7512 Reinforced Toilet Wax Ring Kit with Flange and Bolts Fits 3" and 4" waste lines Polyethylene flange for easy install Includes "no-rust" bowl to floor bolt kit Reinforced for guaranteed seal Reinforced Wax Toilet Bowl Gasket with Flange and Bolts Extra Thick Reinforced Wax Toilet Bowl Gasket with Flange and Bolts Extra Thick Wax Toilet Bowl Gasket with Flange Wax Toilet Bowl Gasket 5/16 in. 2-Bolt Gasket Kit Flush Valve Gasket for Mansfield Thick Beveled Sponge Rubber Gasket Extra Thick Beveled Sponge Rubber Gasket Gasket for Mansfield Flush Valves Flush Valve Shank WasherA correctly installed toilet keeps water from leaking on the floor. The wax seal of a toilet has two purposes: to keep water and other flushable items in the drain and to keep foul odors from the sewer line from creeping into your home. Removing the old wax requires the removal of the entire toilet, which is not as difficult as it sounds. Whether you are replacing your toilet with a newer model or making a repair to a leaking commode, you will need to replace the old wax ring with a new one.

Shut off the water supply to the toilet. Usually you will find a valve directly behind the bowl. Timex Warehouse Outlet Sale DealsIf not, you will need to shut off the water for your entire house before proceeding. Nantucket Blinds PriceDrain the water from the toilet and reservoir tank. Dolphin Pool Cleaner Won'T Turn OnFlush the toilet to remove the water from the tank. Then plunge the toilet to force the remaining water from the bowl. Sponge or vacuum the last bit of water from the bowl. Disconnect the water supply line. Depending on your style of hookup, this may require a wrench to loosen a nut, or you may simply loosen a wing nut by hand. Loosen the anchor bolts on both sides of the toilet with a wrench or pliers. You may need to pre-treat the bolts with a spray lubricant if they are corroded.

Place four wood blocks on the floor, away from the flange, to rest the toilet on after it has been removed. This will allow you room to clean the wax ring from the flange. If the bathroom is small, prepare an area outside the bathroom to temporarily place the toilet. recommends elevating the toilet to avoid damaging the toilet drain. This will also keep sticky wax residue from getting on your floor. Pull away the wax ring from the flange on the bathroom floor with a gloved hand. Depending on how long the toilet has been installed, you may need to use a putty knife to pry up sections of the wax ring. Scrape away wax residue from the toilet drain using a plastic putty knife. Wipe clean using a towel soaked with mineral spirits. Replace with a new wax ring. Wax rings cannot be reused. Employ the help of a friend to set the toilet back in place over the wax ring and floor bolts. More From The Bark Breakthrough For Severe Canine Dysplasia It’s Not Always “Just A Walk in the Park”

Dog Meds: From Supplements to Compounded Drugs and Generics Large-Scale Cancer Study of Golden Retrievers Holds Hope For All Dogs The Scoop on Poop Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Gut Response Breakthrough For Severe Canine DysplasiaDEAR TIM: We recently have begun to notice a sewer odor from only one of the three bathrooms in our house. It might be the toilet, but it's hard to tell. The smell is not constant and some times it is very strong. Everything in the house drains fine, including the toilet with the odor. Where can the odor be coming from? I have put a bacterial additive in the toilet but this does not seem to help. What can I do to fix the problem? Karen B., Watseka, IL DEAR KAREN: The odor can be coming from numerous places. Often the source of the problem is simple, but in rare occasions the problem can be a serious plumbing flaw that is hidden behind a wall. I have found more often than not that the problem can be solved in just a few moments with a quart of water.

See if all of the plumbing fixtures have water in the traps. Many people do not realize the purpose of the P shaped traps in the drain lines beneath sinks, tub and showers. Lots of people think they are there to catch rings and earrings from traveling down to sewers and septic tanks. They do this but they also keep sewer gas and vermin from traveling up and into your home. The standing water in a trap is an excellent barricade against sewer gas. Plumbing fixtures or floor drains that get little use can loose this effective water seal. The water in the trap simply evaporates and/or it can be sucked from the trap by a clogged vent pipe or a poorly designed or installed pluming system. You can be fooled when you look into a drain and see the reflection of water. Even though you see water, sewer gas can be passing over this small amount of water left at the very bottom of a trap. Tubs and showers in guest bathrooms frequently are the culprit. Often people will use a toilet or sink in a bathroom but the tub and shower go unused for months at a time.

Pour a quart of water in the sink and tub drains. This is plenty of water to fill the trap and provide the full water seal. If this is the problem, the odor should go away in a very short amount of time. If the odor is still present, then it is time to look at other possibilities. The inside surface of bathroom sink, tub and shower drains can also be a huge source of odors. Kitchen sinks frequently have similar odor problems. Almost all sinks have a piece of pipe called a tailpiece that extends from the bottom of the sink into the top of the p trap. This pipe is constantly exposed to the air in your bathroom. All of the bacteria, dirt, grime, mold, etc. pass through this pipe on its way to the sewer or septic system. But often some is left behind. Over time a thick layer of slime starts to collect on the inside surface of this vertical pipe. Mold and bacteria can begin to grow and some produce noxious odors. Because of the fixed metal parts at the bottom of sink and tub drains, it is virtually impossible to completely clean these pipes while they are in place.

Often you can take apart the drain assembly and clean the inside of this pipe in a jiffy. Pay attention to the rubber washers and gaskets as you take them apart. If the drain is old, these parts often need to be replaced with new ones to make sure the drain is leak free once you re-assemble it. Bathroom sinks can also develop odors in the overflow part of the actual sink. The overflow is a little hole at the top of the sink that connects to the bottom of the sink. It is also susceptible to slime buildup. If you are on a city sewer system you can try to pour a 50/50 mix of chlorine bleach and water into this hole. A turkey baster works well for this purpose. Never mix chlorine bleach with ammonia or other cleaning liquids. Toxic gases can form. If you are on a septic system do not use chlorine bleach. It can harm the bacteria in your septic tank. Try to use a small bottle brush to clean this passageway. If after all of this the odor persists, the problem may be a serious plumbing problem.