-able holes where on the outside holes could resolve the unleveled old flange. The floor is level and the outside flange holes would resolve the unleveled flange. Your sense of humor is great! I learned something today. Thank you for sharing.
First, thanks for making the video, which is a marvel of DIY sharing technology (for good and bad). Second, rock those socks. Finally, I've lived in my home for over 25 years and have experienced a plethora of bad construction, bad professional work, and my own bad DIY work. I like your attention to detail. So, my experience with wax, that green POS foam seal, the "perfect seal", and "better than wax" seal, is that wax is the best long term flange seal solution. In order of my trials and painful cleanups: the green foam seal is a terrible product that leaked immediately because the bolt tore the seal upon installation, "better than wax" failed after 7 years when the rubber got hard and brittle. The "perfect seal" isn't perfect either because it's rubber gasket compressed on one side, got stuck in that postion, and failed to flex back onto the toilet base, which leaked even after several attempts to reposition the toilet. My three other toilets, that I set myslef, have been in place without leaks using wax-only seals for over 20 years. And while technology has brought us TH-cam, smartphones, and the like, it's failed me with toilet flange seals. Wax flange seals are still the best long term solution for me.
Marty you need to make more videos like this-had me laughing. I really enjoyed this and it also helped me with my leaky toilet repair!! I was just complaining about the exact thing how old some of this tech is for toilets. Its unbelievable.
Not Tim, but the Woody Allen of plumbing? However, this is what happens inside my head as I research sh!t to death. An example of reinventing the wheel and why things haven't changed for 100 years. However, he is right and it seems these are in need of reengineering by the industry. The problem is there are so many different situations plumbers come across and products are made to address most of them. I can't wait for part 3. Thanks.
I'm an ex landlord and performed all my own toilet repair jobs. First of all I like the silicone caulking around the flange to protect the underlayment of the bathroom floor. If there were to be a leak from the toilet flange and/or toilet gasket your floor under your tile will be compromised. The is a good video. Informative and DIY. BTW I installed sani seals in four of my rental toilets and everyone of them failed. The sani seal became water logged instead of repelling water it absorbs water each time you do a flush.
Supposedly, part of the problem with sani-seal rings is that they don't hold up well to the chemicals in tap water. So, even if they don't get torn, the coating breaks down.
Mr. Marty, Thanks! You gave me the confidence to use the Fluidmaster non wax single application on my toilet replacements in our house. Why is the wax BROWN?! ...Brown wax does not inspire confidence in amateur hobbiest plumbers. We like your sox. Fastidiousness is appreciated.
You should watch my Two year review of the Fluidmaster. The wax is brown right out of the box, I guess because it's a petroleum product. My socks thank you.
I'm watching your videos in reverse order. You mention improving the water closet (toilet). I used to work with a fellow from Lebanon. He had some anatomical problems and required an operation on his lower backside. During his discussion of the operation, he ranted against Western toilets. He pointed out that the squatting position is more anatomically suited to the job than sitting. I believe he went so far as to find proof on the internet. From experience. in the woods, you squat. So the biggest improvement may be to match the toilet better to human anatomy. Tomorrow, I'll install the Fluidmaster and hope to fix the leak currently in the wax ring. Thanks for these videos.
i appreciate your humbleness. Checking back on a toilet that isn't presenting any problems - great scene. Great line - "We do the best we can with what we got..." . I was waiting for the duck tape next, though. You can't argue with success even if its unorthodox. You remind me of The Red Green Show - "And remember, if the women don't find you handsome they should at least find you handy".
Thanks Marty for your video. I'm a DIY nobody will go to the trouble of removing the toilet. But your meticulous detail better than a hired pro could do it!
Marty, I wish you lived near me. I'd hire you all the time. When you lifted up that seat, your work from 2 years ago was pristine. You shamed those other plumbers, that's what you really did. I have a leak (among other problems plumbing) and I was considering trying this. What was the material of the "seal" on the one you ended up using? It did not look very durable to me. Make more videos, please, I loved it.
You had me with "You broke my heart Fredo" 😂. Turns out I'm also about to install the same fluidmaster waxless seal on my toilet that has an ancient cast iron drain pipe underneath with the flange that is also ancient cast iron that is definitely not level with the floor and is 2 feet away from a floor heat vent which is most likely why I need to replace the somewhat melted wax ring from previous owner (leaks under floor I can clearly see in basement). Wish me luck.
Great video, thanks for your time and effort. I think you forgot the word "savant" when you called yourself an idiot, those are some great ideas. I'm pretty sure there are some high end toilets out there that have what you're asking for. Keep up the good work.
Your video answered a major question I have that I was going to call Fluidmaster about. What's the diameter of the bottom of the blue funnel on the Fluid Master seal. You mentioned 2 3/4. That's the same size as the horn in a wax seal or at least the one I measured. You also showed many of questions I had. You put nuts on the bolts at the bottom to keep the bolts straight. I read about using straws on the bolts to help guide the toilet when putting it down. Think you could have used larger straws but you're the only one I saw use them. Thanks!!
Not everything needs a professional plumber, part of the problem today is alot of people don't know how to work on the simple stuff. I'm 100% confident in my ability to do a majority of repairs myself. Might not be as quick, but I'll put my work up against any else's and I'll know for a fact it was right and no corners were cut.
The glue that holds the foam to the rubber is just to keep them stuck together until the installation is done. Doesn't do anything to seal from water leaks, so don't worry if it's starting to peel
i maintain a lot of toilets and have always had good luck with the saniseal. they may have stopped doing it but at one point saniseal rings came with sleeves for the fasteners to protect the inside of the mounting holes. this is probably what has made the difference for me. you may find that finding plastic or silicon bolt sleeves or maybe even generously lubricating the mounting holes would prevent damage during installation.
Great sense of humor and logic. Reminds me of Marty McFly dealing with Biff. Your fans need a link for those socks...!! Fixing to watch your 2-year follow-up to this video....
You did a great job, I did my three toilets my self and change two vanity, it cost a lot of money to pay, it's good to help your self, I'm Jack of all trade
Bigger technological advances in bludgeonry. LOL No doubt you are right about that. Thanks for the review of rubber seals. I feel a little more confident in my selection of Flowmaster last week. had no idea you could stack these. I may need a second one. I was afraid to fill the toilet and try it, but I’m reminded the whole point of this kind is I can fill it, flush, empty and look at what it did. Thanks!
I did a follow-up review (video) of the seal I used. You may want to check it out because it didn't hold up that well after two years. Here's the link: th-cam.com/video/KS0FJmLMrYY/w-d-xo.html
I's go with the wax seal They last over 20 years. If you silicone the bottom leave a gap in the back for the water to leak so you know when it leaks. I you goof up the wax seal just scrape it off an put on a new one. They're only couple bucks each. When you go to the store always buy 2 wax seals.
Thanks for the video. I used the green foam seal back in 2010. It is still intact and no issues (2021). It was my first ever toilet job and it was a success. I am about to do another job on a different toilet and plan to use the green foam seals again! F- wax!
Professionals are trained to do the most cost effective installations that are up to CODE. DIYers have more investment into their projects and benefit from overkill because they are already saving money from not hiring a pro. Just because it is above an beyond CODE, doesnt mean it is wrong. Remember that installation CODE is the bare minimum that must be followed by law. You did a great job that will last as long or longer than any pro. Dont listen to internet trolls. A+ for taking the time to do a rock solid install.
Thanks for the comment. That is the perfect analysis of the situation.
Lil
Ui
I second motion this comment!..
Some so called professionals are nothing more than cash grabbing hacks. There is cutting corners responsibly and then there is doing substandard work to cram in more calls.
Stumbled onto your video; I rarely comment. As a professional plumber I enjoyed your video and would agree, social media is full of Monday morning quarterbacks and "experts" there to tell you how you did it wrong. As a homeowner who cares, and is willing to put in the work/effort, you can sometimes do a better job than someone you might pay. Now to your repair; I noticed you are very concerned about the level of the flange. I've never put a level on the flange and know that the odds of finding a perfect one are nil. What's more important is where the flange is in relation to the top of the floor(I know it's not level). Only reason that's important is it determines how thick a gasket/ring you will need to make a good seal. Since I started my business doing service and repair, I've never stocked wax rings on my truck. I've always used different types of foam gaskets like the ones you show in the video. Sani Seal is a great one. For a while I've been using a product called Tight Seal gasket made of elastomer. Gaskets always more $$ than wax, but so worth it. BTW, I hold no ill will to those who want to do their own work. Of course I don't make money as a pro that way; but I also don't have to do the work! Keep up the good work.
"...but I also don't have to do the work." Haha. Thanks for commenting. Sorry for the delay. Sometimes I live in a time warp.
Yes this is a good comment, and a good video. Essentially the end product is to get a good long lasting seal. As it your own toilet, you have the time and attention to research and do the best possible job you can. Plumbers will never go out of business, because who wants to do a job like this in a well used high traffic commercial restaurant😊 But good job 👏
One thing my Dad taught me that he was truly right about is that just because you're not a professional at doing diy projects doesn't mean you can't do a better job than professionals . I've seen some so called professionals do pretty sloppy work.
I agree, with tons of how to videos on youtube and personal experience by the old timers I manage to find a solution. My mom always encouraged me to learn from the older heads and pick their brain. Good thing is youtube has some of those mentors like Essential Craftsman etc. I do a combo of learning from my elders + youtube videos.. i personally believe if there is somethinf that needs a repair youtube has a video for it.. im not that old (38) but im used to passed along knowledge but youtube specfic videos have saved my butt..
No kidding. I'm an amateur but even I have done better plumbing work than the "professional" plumbers in my area. Granted there are only 2 of them in my area and both of them suck. One of them busted holes in an elderly man's brick wall to run a vent pipe for a washing machine & didn't even seal or patch around the hole on the exterior. He also only ran the pipe up a few couple feet and slapped an AAV on it. AAVs aren't even allowed by my state's plumbing code. And this is an exterior vent! When he did the other drain pipes he had the customer's grandson dig the trenches but then charged for digging even though he never touched a shovel and he just slapped the pipes into the trenches without any slope and left them sticking out of the ground (he didn't set them all the way down into the trench). I almost hired that guy but after that I would never let him touch a project at my house. The other guy won't sweat copper (which I admit I won't do either) and rushes jobs & doesn't care if he leaves a mess in a customer's yard or house. He didn't even bring the right equipment to do the job & had to use our wire hangers (got mad last time he came out bc he used up the last of our hangers & we don't have anymore and they don't sell them in the area). Doublecharged for literally 2 minutes of cleaning a drain because he was mad that he showed up a day early without calling first & my disabled mother had trouble getting to the door-- the kicker is, he saw her come out but because it took her so long to answer he left anyway and charged us for that visit. After that I learned to snake drains myself.
You should move to an area that has more plumbers
He's lucky he has 2! We only have 1 where I live. Granted he is awesome and does great work. We also don't have any handymen who aren't strung out so I'm looking at having to do everything myself if I want it done halfway decently. I sit here watching videos about the product I already bought to fix my toilet which started leaking lol. Glad the product I chose is the one people seem to like and use.
Kevin Sorenson. Back in '03 I was building a small work shop. I did the framing, insulation and all the sheet rock work but before the insulation and rock, I asked the electrical inspector if a DIYer could do the wiring and save a ton of money. He said yes as long as it was code. So I bought a bunch of romex, switches and recepticals and spent a week mapping out where I wanted stuff. When I was nearing the end of the project, I called for an early inspection as the dept suggusted. He pointed out a minor few things that needed to be corrected. About 3 weeks later after I was sure everything was up to code, he came back and told me for an amateur, I had done a first class job, better than some pros, in fact. He signed the job off and I had power the next day to where I could work nights putting in insulation and rock. The days were just to damn hot to work in. Plumbing isn't usually my thing but the wife needs a new more modern toilet, so I guess I will try it. If Joe the Plumber can do it, I guess I can too. Cheers, my friend. Bob
Even if you don't care about this topic.. I love the dead panned humor at the end....
Applause for thinking outside the box
"Do what we can with what we got" Brilliant!
I'm a plumber,and your 100% right in the fact of there's more then one way to skin a cat. But I say you did an excellent job. I'd shake your hand and say well done mate.
Dude, you're a plumber, skip the handshake bro. lol
@@garybonz Also, there's a pandemic. Do elbow bump instead.
@@garybonz That's some funny shit right there.
ditto
😂@@JasonEMoustakas
Your NOT stupid. You are very thorough. Nothing wrong with that. You obviously hit a nerve with plumbers. That tends to happen when people get jealous. Great job.
The sweetest spirit. Revealing your honest thoughts. Cleanest underside of a toilet I have ever seen.
This man speaks truth! Love his comments. Seriously, toilets haven’t changed in my lifetime
The uh change every day almost including the toliet seats bra
Toilets have changed for the better. Our new 1.6gpf Kohler one-piece has yet to be clogged by our olympic dumper 15 yr old son. He was clogging our old 1984 Am.Std Plebe 4gpf on a weekly basis. The Kohler has 2 flush modes: quick press/release of the handle to flush .75g for pee, or depress the handle for 4 seconds to release the full 1.6g for a dump flush. My wife loves the one piece design for teenage-boy-spray cleanup. Also, one-piece design avoids the possibility of the water tank leaking through those bolts and seals that attach to the bowl. And we all love the soft-close seats.
Marty, the Fluidmaster comes with a height spacer for flanges that are too low. You didn’t need a second gasket.
I was wondering the same thing. Why not use the height spacer? I mean, if you want to buy two then go for it. But what do you gain by using two versus the added spacer?
Good info💥👍💥
The height spacer would have raised it up too much because it's so big. I thought two funnels interlocked would be better than one.
Thumbs up for having the nerve to wear those socks on camera! LOL.
Solid review! I like it !! :-)
Friggin Hilarious. Marty you're the funniest home improvement hack I've ever seen. With regard to your extended bolt idea I couldn't stop laughing. The stackable seals were probably the least desirable option but you made them work, and by doing so you have earned the respect of all the home improvement hacks everywhere. Keep on hacking (with videos) because the world needs as much humor as possible.
Great job on the flange, I used the fludmaster seal and had to use both pieces from the kit because my flange is below floor level due to the way they tiled my floor. Our issue is that with wax every winter we would develop a leak. The rubber and the foam seals have held up for two years so far.
Your comment about the "20 minute man" was spot on. You call a plumber today, he's on the clock so it's "Blow and Go". They are pigs, almost never cleaning up behind themselves. Yeah, this was a little overkill, but your toilet didn't leak a drop. Can't tell you how many times I reseat a recently installed toilet that is leaking. Other than not using the 3 1/2" closet bolts (and hacksawing them down so the bolt caps fit) don't apologize to anyone here. It's the "Pigs" reputation that you can't equate to his value. I encourage all my home owning customers to take a swing at doing this kind of home repairs. It ain't rocket science. If not, there are guys like me out there who do make love to making sure these jobs are done right and left cleaner than when I showed up.
Thanks Sir! It is unfortunate some haters have the need to disparage your efforts.
I use the green foamy seal (managing rental multi units) all the time . Installed a few dozen so far for a least 6 years. None failed yet . No leaks and being reused every time if toilet needs to be reinstalled .
The green ring is the best . No problems with it at all .
I used one a few years ago and so far so good
Contractors will ALWAYS tell you the guy before them did it all wrong, it’s in their handbook! 😂
If that aint the truth!!
yip!
Programmers and Mechanics are the same breed of cat.
It's usually the truth unfortunately.
The guy before him did it wrong, he’ll do it wrong, and the next guy will do it wrong…
btw, great job doing a detail presentation... the beauty of doing our own work, is that we CAN take the TIME to do extra things a "professional" would NEVER do (95+% of the time) And I think plumbers are AFRAID that people will watch videos like yours and REALIZE HOW EASY it is to DO IT YOURSELF... AND do an even better job...
I have got to give you props for doing it yourself. People have directed the same kind of comments to me over the years but I've saved a lot of money and, knock on wood, have never "learned the hard way" by having one of my repairs fail.
Sadly there is too many unscrupulous and/or hurried "pros" out there for anyone not to try a repair themselves... especially with all of the resources now available to the public
Working in building for over 30 years what I learned is most of the people that do it have no formal training on how to do it and you’re absolutely right I can afford to do things myself wrong three times more than paying somebody to do it wrong for me once I love your comment
Bravo, you hit the nail on the head here. I installed a new toilet two days ago and -after doing a little research- decided to give the Fluidmaster non-wax ring a try. However, my comfort level about having achieved an actual seal immediately after the installation was next to zero, so I went straight back to using the wax ring that was fortunately included with the toilet. Back to the stone ages…
I guess this is a common experience. I did exactly this 2 years ago. When I set the toilet down on the rubber gasket I wasnt feeling good at all about how it was seated and just used the wax ring that came with it instead as well. I just really perfer that nice seal you get with a wax ring, and with how cheap they are it isnt the end of the world that it cannot be reused.
Proper video man. I do everything myself. Electrics, Plumbing, carpentry, masonry etc.
I may take longer than the "Professionals" to do the jobs, but it will be done right, unlike the so-called "professionals" who may show up late or never. It's not so much about saving money, but more about a sense of satisfaction that one can do their own maintenance and also saving yourself a lot of aggravation by not having to deal with the so-called professionals. Keep up the good work.
Kudos to you for going the extra mile to double check your work. I especially like how you added additional wax to fill in the possible voids in the seal creating a hybrid of both. Great job.
Thanks. Yeah, I did what I felt like needed to be done here, but I have a follow-up video to this one and it didn't hold up all that well. The biggest problem was that my drain opening was too big for this seal. Also, these rubber seals have a problem holding up to the chemicals in the water ...over time.
I like your straw trick dropping the bowl on the flange. I use the straw trick on the flapper chains to keep the chain from getting to trapped in the flapper seat. I use an extra washer and nut to hold the johnny bolt rigid so dropping the bowl onto the flange is easier.
Man, you are hoot! And where did you get those socks?! I had to turn down the brightness on my monitor. Seriously, your video is 100% worth watching. I am about to replace a toilet in my house and I never would have known about all those seal options and pros and cons of each. I appreciate all the time and effort you put into this quality video. And with your personality, you could have your own show on HGTV.
I think they are Gatorade socks, but couldn't tell for sure!
i really like how he filled in the space between the flange and tile to prevent water from going under the tiling and creating a bigger problem. This helps to know if their is a leak from the wax ring, The caulking around the base should have some hole to let the water out.
I like this guy he's not afraid to reinvent or try something different. He questions an established mentioned looking for a better way. There's always a better way if you are willing to try and question things most of the time.👏👍
I'm a nurse who loves doing things by MYSELF! I've had previous upstairs disasters with leaking plumbing so I like to be able to know how I sealed it and check it periodically. Your creative methods are awesome - I wish there was a leak indicator that we could mount on the subfloor to be able to know if water is soaking into that if leaking under the tile floor that would save lots - thanks.
How about using spacers to raise the flange above the floor and seal the gap between the flange and the tile floor using silicone? If there is leak, water is on the tile floor, not under.
Great job! We find that when we do projects around the home ourselves, we also take more time yet we also take a lot more care and put more thought into the finer touches. We have had some pretty shoddy work done when we have let the 'pro's do the work for us. Generally, because they are in a rush to move on to the next job.
Some jobs though I really don't enjoy and struggle through, watching countless videos until I feel I can tackle it, and sometimes struggling through, yet in the end, I have a better result. We tend to overdo things too, especially now as we are tiling the bathroom my hubby had to remind me we are not making a swimming pool as I was taking the waterproofing the outside corners of the shower pan too far.
The toilet was an issue as to save having to tear out more ceiling below and redo the drainpipe I opted for a 'twist and set' flange to work with the existing pipe. It seems to be a good seal and once our shower drain is also installed we can test it as they share the same line.
Forget the people who want you to pay them. What you did worked great and you didn't have to pay a know it all! Keep doing and learning and you'll be self-sufficient! Remember there is no one way!!!! If your way works keep going! Learn as much as you can and never stop!
I have too say you did a fine job. I've been a plumber for 25 years. Trust me you did a better job then most plumbers that I know!
I had a toilet that I fought for over two years. My problem was not leaking but sewer gas. What started my trouble was we had a bathroom totally remodeled. After a couple of weeks I noticed water around the base of the toilet. I called the contractor. He sent a worker over who just tightened the two toilet bowl bolts. This did not work. I decided to remove the toilet. What I found was the contractor had cracked the plastic flange on the sewer pipe that the two long toilet bowl screws attach to. Now what to do? Since I am retired I decide to tackle the job. I am not going to bore you with a lot of details but I am as meticulous as you are. The flange repair was straight forward. In fact when I had finished with the flange repair it was better than the contractor's work. The flange was level about 1/8 inch above floor level. I placed a wax ring on the toilet bowl and was ready to go. For six months things were fine but then I detected a smell of sewer gas. Replaced the wax ring but still smelled sewer gas. I decided to go with a synthetic ring similar to the ones you show. Problem solved or so I thought. A little over a year later I began to smell sewer gas again. Now what? As a last ditch effort I researched TH-cam again to see if I had missed something. A product that caught my eye was Perfect Seal. Perfect Seal injects the wax downward as you install the toilet bowl. I used the product as instructed and low and behold problem solved and has been holding strong for over two years. What was causing the sewer gas to escape is beyond me but Perfect Seal fixed the sewer gas leak that no other product could.
I really enjoyed your video especially the comments on plumbers. I guarantee you there is no way a plumber would have done the meticulous job you did. Also your points on the lack of advancement in toilet technology are very well taken. What the hell are we living in the middle ages or what. Again great, great job on your toilet project.
Take care and have a grrrreat day!!!
I saw advertisements for that.. looks tempting to try.
@@TH-camStalker My Perfect Seal is still performing perfectly going on four years now. I guarantee you if I ever again have an issue with a toilet leaking at its base or sewer gas odor I am going to use Perfect Seal.
Take care and have a grrrreat day!!!
Job well done, I enjoyed how you addressed, then dismissed, the 20 min bonehead. Those people are out there no matter what you do. Great information. I've used wax rings for 20 years, and will continue to do so for 20 more.
A properly installed wax ring can last almost forever if no plunging is required. However most toilet removal photos show a lot of creepy crud around the flange and even on the floor. In my case I have Kohler Rochelle toilets installed in a tight location where I can't peek around the rim to see the flange bolts. It's also a bit tight to try to use a spotter. I have been able to do it with some difficulty by using stacks of shims and removing them one at a time but Have often damaged the wax ring and had to reform or replace it. This time I am going to try either the Sani Seal or the Fluidmaster and the shims hoping for a more forgiving placement.
Marty, you are a funny guy and a pleasure to watch. Your solutions are logical and effective. As a high school art teacher, many years retired, solutions were always in the back of my mind. Name it, I taught it. That's 35 years of fun. I own a house built in 1904 and with 4 johns I always looked for a solution or two in my 50 years of ownership
Marty, thanks for this video. I'm not a plumber, I'm a mechanic, I'm about to swap out the old wax seal on one of my toilets in my condo with a new rubber one. Unfortunately, I'm left with which seal to use since I was bent on using that green one like you originally were, but the warning you gave about those leaking really caught my attention, because I hate doing something twice. Thanks for the heads up my friend, and I agree completely with you that the toilet manufactures should really come up with some better ways/better products. These things suck!!
Well done, Marty! My son just bought a house with a slightly wobbly toilet. He tightened the bolts. Now he has an EXTREMELY wobbly toilet. I am going to use your guidance and attempt a Dad to the rescue repair. :-) Thanks Man!!
Toilet shims help, particularly with not completely level tile.
I really like that straw idea! That blue flange stuff- not so much. Anything with foam in a wet environment is not likely to hold up. If I am only a little out of level, grab the coned wax ring with 35% more wax and put a regular wax ring without a cone on the downside, do the straw trick-especially if you are by yourself, and set your toilet. The bolts kind of hold the toilet to the floor-but the caulking is totally necessary to keep the toilet in place over time. Use slow drying silicon and tape the floor around the toilet to have better caulking results at the joint. If you are putting a new two piece toilet in, set the base first and assemble the top tank afterwards- it saves your back and you have more control lining up with the floor bolts. Don’t forget to test your toilet wax ring seal before you caulk the base- use lots of toilet paper to simulate real use. Test it good. Actually, I do the two wax ring system every time- it never fails.
I prefer the no wax seal. I use them for every toilet and no need to double gasket. You can reuse them, too. The straw idea is a good 1.
I feel you man! Cheer up! I did a similar thing for my dad and he gave me heat cause it took me long but I didn't care. I was trying to learn, study, experience and experiment with my skills. Especially, when running into hiccups such as uneven floor surfaces.
I come from Industrial Maintenance and EVERYTHING in Residential and Commercial Construction drives me CRAZY. Not designed for long term or from a preventive maintenance perspective at all!! But the absence of these creates such a target rich environment for our innovative NATURES that at least I am having a fun time inventing, prototyping and testing my devices in numerous situations. I, like you, see a better way in everything I see. Not so in aircraft where I admire the progress and reliability, but in construction design, maintenance and repair the objective is always, and always has been, BASED ON TIME CONSTRAINTS FROM BEGINING TO END ! I can't blame them in the trades and love every one of THEM doing the work MOST OF US DON'T WANT TO DO!!!! I feel your PAIN !!
I really enjoy how laid back you are about everything. We could all learn something from you!
You don't need me, you've got those spliffs :)
My Kohler Cimarron toilets do use in-tank mounting bolts which I love. Kohler engineered it with exterior metal bracket that mounts to the underside of tank via the opening under the flapper. Bracket and bolts never come in contact with water. The bolts actually slide into that bracket. So the only potential leak point left in the tank is where the water line fitting enters the tank.
First of all I would like to say I’m a licensed plumber and although you didn’t technically fill in the whole with concrete I would say you tackled it pretty well. Sometimes it’s way too expensive for someone to fix it properly and although I believe that a plumbers work is justified I completely understand you. Looked good and clean. I like to use that green sani seal now although the old fashion wax ring is just fine. Haven’t had a problem with the rubber getting cut (must be those messy plumbers) lol. But I like that the material bounces back with any rocking or movement over time and it’s clean and if you mess up you can reset it. Great video!
I read that the SaniSeal coating has problems holding up to the chlorine in the water over time. I'm not sure how much time, but I'm sure you could google it and find a plumbers forum where they're talking about it. I couldn't fill the hole (for the drain pipe) with concrete because it's directly over the top of the drywall ceiling of the condo below me. It seems to be fine the way I have it, and it was working okay with no support at all since the place was built in 74. Thanks for watching. I guess you plumbers watch just to see the ridiculous stuff people are doing, lol.
@@MartyPollio ah ok makes sense I assumed it was on the first floor. And no I honestly watched this video to see how other people tackle this project. Sometimes I find good tips and tricks from others. I didn’t mean to offend you. Anyway thanks for the tip on the sanseal
not sure how I found you Marty but I'm so glad I did. You sire are the Larry David of home improvement.
Marty...I grew up with a great Dad that always said.."If you want it do right ..do it yourself."
Like your idea of using the straws for the bolts. You are not stupid ..Marty.
Thanks for the education...always learning. GOOD VEDIO.
Just remember...Thermometers have degrees...and you know where they stick them!
THATS....DONE RIGHT ...my bad.
Great job. I love an un biased approached of a product or a method of doing something. I have installed numerus toilets but I have never removed a toilet that I installed to see the problems that my mistakes might have caused. It is great to see somebody trying different things and then analyzing them. Great job.
I used the green rubber one a couple of months ago when I repaired my toilet. I even pulled the toilet off once to repair the toilet flange. It worked perfectly with no problems and is still working months later with no problems.
Stuff I read said that, besides the problem I mentioned, the green ones don't hold up to the chemicals in the water over time.
Great video! Just replaced my failed wax seal with the blue “Better than Wax” seal. The original seal was wax, leaked horribly, the plumber sealed around the toilet base with silicone (before I bought the house). When I removed the silicone the floor flooded with brown water. First attempt with a wax seal lasted 6 months then started leaking. Called plumbers, they all quoted $500 to replace seal so I bought some seals like you. The non-level flange was 1/4” above the non-level tile floor and was not level. By adjusting the nuts on the bolts and using shims (Wobble Wedge) was able to stop the leakage and stabilize the toilet. Plumbers only want to take your money and could care less if they actually solved the problem.
Damn, $500 to replace a seal? Where do you live? That's robbery.
Central Coast CA. HD associate told me to use 2x wax rings. The blue “Better than Wax” seal is still leak free. When I asked plumbers why they charged $500, they said “going rate, toilets break, this covers the replacement”.
@@waynethompson6430 That's crazy. It's like they're forcing people to become DIY'ers.
I like this guy . His swagger and tone of confidence is cool to watch . I don’t really care about his toilet issues
From one toilet ingineer to another: I approve of your work.
I like Marty because he talks to me on the same level, don't make us wait long time for the next video 🚽
Engineer but thanks for desging toilets, we need more like you
@@ImTurtleSmo ungineer
The ideal scenario is to have the piece of pipe that the flange attaches to at the same height as the flange so that way you can avoid having difficulties like the one that you describe in your video.When I replaced my soil stack I used DWV PVC with a cast iron no-hub flange that I bolted to the floor.I could have used a PVC flange but past experiences with PVC flanges do not inspire me with confidence because PVC flanges have been known to break off where the johnny bolts go due to the fact that PVC though strong becomes brittle with age and/or cold weather.What I did was that I installed the DWV PVC in the basement,made all of the necessary connections then came upstairs,slipped the cast iron no-hub flange over the piece of DWV PVC that was protruding from the floor,fastened the cast iron no-hub flange to the PVC pipe and to the floor then with my dremel multi-tool I trimmed the excess PVC pipe to be at the same height as the cast iron no-hub flange thus giving the Fluidmaster gasket plenty of solid area on which to rest on to prevent any leaks.I hope you don't mind my advice but in your situation I would have used acrylic caulking on the inside edge of the flange's mouth and allowed the caulking to cure before resetting the toilet or you could have gotten a piece of 4" PVC pipe,cut a piece of the 4" PVC pipe at the same height as your flange to take up the extra space inside the mouth of your flange,caulked the 4" PVC nipple in place and done.Wax is good but if you ever need to remove your toilet you will have to go through the same thing again using wax as a filler because the wax is not going to stay in place once you remove your toilet where as the acrylic caulking will stay in place if allowed to cure before the toilet is set.Slowly but surely we are seeing and will hopefully continue to see improvements concerning toilets.When I removed the old toilet that we had to replace it with our new TOTO toilet I was astounded at how small the flush valves on old toilets actually are.You did a very good job Mr.Pollio,forget the nay-sayers.With the economy in such dire straits causing such financial difficulties now a days there's nothing wrong with you or anyone else wanting to save a few hundred dollars here and there when ever it's possible.The few hundred dollars that you can save here and there help to pay for other home repairs that you cannot or might not want to do yourself.I'm certain that the plumber that you consulted with was asking at a minimum upwards of $700.00 at the very least in which case you did the right thing,jerry-rigging is nothing to be ashamed of,getting taken for upwards of at least $700.00 is nothing to brag about either so you did well Mr.Pollio,God bless you and yours.P.S.,The one mistake that you made was that you didn't properly align the flange before you set the flange in place which is why the johnny bolts are stretching the eyelets on the gasket.The top and bottom notches on your flange are supposed to be in the 12 and 6 o'clock positions but instead the top and bottom notches on your flange are in the 11 and 5 o'clock positions which is why your johnny bolts are sitting so far apart from each other and stretching eyelets on the gasket and also results in your toilet not being properly held in place by the johnny bolts.The johnny bolts are supposed to sit midway in their respective slots and centered on the flange which would be the case if the top and bottom notches on your flange were in the 12 and 6 o'clock positions.I have worked with licensed NYC contractors and licensed NYC plumbers since I was 16 years old and I am now 59 years old.While I do not know everything there is to know about plumbing what I learned I learned well.The last part of my post is not to mock or ridicule you,the last part of my post is meant to help you and others.
I like the way you used foam to seal the flange. That stops ants from getting in and if there is a leak it stops the water from going down and ruining the wooden floor below.
Moral of the story...Wax is messy, yes, but Wax is reliable. When in doubt, use a good-quality wax gasket and a spacer or two if needed. Nice Job!
Great job. Plumbers can complain all they want about your video, but none of them is going to do the research and testing that you did.
Never thought changing a toilet ring would entertain me,but I was wrong . Thumbs up
as you showed, it comes with a black spacer flange that would have done what your stacking of 2 did, and for half the price....always read the directions, but your steadfastness is still impressive, while it took you much longer than it should have, you made it work, there are simply sometimes easier and better ways to get to the desired result
The spacer they include is too tall for most cases if the flange is flush with the floor. I suggested above that a longer neck on the blue part... and different sized spacers would be perfect.
@@TH-camStalker Its made of foam and it compresses so it seem higher than it should but usually will compress down to what you need. In the video he needed that spacer, the two stacked caused the seal to be uneven and fail, using the spacer would have fixed this issue.
Kudos to you for your honest comments. Haters will always hate.
Using a straw for bolt guides is an awesome idea.
Oh, how smart, Marty, putting wax where glue is not holding, going to do EXACTLY as you did...getting 2 of them! Tiling my bathroom but never did a toilet area. Thanks for your wonderful “meticulousism”. You are soooo funny, so glad I found you!
The easiest fix for the rusty screws you mentioned is just to buy a one-piece. HD has them in the house brand. Work great for me. Stays cleaner too as nothing seeps between bowl and tank.
As a certified master toilet technician (plumber) I approve of this message.
* 11:18 I Have used the Green one, it Worked Well💥*
I Do Like the *Blue one, you are useing.👍*
Excellent video! One of the most articulately explaned videos i've seen!
Great video. I agree so much with how ridiculous the modern toilet is and the fact that no one has come up with a fail safe version.
I’ve used the Danco products a couple of times to compensate for height issues and have had good luck. Thank you for the video!
I'm no pro but have replaced a few toilets in my life (I'm replacing one now) and every time there has been water damage (as there is now). This is one area I think deserves extra care and attention since once you place it so aren't going to know you have a slight leak unless it's just a gusher (which is rare). Most damage is done over a long time and not found until it's replaced. Nice job!
Yes it's stuck to the bottom of the toilet. No staining under the base of the toilet. You did a great job! The wax seal will make up for the flange being un-level
Hey Marty I Like a guy that speaks the truth and you also went out to show everyone the differences of these items! Wow I think that's special, I agree with you and thank you for a nice waking up video on how to repair these issues!
Thanks man, glad you liked it.
The Danco Perfect Seal was great for my application. My floor around my toilet is not level. Big hump on the right side and the back left corner slopes away. Almost impossible for the toilet to sit flush on the flange and be level without shimming. I replaced my original toilet with a new toilet a year or two ago and used a standard wax ring. I decided to install it flush on the flange and leave it unlevel. Great seal, but you could tell the toilet wasn't level when you sat on it. The other day we put new flooring in, so we had to pull the toilet. Used a standard wax ring again and decided to level it this time. With all of the rocking and lifting to level it, I must have broken the wax seal and it leaked. I decided to give the Perfect Seal a try. This was great for when I was shimming the toilet level, since no matter how much I lifted and repositioned the toilet, the rubber gasket will still be sealed on the toilet. My flange (looks like a repair flange) sits at least 1/4 inch above the floor, so I took out the blue extender and took out the black insert before even trying it once. Seems to have worked so far! I had similar concerns about the small diameter of the hole, but I have not noticed any difference in flushing power or speed in my toilet. However, I don't think my pipe is as wide as yours.
Alright, Marty, you go guy. I think you're on point w/ your comments and very funny. I had a plumber do this job, and yes, he sent his son who called and asked if I had the money, $200. He was in and out in 20 min and I still had a leak in the downstairs apt. He said he did test flushes and there was no leak, but the tenants say when the upstairs toilet is flushed, it still leaks, and now it's worse. This was about an hour after they left. Now the owner wants to cut out the bend and do all that big work, and I'm about hey, what about the job that was done and may not have been done right for my situation. Maybe the seal didn't take, the floor might not be level, and was the right ring used? There are many different types of ring seals. I can't believe the owner argued w/ me about that saying there aren't many different types of rings. They didn't cut the bolts which I think for the money should be part of the project work, and they didn't clean up the mess. I'm not that knowledgeable about this stuff, so I was looking things up and came across your video among many other good ones. I also don't live in the house, I'm in NJ, so I handled this remotely. Guess you have to stand over them. Many questions, but this is Queens, NY, and it's hard to get good, reliable, quality service. People are so used to bad service that they wouldn't know good service if it slapped them in the face. And, of course, most people couldn't tell a ring from a donut, so that doesn't help either. If you show any knowledge that challenges the aura of their expertise, they get their backs up. Thanks for your independent thinking.
You just validated my paranoia. I feel better doing it myself and just being very careful.
I bought and tried to use the fluidmaster better than wax seal when attempted my first every install of an American Titan Standard toilet. The flange was slightly above the floor and the toilet was wobbly. It never balanced so I was forced to use the wax ring that it came with. Sucks to have spent 10x more than a wax ring. I would say the wax ring is more DIY friendly and easier to use.
I used a combination of the blue flange repair setup on the lower right, and the better than wax ring and horn many years ago to fix a rotted copper or brass flange in a 120 year old house, worked really well. It was not an ideal situation and a plumber would have probably insisted on placing part of the drain to do it “right” but for $25 and some elbow grease i never had an issue from it again.
Hey guy you're really too hard on yourself. You've been a big help to me. Thanks a lot.
I think you did a great job. People that want to help each other, do so by explaining how they might have done it differently than you did. Not by critiquing the way you did it.
You have humor as dry as a tumbleweed and I genuinely enjoyed it haha that’s for multiple good ideas sir!
I like your video and the socks scare me. You may want to cover up your legs, they scare me too. I like the flange with the drill-able holes where on the outside holes could resolve the unleveled old flange. The floor is level and the outside flange holes would resolve the unleveled flange. Your sense of humor is great! I learned something today. Thank you for sharing.
First, thanks for making the video, which is a marvel of DIY sharing technology (for good and bad). Second, rock those socks. Finally, I've lived in my home for over 25 years and have experienced a plethora of bad construction, bad professional work, and my own bad DIY work. I like your attention to detail. So, my experience with wax, that green POS foam seal, the "perfect seal", and "better than wax" seal, is that wax is the best long term flange seal solution. In order of my trials and painful cleanups: the green foam seal is a terrible product that leaked immediately because the bolt tore the seal upon installation, "better than wax" failed after 7 years when the rubber got hard and brittle. The "perfect seal" isn't perfect either because it's rubber gasket compressed on one side, got stuck in that postion, and failed to flex back onto the toilet base, which leaked even after several attempts to reposition the toilet.
My three other toilets, that I set myslef, have been in place without leaks using wax-only seals for over 20 years. And while technology has brought us TH-cam, smartphones, and the like, it's failed me with toilet flange seals. Wax flange seals are still the best long term solution for me.
Marty you need to make more videos like this-had me laughing. I really enjoyed this and it also helped me with my leaky toilet repair!! I was just complaining about the exact thing how old some of this tech is for toilets. Its unbelievable.
Not Tim, but the Woody Allen of plumbing? However, this is what happens inside my head as I research sh!t to death. An example of reinventing the wheel and why things haven't changed for 100 years. However, he is right and it seems these are in need of reengineering by the industry. The problem is there are so many different situations plumbers come across and products are made to address most of them. I can't wait for part 3. Thanks.
Thanks man. Everyone has an opinion. That toilet flange looked as dry as anything. Nice.
I'm an ex landlord and performed all my own toilet repair jobs. First of all I like the silicone caulking around the flange to protect the underlayment of the bathroom floor. If there were to be a leak from the toilet flange and/or toilet gasket your floor under your tile will be compromised. The is a good video. Informative and DIY. BTW I installed sani seals in four of my rental toilets and everyone of them failed. The sani seal became water logged instead of repelling water it absorbs water each time you do a flush.
Supposedly, part of the problem with sani-seal rings is that they don't hold up well to the chemicals in tap water. So, even if they don't get torn, the coating breaks down.
@@MartyPollio thanks Marty. See you your next video
Mr. Marty, Thanks! You gave me the confidence to use the Fluidmaster non wax single application on my toilet replacements in our house. Why is the wax BROWN?! ...Brown wax does not inspire confidence in amateur hobbiest plumbers. We like your sox. Fastidiousness is appreciated.
You should watch my Two year review of the Fluidmaster. The wax is brown right out of the box, I guess because it's a petroleum product. My socks thank you.
Putting straws on the bolts to guide the bowl placement is a great idea, thanks.
I don't usually subscribe, but this level of detail and humour requires it. That and 20 minute plumber is a pig indeed.
I'm watching your videos in reverse order. You mention improving the water closet (toilet). I used to work with a fellow from Lebanon. He had some anatomical problems and required an operation on his lower backside. During his discussion of the operation, he ranted against Western toilets. He pointed out that the squatting position is more anatomically suited to the job than sitting. I believe he went so far as to find proof on the internet. From experience. in the woods, you squat. So the biggest improvement may be to match the toilet better to human anatomy. Tomorrow, I'll install the Fluidmaster and hope to fix the leak currently in the wax ring. Thanks for these videos.
i appreciate your humbleness. Checking back on a toilet that isn't presenting any problems - great scene. Great line - "We do the best we can with what we got..." . I was waiting for the duck tape next, though. You can't argue with success even if its unorthodox. You remind me of The Red Green Show - "And remember, if the women don't find you handsome they should at least find you handy".
I had to look up the Red Green show. I did see an episode years ago. Anyway, thanks for watching my video, I'm glad you enjoyed the it .
Thanks Marty for your video. I'm a DIY nobody will go to the trouble of removing the toilet. But your meticulous detail better than a hired pro could do it!
Thanks 👍
I hear you on the advancement of the tech. Kohler does have toilets where the bolts don't go through the tank eliminating two points of failure
Marty, I wish you lived near me. I'd hire you all the time. When you lifted up that seat, your work from 2 years ago was pristine. You shamed those other plumbers, that's what you really did. I have a leak (among other problems plumbing) and I was considering trying this. What was the material of the "seal" on the one you ended up using? It did not look very durable to me. Make more videos, please, I loved it.
Thanks for your insight. I’m about to replace ours. Hilarious comment about the lack of advancements in toilet technology also😃
You had me with "You broke my heart Fredo" 😂. Turns out I'm also about to install the same fluidmaster waxless seal on my toilet that has an ancient cast iron drain pipe underneath with the flange that is also ancient cast iron that is definitely not level with the floor and is 2 feet away from a floor heat vent which is most likely why I need to replace the somewhat melted wax ring from previous owner (leaks under floor I can clearly see in basement). Wish me luck.
Great video, thanks for your time and effort. I think you forgot the word "savant" when you called yourself an idiot, those are some great ideas. I'm pretty sure there are some high end toilets out there that have what you're asking for. Keep up the good work.
Your video answered a major question I have that I was going to call Fluidmaster about. What's the diameter of the bottom of the blue funnel on the Fluid Master seal. You mentioned 2 3/4. That's the same size as the horn in a wax seal or at least the one I measured. You also showed many of questions I had. You put nuts on the bolts at the bottom to keep the bolts straight. I read about using straws on the bolts to help guide the toilet when putting it down. Think you could have used larger straws but you're the only one I saw use them. Thanks!!
I think you did a remarkable job! Thank you for sharing. You are very motivated to take on these big projects.
Not everything needs a professional plumber, part of the problem today is alot of people don't know how to work on the simple stuff. I'm 100% confident in my ability to do a majority of repairs myself. Might not be as quick, but I'll put my work up against any else's and I'll know for a fact it was right and no corners were cut.
The glue that holds the foam to the rubber is just to keep them stuck together until the installation is done. Doesn't do anything to seal from water leaks, so don't worry if it's starting to peel
i maintain a lot of toilets and have always had good luck with the saniseal. they may have stopped doing it but at one point saniseal rings came with sleeves for the fasteners to protect the inside of the mounting holes. this is probably what has made the difference for me. you may find that finding plastic or silicon bolt sleeves or maybe even generously lubricating the mounting holes would prevent damage during installation.
Great sense of humor and logic. Reminds me of Marty McFly dealing with Biff. Your fans need a link for those socks...!!
Fixing to watch your 2-year follow-up to this video....
My brother from a different mother. I labor much as you & reached the same conclusion, going with the Fluidmaster Better Than Wax.
You did a great job, I did my three toilets my self and change two vanity, it cost a lot of money to pay, it's good to help your self, I'm Jack of all trade
Bigger technological advances in bludgeonry. LOL No doubt you are right about that. Thanks for the review of rubber seals. I feel a little more confident in my selection of Flowmaster last week. had no idea you could stack these. I may need a second one. I was afraid to fill the toilet and try it, but I’m reminded the whole point of this kind is I can fill it, flush, empty and look at what it did. Thanks!
I did a follow-up review (video) of the seal I used. You may want to check it out because it didn't hold up that well after two years. Here's the link: th-cam.com/video/KS0FJmLMrYY/w-d-xo.html
I's go with the wax seal They last over 20 years. If you silicone the bottom leave a gap in the back for the water to leak so you know when it leaks. I you goof up the wax seal just scrape it off an put on a new one. They're only couple bucks each. When you go to the store always buy 2 wax seals.
Thanks for the video. I used the green foam seal back in 2010. It is still intact and no issues (2021). It was my first ever toilet job and it was a success. I am about to do another job on a different toilet and plan to use the green foam seals again! F- wax!