Remove the cast-iron closet flange from underneath your toilet bowl.
A rocking or unsteady toilet could be the result of a broken closet flange. The flange is a plumbing fixture that connects your toilet to the sewer pipe inlet. In most newer homes, these flanges are made from PVC plastic. In many older homes, these are made out of metal, such as cast iron. Removing a cast-iron closet flange is more difficult than a PVC one, but the task can still be done by the average do-it-yourself enthusiast. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Clean the flange and the area around it. Use a putty knife to scrape up any large chunks of wax or caulk. Clean up sewer dirt or mildew with a bathroom cleaner and rag. It doesn't have to be spotless, just clean enough so your tools don't slip.
2. Use a socket wrench to remove the bolts holding down the flange on either side.
3. Hold a chisel against the side of the flange where the upper lip meets the floor. Hammer the chisel in between the flange and the floor until the flange starts to edge up. Insert a plastic or wooden shim in the space that opens up. Work your way around the flange, wedging it upward with the chisel and then propping it open with a shim.
4. Insert a pry bar in between the space held open with the shim. Press down on the pry bar until the flange starts to rise up out of the flange opening. Work your way around the closet flange with the pry bar as you did with the chisel.
5. Use a recipro saw or similar cutting tool with a metal cutting blade to cut the flange apart. This should be done if you cannot pry the whole flange out of the floor. Stuff rags or other objects into the flange opening to prevent pieces from falling down into the pipe. Cut the flange into thirds with the recipro saw and pry the pieces up with the chisel and pry bar.
6. Pull the cast-iron closet flange up and out of the floor.
Tags: cast-iron closet, cast-iron closet flange, closet flange, flange floor, with chisel, closet flange
