Rocking Throne.....

[respiratoryterroristguy]

The toilet in my bathroom is not solidly mounted to the floor. I know why, but am unsure of how to effect repairs. The floor flange openings for the mounting bolts to slide into the grooves is aproximatly in the same location as the holes in the bottom of the commode. That means that when you tighten the nuts, it eventually pulls the head of the bolt back out of the opening in the groove. My question is, is the flange designed to rotate any, or do I need to either replace said flange ( probably outside my skill level ) or treat this as a broken flange.

[thedcdude]

You shouldn't be able to rotate the flange. I think the easiest fix is to treat it like a broken flange. Get the thin repair ring and fasten it well. This is easy if your working over a wood floor, a little more difficult on concrete. But this should tighten things up nicely.

[HayZee518]

the closet flange fastens the toilet bowl to the effluent line of your house. metal or plastic they are just about the same. the flange consists of a hub that fastens to your house line 3 or 4 inch, two circular grooves with a rectangular opening in each groove, holes around the circumference for fastening the flange to the toilet sub-floor. The flange is orientated so that the rectangular holes are NOT directly underneath and opposite the toilet flange bolt openings in the porcelain. The rectangular openings are rotated about 45 degrees from the opening(s) The flange bolts are inserted through the rectangular openings and rotated until they are at the sides of the toilet flange bolt openings. This will prevent the bolts from coming out of the holes when the nuts are drawn up tight. (see diagram)

[respiratoryterroristguy]

I think that dcdude has the answer. When this house was built, the installer didn't place the flange correctly, or used a flange designed for a different application. I thank both of you for your timely and helpful replies.

[adnadeau]

If the floor is solid under the flange, you can use toilet repair bolts, which have wood screw threads on one end and 1/4-20 threads on the other.
plumbing.hardwarestore.com/51-291-toilet-bolts-and-washers.aspx

[adnadeau]

Some flanges have a PVC body with a metal ring that moves separately from the body. If you have that kind, you can remove the mounting screws, rotate the metal ring to the correct location, and replace the screws.

[respiratoryterroristguy]

That's what I was hoping to find, but, it's just one solid piece of pvc. the wide pat of the groove, where you insert the bolt to rotate it match up with the mounting holes in the bowl base lines up, not the narrower part, so, when you try to tighten the nut, the bolt just pops out of the groove. VERY IRRATATING!!!

[Redwood]

I don't use all plastic flanges for this very reason.
They are junk.
Personally I'd remove the existing flange and install one of these with a stainless steel ring.



Yea it's more work but so is replacing a rotted out floor a couple of years down the road.