Is your toilet rocking? Don’t live with a rocking toilet, because you can cause an expensive problem – a broken flange, a broken toilet, or a broken closet bend. If you’re lucky, the problem may be as minor as loose floor bolts. In that case, merely tightening the nuts will solve your rocking problem.
Many times, the bolts have broken and cannot be tightened. If this is the case, the toilet must come up off the floor. Pulling a toilet opens the door for other problems. Whenever a toilet is pulled, upon reinstallation it should have new floor bolts, a new wax ring, be shimmed if needed, and caulked around the bottom as per Uniform Plumbing Code.
You may find the floor flange, which holds the floor bolts which anchors the toilet, is broken. If the floor flange is rotted out or damaged, it will have to be repaired or replaced. Most floor flanges can be repaired, but replacement can be a bit tricky. If it’s a cast iron floor flange, the potential for big problems is very real. Your plumber may have to break out some concrete and replace the toilet’s closet bend, which is an expensive repair. Additionally, it can damage surrounding tile, which adds to your repair costs and often makes it difficult to match tile.
As you can see, it pays to fix a rocking toilet before it becomes a bigger problem. Toilets rock for a variety of reasons. Broken bolts, a floor that’s shifted over time, uneven tile, a toilet that should have been shimmed when installed – all can cause a rocking toilet.
Watch this short video about rocking toilet repairs.
If you’re toilet’s rocking, we’d love to come knocking. Call us at 602.488.4647 for an appointment.