How to Remove a Toilet Flange & Wax Ring

Toilets that are installed in the bathroom of your home have a wax ring that is used to seal the toilet to the drain in the floor. This seal prevents water from leaking when the toilet is flushed. When water begins to leak from the bottom of your toilet, the seal from the wax ring may be broken. This will require you to remove the old wax ring and replace it with a new one.

Things You'll Need

• Adjustable wrench
• Cardboard
• Towels
• Putty knife
• Wax ring
• Level

Instructions

1. Shut off the water supply to the toilet by turning the valve to the water line counterclockwise. Disconnect the water supply from the toilet by unscrewing the fitting with an adjustable wrench.

2. Push down the handle on the toilet to flush the toilet. This will drain the water tank of water.

3. Lay out pieces of cardboard on the floor. This is where the toilet will sit while you are removing the wax ring. If you do not have cardboard, place an old towel on the floor.

4. Locate the bolts that are used to secure the toilet to the floor. Use a wrench to remove the nuts that are threaded onto the bolts. Unscrew the nuts and remove the washer that is underneath.

5. Lift the toilet off of the bolts and set it on the cardboard or towel that you laid out in Step 3.

6. Pull up the old wax ring that was sitting between the toilet and the flange. If the wax ring is stuck to the flange, wedge a putty knife under the wax ring to pry it off.

7. Scrape off any remaining wax from around the flange with the putty knife. You also should remove any wax from the bottom of the toilet.

8. Take the new wax ring out of the package and set it in place over the toilet drain. Align the wax ring so that it is centered over the drain hole and press it into place.

9. Set the toilet into place on top of the wax ring. Align the bolts on the floor with the bolt holes in the bottom of the toilet.

10. Sit on the toilet and rock slightly from front to back. This will settle the toilet and compress the wax ring. Place a level on top of the toilet bowl to make sure that the toilet is level.

11. Place the washers over the bolts and then hand tighten the nuts onto the bolts. Secure the nuts tightly with the wrench.

12. Reconnect the water supply to the toilet and then turn the water supply on to complete the project.

Tips & Warnings

• Some wax rings can be purchased that include a plastic flange.

• The wax side of the wax ring seals to the toilet and the plastic flange, if any, fits into the floor flange in the toilet drain.

• If you over-tighten the nuts on the bolts, you could crack the toilet bowl.

References

• Acme How To: How to Replace the Wax Ring