Install Toilet on Concrete with no Closet Flange

What do you do if you remove an old toilet and discover that the closet bolts are rusted out, there is no closet flange, and the waste line is made of terra cotta? You could pay someone $$$$$ to jack hammer out half of your basement floor and connect up to the terra cotta. You could tapcon the toilet bowl to the floor with a rope of plumber's putty like they did in the old days. OR you can do what I did . . .

DISCLAIMER: I am not a licensed plumber. I am not responsible if you injure yourself, cause damage to your property, or violate your local plumbing code.

Step 1 The Problem(s)

Those brown spots above and below the drain pipe are the rusted remains of the closet bolts. I hacksawed the nubs so they were flush with the floor.

The mouth of the terra cotta (or clay) drain pipe is about 7" in diameter. The holes to mount a typical flange line up with the lip of the clay pipe and it wouldn't hold the flange.

Comments

[PorkTornado]

That's an idea, but to save yourself a lot of time, Oatey already makes a product that should work for this situation (I've used it twice in the same situation).

Twist-N-Set® Cast Iron Replacement Closet Flange

[evil_jweller]

I have used that too and will agree that it works very well. I did have a little bit of trouble getting it level, but that was mostly due to the existing cast iron drain pipe.

Still an excellent instructable.

[woodwork83]

I have to do this and I'm not looking forward to it. Thanks for the tips!

[lucek]

there is all so a nohub toilet fitting that goes over the pipe for this kind of thing.

[tyro46]

Neat work on tile and flange, and the good taste to replace the red tile.

[Marcos]

Nice fix for a vexing, and hopefully rare problem. Sure beats digging up the slab and starting over! ;-) I wouldn't mind seeing a little more detail in how to do things, (e.g., "what's Thinset") [mortar, I presume] for those not in the know. On the other hand, if they're not, maybe they should stay that way in this case, thereby saving their marriage and a desperate Sunday afternoon call to Fly by Night Exhorbitant Plumbing Co. Any advice on how not to crack the tile when drilling? After all that hard work, it's a letdown to have the finish part go wrong in the end, yes? That would be a great tip, esp. for those that rarely drill the harder stuff.

[Dun Malg]

To avoid cracking tile: 1) use a sharp carbide tipped masonry bit and squirt water on it periodically as you drill 2) drill slowly to minimize heat and vibration 3) use less and less pressure the deeper you get, till you're almost not pressing at all when you break through the back of the tile

[Davy_D]

Thanks for your comments. Laying tile was incidental to the project, and I am by no means an expert, so I skimmed over that part. Cracking a small corner of the tile was no big deal. I filled in the gap with thinset mortar and that part is hidden under the toilet anyway. I'm sure there are great instructables out there for laying tile and doing the final toilet installation for that matter.

[trimmanfl]

Your pics are very helpful . Thanks !

[Ryno]

Nicely done. I've run into a similar problem with a slab foundation and terribly rotted closet flange (metal) attached to PVC pipe. Unfortunately, PVC cement is permanent, and I ended up cutting a sizable chunk of the old pipe down with a Dremel tool (only thing I could use to cut below floor level!) and then retro-fitting a piece of PVC to use as a flange attachment. What a pain that job was! Nice fix.

[Tool Using Animal]

no comment on the plumbing, but thanks for showing the right way to tile, can't believe how many times I've seen people lay tile around a toilet and just cut the tile to fit around it, ugh !