[speedball1]

I recently installed a new tile floor in my bathroom, and in doing so, raised the level of the floor. i went out and purchased a closet flange spacer kit and it came withe the spacer and two rubber gaskets. i need to know how to attache these. so i put the first gasket on, then the spacer, then do i screw these to the floor, or do i just run the new carriage bolts through the holes in both the gaskets and attach the toilet. i also wan to know if i need to put in a wax ring. pleas help,. thanks.

Where are the instructions that came with the kit?
There are more then one spacer kit on the market so I need know the brand name and model #if you have it of the spacer kit that you have. And yes you'll need a wax seal unless otherwise instructed. Regards, Tom

[gvmeacalll]

How about this situation? I have a closet toilet flange that is too high but it is a bronze fitting sweated to a 3" copper pipe. I tried to heat the pipe with a map gas torch for 10-15 minutes and it still would not budge. There is not enough room to replace the pipe underneath the floor with a fernco or to sweat another fitting into place. Should I just cut it level with the subfloor and get an insert made for cast iron fittings? Or should I keep trying to unsweat it with the torch?

[speedball1]

How about this situation? I have a closet toilet flange that is too high but it is a bronze fitting sweated to a 3" copper pipe. I tried to heat the pipe with a map gas torch for 10-15 minutes and it still would not budge. there is not enough room to replace the pipe underneath the floor with a fernco or to sweat another fitting into place. Should I just cut it level with the subfloor and get an insert made for cast iron fittings? or should I keep trying to unsweat it with the torch?

How high is the flange? You may not have to do anything. Sounds like you have a brass flange that's soldered to a copper closet bend. You can't heat a large area with a small torch tip. When I'm faced with a large area to heat I use the largest torch tip they make, (see image). Put a large tip on your torch and run around the joint with the flame until you can pull the flange off. Good luck, Tom

[gvmeacalll]

How high is the flange? You may not have to do anything. Sounds like you have a brass flange that's soldered to a copper closet bend. You can't heat a large area with a small torch tip. When I'm faced with a large area to heat I use the largest torch tip they make, (see image). Put a large tip on your torch and run around the joint with the flame until you can pull the flange off. Good luck, Tom

Thanks for the reply. I purchased a push in repair flange made for a 3" copper pipe. If I can't get the floor built up to the original level, I will cut through the flange and pipe with a saws all at the subfloor level and use this flange. I am always amazed at the quality of vintage plumbing parts It looks as perfect as the day it was installed even with my failed torching.

[speedball1]

If you cut the pipe with a Saws-All make sure to sand off the rough edges. Good luck, Tom

[Tinorose]

I, too, retiled my bathroom floor and found 2-3 inches of cement under the tile. After removing it and laying the new floor, my cast iron flange setup is about 3/4 in above the tile's surface so I can't install my toilet. I have read this thread with varying degrees of understanding. :rolleyes:

People were talking about cutting the pipe but how exactly would I do that? And with what exactly? I have about an inch of space around the pipe/flange if that matters. How long could I expect it to take to cut a cast iron pipe? Are we talking like days? :p It seems like it would be extremely difficult to get through this metal.


KT

[cdefraia]

You can cut the pipe with a sawzall with an appropriate metal cutting blade

[ballengerb1]

Guys, someone needs to start thinking of starting their own question. This post started nearly 5 years ago and people have been tagging on ever since.

[Tinorose]

Ok we've spent all day with this metal cutting wheel grindy type thing and just finally got the pipe cut all the way around. We bought a bunch of different flange options from the Lowe's and the Home Depot and will try to experiment and see if any or all work out. This is our only bathroom so we're kind of eager to get this done ASAP.

The reason this question has been so well used and is such a terrific resource for those of us with flange issues is that this question comes up as a top 10 result in Google searches for "toilet flange too tall" etc. If we started a new one it would take a few years to build up the same coverage. :D

EDIT: OK the pipe is still about a centimeter too high for any of the flanges we got to work. The cutting wheel thing we got won't fit in this part of the pipe(they are both exactly 4 in in diameter) to cut it and there is no way to get a sawsall down in around the pipe. Who would have thought retiling a bathroom floor would've led to all this!

[massplumber2008]

Tino:

Did you get a twist and set flange.. Goes inside the pipe.

See pic.. May look like PVC, but meant to fit inside 4" cast iron pipe. They are found at most home supply stores. If not there then need to check out availability at a local plumbing supply house.

Lennox makes a diamond sawzall blade that if angled properly will zip that last centimeter off in about 10 minutes...

Let me know if need more info. Or having any more trouble... MARK

[Tinorose]

Yeah I just got back from Lowe's and we saw those there, and while at the store I tried fitting it together with a piece of 4in pipe and it seemed too small to be secure in the cast iron pipe in the floor. And even if it did fit down there it'd still be too tall for the toilet.

Do they sell that Lennox sawzall blade at your average lowes/home depot type of place?

So we went to the Lowe's, the home depot and the local plumbing supply place. None of them had a diamond lenox blade. The plumbing supply people weren't very helpful or friendly but sold us a carbide lenox blade when we asked for something that would cut the cast iron pipe. It looks like it might take about an hour and a half with the sawzall to cut through the pipe. Though if this works I guess it's worth it.

[massplumber2008]

Yeah... lennox diamond sawzall blade not popular... YET! It will be in all stores soon enough. Really is cool.

Is this underground or can you see the pipe in the basement?

[Tinorose]

You can see it in the basement. If we cut it from the basement, how would we install a new pipe?

I've called about 60 stores in the chicago area and no one carries the lenox diamond blade. Most of the chains(Grainger, Fastenal, etc) can order it but none of their branches even have it in Illinois at all. Tried calling Lenox customer service to see if they could tell me about distributers in Chicago but they couldn't give me places that sold the diamond blade specifically.

[massplumber2008]

If you cut the pipe in the basement you would attach a 4"cast iron x 4" pvc mission style clamp... see pic. This is a shielded clamp... which means has a big SS shield all around the clamp.. then have the bands.

Otherwise, can purchase a 4" 4 band (called husky) clamp all... see pic. I like these best 'cause have 4 bands to ensure no leaks!

These will probably be available at the home supply store... but if tired of running around just go to plumbing supply house and get it!

So... cut the cast iron, then want to install the clamp, purchse a 4" pvc elbow, 4" pvc pipe, 4" pvc closet flange, cement, primer, wax gasket (with horn) and new pair of 5/16" johhni bolts.

That should finish this nicely... or just cut with sawzall like you were doing... up to you... :)

Let me know if need more... Mark

Hi Tinorose... I get all excited when someone says nice things... ;)

Thanks.. and as stated earlier.. let me know if need anything else.

Also... want to be sure you know that once new flange (cast iron or PVC) installed, you will need to secure the flange through the flange, through the tile and into the floor!

May want to pick up a plastic anchor kit (has carbide drill bit in it for drilling through the tile)... see pic. Then would mark holes, drill holes, set anchors, and then set flange tight to floor.

Just be sure to align the new flange to accept the bolts on center.

Good luck... Mark

[Tinorose]

Well finally gave up after trying all day and buying blades and blades and flanges and flanges and visiting all the home supply stores about 7 times a day. We hired a plumber and paid $225 to just take care of it and install the new toilet. Im not sure how he did it but it took him about 1 minute and only a screwdriver to break off the cast iron pipe to the correct height. :(

I think if this hadn't been our only bathroom we could've done it but it was getting really old driving to mcdonalds every time we had to pee :rolleyes:

You have been astoundingly helpful though Mark. I now know more about flanges and the local sawzall blades market than I could have ever imagined. :p

[john77450]

I have the same issue as Alwaysbusy14 above, but I didn't see that it ever got resolved.

Problem: Closet flange is about 3/4 inch too high.

Facts: I am retiling. The old floor was a thick cultured marble, about twice the thickness of the tile I am using. Drain pipe is 4" PVC in a concrete slab. Flange is PVC cemented to the inside of the drain pipe. The flange extends to approximately 2.5" down inside the drain pipe. Thus, if I were to cut the old flange off at floor level, I would have a two-layered drain pipe to deal with--i.e. 4" drain pipe with a portion of the old flange glued to the inside wall of the drain pipe. So I understand from above that there is not a new flange I can slip inside the portion of the old flange. Concrete slab is flush against the outside wall of the drain pipe, so I can't merely slip in outside-mount 4" flange to the drain pipe. The only things I can think of, short of breaking out the slab, doing some digging, cutting the drain pipe below the surface, and starting anew are the following:

(a) Cut the old flange and drain pipe at slab level (I have to go that low to get beyond the bell shaped part of the flange) and chip out the concrete around the pipe enough to fit an outside mount flange over the drain pipe; or

(b) Use a hack saw or sawzall to cut the flange from the inside (but not the drain pipe) and then try and chisel out the old flange, after which I would replace it with an inside mount.

Are either of those options? Any others?

[massplumber2008]

Hi John:

#1) There is not a flange available that will mount OVER the outside of a 4" pvc fitting....in this case, probably best to chop up the concrete and just cut out the old 4" elbow and flange altogether.

#2) The hacksaw and sawzall could also work... or not? If you try this you would also want to apply some heat to the hacksawed pipe you are trying to remove... a heat gun for paint removal would help... but do it without *BURNING* the pvc... fumes are quite hazardous! Be clear here though that if too aggressive, can *CRACK* the fitting and then you are back to chopping up the concrte to below the elbow and then replacing the elbow, entirely!

#3) You could also purchase a 4" REAMING TOOL... see pic. They should be available at any PLUMBING SUPPLY HOUSE. I know one supply house that will "RENT" them to you...

Here, you would cut the flange and bell shape out with a sawzall so you can see the wall of the fitting and the wall of the pipe... then REAM the pipe clean as in the picture below.

Then you can install a new 4" street flange...although you may need to cut 3/4" off the flange before installing it....that make sense??

All three of these options work... all depends on how you want to tackle it... ;)

Let me know what you decide here... MARK