Replacing a Faulty Wax Ring on a Toilet

apartment maintenance work order, complaint from downstairs tenant that water is leaking through the bathroom ceiling.

[@mikemc41]

Great thorough instructions without being overbearing. Video was just as good. You could clearly see every aspect of the job. I’m doing this job this weekend. Thanks for posting.

[@R.Akerman-oz1tf]

I would have liked to see "fresh T-bolt" installation.

[@seanoverholt1736]

​@@R.Akerman-oz1tf they are just bolts in slots that are in the throat of the drain. Real easy to remove if toilet is not there. Match bolt at hardware store and you are done.

[@tainshabinnez9679]

Took out my toilet and found a 50 year old flange that was part of the down pipe. Plumber gave estimate of $1,200 'cuz it had to be cut from the condo below, pulled up and replaced. Saw this video and one other used two wax rings. So that's what I did to solve the problem and give me peace of mind. THANKS!

[@davidbrandel4128]

Same exact issue here as my house is 75 years old. I came here to see how to switch out the wax ring as the plumber suggested doubling up the ring and I was pleasantly surprised to see it done in this video.

[@digi3e]

I would rather get tutorials like this from a real person who does it all. Thank you!!

[@genevievec.8002]

This is one of the most straightforward maintenance videos I've ever seen. ❤ Thanks for the clear explanation. I not longer feel intimidated by replacing the wax seal on my own toilet

[@alicesimmons2086]

Thanks tons, 71 year old lady here, you made it clear and simple without talking forever. Tomorrow is my go for it day and now with tons more confidence, I can do this👍

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

Best of luck let us know how it goes :)

[@robdempsey8866]

How did it go?

[@SonTerrific]

Alice, I sure would like to know if you were able to do it. I’m a 45 yr old male and worried I’m gonna mess it up. Please let us know.

[@bandito3377]

@@robdempsey8866 it didn't. the lady passed away before she was able to get to it.

[@SF-tr1fw]

How did it go?!

[@_cheytown_]

Thank you!!! I just fixed my leaky toilet. I bought 2 wax rings just in case, and I ended up needing both. Thanks for the clear instructions.

[@alienfast]

Hey, this was very easy to follow and understand! No nonsense, not overly detailed but not lacking anything. The camera work was spot on, and I know it can be difficult to keep the camera in the right spot for these kinds of videos. Good work and thank you for it!

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

Appreciate the comment alienfast 👍

[@jacobmansuetti5679]

For real Good Job thank you, I've been I've been dreading doing ours but I think I might go in there and do it right now, you made it look simple.. I've done one once before. For me it's I think I'm just mind screwing myself into thinking it's gonna be worse then actually is...

[@TammyMcNeill-b1k]

Thank you for this video!!! Have been dealing with a sewer gas leak over a year, multiple plumbers and huge payout. Finally saw the toilet unseated and the ring looks new. Looks like I'll be DIYing two wax rings. Thank you also to others who commented they do this all the time.

[@MassiveLoop]

DOUBLE WAX RING FOR THE WIN!!! Our flange sits lower than the floor in the house we just bought (didn't notice the toilet was leaking on to the concrete subfloor until after we moved in). Your idea to stack the rings was genius! I put a standard ring over an XL flange ring and have flushed a couple dozen times now with no leaks. Also agree with not calking the toilet. Thanks much, your video was very helpful❤

[@BrightStar3862]

Excellent commentary and accurate directions for removal and replacement. Inspired this 79 yr. old guy to do it myself. Hooraah, Ted.

[@rwhirsch]

you are the best kind of professional...i'm not a "professional" bike mechanic but i have cycle toured about 100,000 miles and have had to fix everything on the bike multiple times. i have found many "non-standard" ways to repair problems that work far better than the advertised solutions. now i have to go fix my mother's wax seal on her condo toilet.

[@Trentacus]

Thank you for the double wax ring tip! Helped a lot. Put new flooring in, and it didn't occur to me that that extra height caused my issue. You deserve to wear a cape. 😂

[@victorc.395]

Two wax rings was a great call. I do it all the time and works as it should.

[@MinistryOfMagic_DoM]

Thanks for the video. This isn't something we've traditionally had to deal with so its good to find muggles making tutorials for us to follow! Hopefully this will solve that pesky leaking toilet in our restroom.

[@3superbeto]

Watching this video not knowing what I’m doing. Bought two wax rings just in case and now look, using both to fix my leaky toilet. Great video. Thank you

[@Big_Z14]

Just got mine done successfully thanks to this video, I didn't have to double up the rings since the bathroom floor is linoleum instead of tile but not a bad idea at all, thanks for the great video, easy to follow and concise and right to the point

[@shaalis]

Helped my land lady fix my toilet in a baement appmt. Sadly th esubfloor wood was rotted away so we had t osuspend the anchor bolts, so I bought an extra set. After that it was teamwork and cleaning. Thank you for the video! The help is muchly appreciated.

[@drspanklebum]

Thank you!! Followed your guide and it worked perfectly for me. One note is that my flange was sitting ON TOP of the tile (not flush or sunken under), about 1/2 inch raised above the tile - and I only used a single ring. Hopefully it all holds!!

[@allenbschwartz]

Wife added to our family calendar "investigate and toilet leak/wax ring" so guess who i come to for a tutorial? not a professional plumber, or a hard core DIY'er but a humble apartment maintenance pro. #whosoncall I've worked in a leasing office for over 15 years and the magic these main-pros do is other worldly! keep it up my man and I'll let you know how the job goes.

[@MackMann-o8t]

Thanks Dave I came across a few videos but none as detailed and straight forward as your thank you for your help❤

[@KieraTheStray]

I live by myself, and my toilet started leaking last night and I was freaking out. But I honestly think I can do this. Thank you!

[@AngelaGertino]

Awesome info and great video! I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one who's used double wax rings! :)

[@hedzzup420]

how much of a no-no is that?

[@victorvalenzuela6949]

I always recommended my guys to take two wax rings. They are necessary when there is a tile floor, because the mud and tile will give the flooring a little lift and the toilet will not sit right. ✌🏼

[@Cerseiswineglass]

That's REALLY good to know - we're laying tile right now in the bathroom.

[@theunforgiven2885]

I've seen it done by a licensed plumber he did the exact same thing good work .I'm going to give it a go

[@JoeLiberalism]

Yeah there's not many variations on changing out a toilet.

[@Jack-dempsey-crazy]

New home owner here, this video helps the new dyi guy. 👍

[@DerekDomino71]

Thank you. I am replacing a toilet at this very moment and wanted to check to see about putting on the wax ring. This was a great help.

[@jerrycallo]

I would recommend taking the tank off so you have lighter pieces to handle. It's hard to remove with it on, and really hard to install because your movements have to be more controlled when re-installing. If you're a beast and the extra weight doesn't matter then leave it on (less to reassemble).

[@tkof107]

I’m going to try to do this today. I’m just afraid of how heavy the toilet might be. This video gave me confidence.💪🏾

[@zetaminor77]

Never thought of removing the toilet in one piece instead of taking it apart in two pieces. I’m going to try this! Thanks for the video

[@darthcheeseburger]

Thanks a lot for uploading this. I just used it and replaced the wax ring seal myself. We found that there was some leakage occurring although minimal and it smelled like pee in the bathroom all the time. The guess is that when the contractor installed the vinyl flooring they didn't seal that wax ring or use a new one which caused some minor leaking. Hopefully it works. Was pretty disgustoid getting the old one out and trying to clean up the old wax a bit.

[@Antonio-sj7um]

Great video. I followed your instructions verbatim and it took me all of 20 minutes. Thank you!

[@robertboullion5136]

Just started using the fluidmaster no wax toilet rings. Have replaced 2 so far in our hotel. They work pretty good. Havnt had any issues yet. Thanks for the videos

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

I’m want to try those out - 👍

[@JD-vk1bi]

Many online comments are that the no-wax rings last maybe five years, maybe less, before decomposing.

[@enermaxstephens1051]

@@JD-vk1bi Warranty on Wax rings is 7 years so... yeah maybe go for wax until the no-wax rings improve some more.

[@TheElevenBravo]

Thank you so much for this great video! May God keep blessing you and your awesome work, whether it be performing plumbing work or creating great videos as this one! Thank you! Thank you!

[@dkeener13]

hey thanks, I have one that's leaking and was about to replace it and thought I'd watch a couple videos first just in case, and glad I did because I don't think I would have thought of the 2-rings idea. I'm betting tile height is the issue with my leaker.

[@Eli_likes_Raging]

Damn I thought Billy Bob Thornton made a career change and became a plumber…

[@dirklerxstpratt2112]

I was hoping that he was going to pull out a sling blade and use it in some fashion.

[@sjadev]

Ain’t got no gas in it

[@LAramdog]

"I like biscuits and mustard! MM-HMM....

[@nomad0792]

Lol😂

[@jonhymarshall7035]

😂

[@zal1905]

Excellent video Billy Bob Thornton!! :)

[@delasmoo]

Do you scrape the wax off the bottom of toilet too?

[@ashesrose5]

Thank you! I was on the right track, it it was great to have your guidance helping me feel sure.of myself! Plumber Mommy to the rescue! 💪💪💪💪

[@davidhardy6557]

Exactly the problem I had. The wax ring had gaps where it wasn't meeting the toilet flange. Thanks!

[@nrhjune16]

Thanks man, i only wish i had watched this before my lowes / ace trips. appreciate the video.

[@themangenius]

I like that you doubled up on the wax ring ... the Hardware guy said i could ... I needed somebody else to confirm

[@regschifferling1645]

Way to go Dave. Thanks for the video. Double wax seals.....I need to remember that.

[@jerometreco7547]

❤❤₩₩😅99😅0p,

[@MichaelSchuster-z6o]

As a plumber for 20 years, I would not recommend stacking wax seals. While it works sometimes, they can skip and block the drain or can leak.

[@hvactechwanttobe1499]

You are just a maintenance that fixes everything keep up a good work

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

Thank you! I try my best 🛠

[@thepunisher7096]

Sure you did a good job. You are a professional. Give yourself some credit. Going to do mine now. Thanks for the pro tips

[@geoph1972]

Now THIS is how to make a How-To video on YT! Thanks!!!

[@do8671]

Can it be the reason I have septic tank odor in my down stair bathroom?

[@mdnite2941]

Excellent video! Thanks! 👍👏

[@kevtekaz]

Great video man easy to follow and straight to the point I appreciate it! Will try tomorrow!

[@Rutted8889]

Ok…I’ve replaced the wax ring twice on my toilet, for some reason it is still leaking at the base. At this point, is it really the seal or maybe the toilet? The toilet is old as heck so I’m lost on how to fix it right now 🤦‍♂️ it’s not rocking, it’s very sturdy but still leaks slowly if the water valve on the toilet is not turned off 😒

[@rodolfosanchez7354]

Thank you very much, very much appreciated, Double up on the Wax Ring solved the issue.

[@Daviddrakeparry]

Wow was clueless and now I know I’m doing mine right now thank you so much‼️‼️‼️❤️

[@DavidM-sj6pg]

Thank you for this video, it’s so straightforward! Does anyone recommend this for a handy do-it-yourselfer?

[@PolarBearXx]

I need to do this my restroom stinks the toilet functions correctly just I'm thinking the wax ring was never replaced or anything when I moved here thanks for this video

[@pp-bb6jj]

Me being European: Where is my wax ring? Also why do Yanks use these wax rings. We are in closer proximity to Germans and they developed superior rubber thing. Gotta love these guys.

[@codyfarrell8965]

What a helpful and simple video. Thanks 👍

[@nivardlansangan8968]

Thanks for the video! BUT has anyone notice the Game of Thrones: House of Stark crest on the toilet seat cover.?!? Hahaha! 👍🤣

[@terrencerooney6926]

Very good video. I notice you don't caulk. What's your opinion on caulking around the base?

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

Go for it 👍 I would just leave a gap behind the toilet

[@timhowell1220]

Danco "All-in-One" fits high and low flanges and still has a wax ring #10879. No mess it's a combo wax silicone seal.

[@akanesoratobu8889]

how often do you have to change those type? Does the wax go bad on those like do they become brittle ?

[@brandonmason7120]

No bs. Straight to the point. Ty.

[@arcane2152]

Great video! Gives me the confidence to do it myself. Thanks for sharing.😁

[@dag1972]

Dave, clearly I can only use 1 wax ring-correct? Great video. I plan to do this on Saturday. Thanks.

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

Yes you can it all depends on how low the flange is really

[@cearza]

Double wax ring stack, brilliant idea!

[@horsebytes]

Thank you Dave!

[@lorenzololo821]

Great video. What are your thoughts on wax-free toilet seals?

[@SteveHacker]

How do you know how much torque to apply to the toilet nuts?

[@tamtran2231]

Is there a way to know if you seeded correctly?

[@KalebMMG]

Thank you . This was an easy video to follow /job to do !

[@milissas]

Going to be giving this a shot this weekend

[@CarolGuidi-r8f]

Ok, but in this case, hasn't water been getting out and underneath this tile floor for YEARS??? I would suspect damage to the subfloor and maybe even rot and/or mold. No investigation of this is necessary? I am just having this problem today and I'm more worried about any damage I cannot see. Replacement of the ring looks fairly straightforward. Thanks for the clear explanation. I'm still calling a plumber but I like to know the scope of the work generally first. Thank you.

[@gavinmendonca6471]

tomorrow it is happening on the toilet great tips. thank u.

[@braydenwald6064]

Thank you. Helped a lot!

[@Spec360]

I did the same thing exact install as you works perfect thanks

[@michaelbombach694]

Inspect down pipe for cracks. If the flange is toast where the bolts go, you'll have to replace or at least rig the flange. Use a wrench or at least an adjustable wrench, tighten carefully. Check for rocking, use plastic shims where necessary.

[@kimikoRN13]

I feel confident that I can do that! Do you caulk around the vase of the toilet?

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

If I have my caulking gun, just leave the back of the toilet open

[@PropBandits]

Should there be any standing water in your drain pipe?

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

In the p-trap sure

[@TnT_on2wheels]

Do you have to clean the bottom of the toilet?

[@douglaschristine8387]

I've heard of using two rings before and since only one side was working I could see why. I live in Fresno in an apartment and every two years or so I smell the toilet and I don't know why it's failed for the fourth or fifth time and this time I'm doing it because the maintenance guy is on vacation and I can't stand the smell for another week. Any suggestions? Thanks 😊

[@rioraton]

When I changed my ring I had shims? Why would there be shims? Was the original wax gasket installed wrong? I replaced with a rubber gasket and replaced the shims. If I do it again I want to use wax should I also use the shims again?

[@chriss2295]

The best wax ring is the one that works. I always have multiple, extra tall, rubber, because you got to be prepared.

[@SuperDjcnote]

So you put new bolts AFTER setting the toilet back in it’s place?

[@efrainarreola9233]

Thank you! That video helped tremendously

[@robertpapps3618]

Thanks for the idea of using two wax rings. I believe that will solve my problem!6

[@KeithHenize]

I know this guy from his amazing hiking videos! Crazy I found him again when I needed toilet leak advice.

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

Thanks Keith! Gonna get the hiking channel rolling again soon I miss the trails :)

[@KeithHenize]

@@ApartmentMaintenancePro Looking forward to it, Dave! Thanks for bringing the beauty of Colorado to those of us not as close.

[@amyvinney8210]

Is it not common practice to caulk or seal around the base of the toilet? I see some with and some without... is it just preference or is it helpful? I guess I might be scared if it did leak and we're sealed around the base that you wouldn't be alerted to the leak and it could cause alotbof damage to the floor under the toilet....

[@amyvinney8210]

Ignore typos. My phone has a mind of it's own and thinks it knows what I want to say better than I do. Lol

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

No problems caulking around toilet just leave a gap in the back

[@00sean00]

@@ApartmentMaintenancePro Why leave a gap?

[@brotherharmonius5594]

Excellent tutorial! Thanks!

[@gerade-aus]

Damn straight informative!

[@danielgagne485]

I used water absorbing polymers in bowl to hold water. Works like a charm. Aborb like 700 times there volume.

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

Thanks for the tip

[@josephaltenhofen9329]

Turn the super rusty nuts until they snap?

[@warmspell7562]

Thank you very much. Easy to follow.

[@kevintala854]

Just bought a house and it looks like I need to do this procedure. The toilet has caulking around it though, whats the best way to remove the caulking? Thanks in advance!

[@MrGWAMPO]

I've always used either a box cutter or a drywall compound scraper

[@smiley2k51]

Do you still have to put the caulk around the toilet bottom?

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

I never caulk the toilet. Check your local code though if doing this for money / home improvement

[@theyack53]

You shouldn’t ever caulk around a toilet. If it leaks you may never know until it’s too late.

[@kebo57]

​@@theyack53 if the house is built on a concrete slab, and the toilet is on ground floor, it shouldn't be a disaster if you caulk around the toilet.

[@williamb454]

I don't caulk around the toilet either, because you can't tell if it's leaking, might be leaking and rotting out your floor.

[@Big_Z14]

You can caulk it if you want but leave a portion toward the back of the toilet uncaulked so water has some way to get out if it's leaking under there because if it can't get out it could be real expensive by the time you notice it's leaking

[@Tammyiami]

I was glad when you put gloves on geesh. Good video

[@ThingsILove2266]

Can someone answer this question for me? If I need to change the wax seal in one toilet, and have that unit taken apart, and someone flushes one of the other two toilets in the house, will it cause the water pressure of the one I’m working on to change or cause water overflow?

[@Robstar-m5l]

you didn't clean the toilet underneath

[@patsalty]

Would there not be an issue with water-waste getting stuck in the gap between the two wax rings?

[@JustinCookson-l2e]

A true professor.

[@mrcoollu9662]

Like 👍🏾 the way you said it’s unfortunate how the flange looks

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

Thanks Lu!👍

[@cossanova1370]

Perfect video for me… hopefully. Think the flange was probably okay back before tile was placed in this home. Now may require the double wax method

[@pathfinderdiscovery9395]

Man thanks , I got 2 toilets that are starting to be lil shaky so yea ima change ours they original to house from 2002 so it’s time , no smells yet or water leaking in floor but I’m sure it may slip by an on to sewer , so tomorrow I have a plumber coming to change them after it warms up to atleast 45 degrees

[@ApartmentMaintenancePro]

if they are shaking the flange could be compromised as well

[@arhforever5726]

Thank you sir, talent works better than study book