It can vary depending on your location and how quickly you need it. $90-$120 is a good ballpark. If you are having other plumbing work done, they might do it cheaper, and if they have a large travel fee, you may pay closer to $150.
As a result, having a local plumber replace your toilet's wax ring can be anywhere from $75-250 depending on the cost of the trip charge and whether anything else is discovered in the process that needs fixing.
The wax ring is exactly what it sounds like: a ring made of sticky wax that helps form a watertight seal between the bottom of the toilet and the sewer pipe. It requires no maintenance and can last 30 or more years, often as long as the toilet itself. But sometimes wax rings can dry out, crumble, and fail prematurely.
or certainly 20 to 30 years.
Besides leaking, signs that the wax ring may need replacing could be an odd odor seemingly stemming from the area where the toilet meets the floor, or if the toilet itself feels wobbly.
Replacing the wax ring is as easy as sliding the new piece onto the bolts in the floor, then sliding the toilet down to make a tight seal.
You should always consider replacing the toilet supply when replacing the wax seal. If toilet is caulked to the finished floor of the bathroom, score the caulking all the way around the toilet base with a razor knife.
A regular wax ring is all you need if the flange is set on top of the finished floor. Oatey® Heavy Duty Wax Bowl Ring can be used to set any floor type closet bowl. A thicker wax ring is used when the flange has already been set on the subfloor and is flush with the tile instead of sitting on top of it.
Signs of a Faulty Wax Ring. A faulty wax ring, or one that is going bad, may produce any number of telltale signs. These include leaks, bad smells, or a wobbly toilet.
The only-when-flushed toilet leak could be caused by loose mounting bolts or a worn-out wax gasket while the all-the-time leak could be caused by a loose water supply line connection, a problematic water shutoff valve, or a faulty seal between the toilet tank and its base.
🚽 Caulking Prevents Water Contamination
It could be water splashing out of a bathtub, mop water, water from a shower and even misguided potty training from your young boys who seem to miss the toilet bowl every single time! Without caulk around the toilet base, water can get under there and sit for a long time.
Wax-free toilet seals are made out of a heavy duty rubber, so they're flexible enough to shimmy into the flange without smearing a wax ring. Wax-free seals can also be reused. As long as they're still attached to the bowl in good condition, you can reinstall the toilet without replacing the seal.
In order to prevent problems with your new wax ring, it is helpful to know what commonly causes problems with this important little gadget. First and foremost, a loose toilet will often cause a wax ring to lose its seal and leak.
In an effort to dislodge whatever is clogging the toilet, many homeowners get overzealous and thrust too hard downward into the toilet with their plunger. A hard thrust downward can break the wax seal between the toilet and the floor, causing a leak. And a really hard thrust could even crack the bowl.
Do not be tempted to stack up two wax rings because this setup tends to leak. Installing a flange extender or using an extra-thick wax ring will work much better in the long run. Place the wax ring on the closet flange, not on the toilet.
Standard wax rings are about ¾- or 1-inch thick. This standard size is suitable for flanges which are set slightly above, at the same level as the floor, or slightly below the flooring (up to ¼ inch).
The most common toilet leak is caused by a deteriorated flush valve (flapper) at the bottom of the toilet tank. If the flapper does not seat properly, water will leak into the toilet bowl. Often this leak will occur without being heard.
So, what's the cause? Leaky loos are usually caused by a faulty flush-valve or fill-valve inside your tank – predominantly on dual-flush WCs. It can happen with any WC brand and type, but most leaky loos are the result of a failure in valve seals. These failures can happen on old and new WCs.
Many professionals stick with wax because they know it's reliable, and they're paid to deal with the mess. If you're more comfortable with the tried-and-true approach, go with a wax seal. If you'd rather have something that's easy to install, then a modern, wax-free toilet seal might be a better choice.
Determine if the Wax ring is possibly bad by inspecting the floor for water or a foul odor of sewer gas. Use food coloring. If are unsure of where water is coming from you can add food coloring to the toilet tank. If the floor's water is the same color, then you likely will need to install a new wax ring.
If the wax ring has plastic reinforcement, the plastic must fit into the waste line, so it's usually best to place the ring on the flange. Then drop the toilet into place. Once that's done, it's important to compress the wax ring to make the toilet sit flush on the floor before bolting it in.
Eastman's Jumbo Flanged Toilet Wax Ring is necessary for toilet installation. The wax ring creates a seal between the toilet bowl and the sewer pipe. This wax ring is ideal for use where a regular ring does not provide enough wax.