45 Degree Toilet Flange - Install Through Floor?

[jmccullough85]

I've never directly posted to a forum before, so here goes...

I ripped up the old tile in our main bath, and found significant damage to the toilet flange and subfloor (which I expected, since the toilet always rocked). Anyway, I removed the old flange and PVC back to the main horizontal line that runs from the stack. As I started putting this back together with new PVC, I realized I needed a 45 degree swivel toilet flange to account for the lower finished floor height I will now have. My question is: how do I install the flange on top of the flooring when I will not have room to "quarter-turn" the pipe (because it's angled) to properly/evenly set the PVC cement? Any help is much appreciated!

 

[johnjh2o]

You maybe able to use a street ell into a std. flange. A picture would help.

John

 

[phishfood]

As long as you get a heavy coat of cement on all of the surfaces, both inside and out, the chance of a leak occurring is rather small.

 

[phishfood]

Beat out by the mysterious masked plumbing man again, LOL!

 

[jmccullough85]

John - I like your suggestion of a street ell into a standard flange. I would hate to get a leak once all of this was put back together. Thanks for the help!

 

[johnjh2o]

Glade to be of help. Don,t forget to screw the flange down.

John

 

[jmccullough85]

So, I'm in some trouble at this point (I think). I went out and bought the street ell and standard flange, but that setup is about 2.5" too high for where the finished floor will be (accounting for the durock, thinset, and 1/4" tile). I'm not above buying several new pieces of PVC unions/couplings to replumb from the stack, except I don't know how to do this at this point since the piping I've already replaced left basically no exposed 3" to cut into and rejoin. See attached pics and let me know if anyone has any ideas since I'm stumped (FYI, building up the floor is not an option).

 

[phishfood]

From what I can see, a standard short sweep 1/4 bend with a straight closet flange should work. If that still leaves the closet flange too high, either a street 1/4 bend or street flange would bring it down.

As far as the issue of not having any bare pipe to work with, there is a fix for that. It is not easy, it doesn't always work, but you have several attempts with the combination of fittings you have there.

Use a hacksaw to cut the 45 ell you glued up against the coupling off. But don't cut the entire fitting off in between the coupling and the 45, leave the socket of the 4 ell and the piece of pipe that it is glued to attached to the coupling. So in effect, you will be cutting off a part of the 45 ell. Make the cut flush with the end of the pipe that attaches the 45 ell and the coupling.

Then, use just the blade out of the hacksaw to make two parallel cuts maybe 1/2" apart on the top of the hub left over from the 45. These cuts need to be parallel to the run of the pipe, and extend from the end of the coupling to the end of the cut off hub. Don't cut into the coupling, just the hub of the 45. Make sure you get all of the way through the hub, but try not to cut into the pipe to much.

Wear safety glasses for this next part, flying plastic does nasty things to eyeballs.

Carefully drive a small flat screwdriver in between the pipe and the hub, in the 1/2" piece between your two cuts. The idea is to break the cement joint loose, and the 1/2" piece should pop off. Wipe a little bit of primer in the 1/2" opening, then carefully drive the screwdriver into the hub/pipe joint right beside the opening. As it starts to split apart, wipe more primer in there. The primer breaks down the cement joint, and helps you to pry it apart. Move around the perimeter, prying and priming, only using a hammer to drive the screwdriver in when absolutely necessary.

Since this cement joint isn't very old, it should come apart without too much trouble, and you will have a piece of pipe to cement another fitting onto.

 

[johnjh2o]

At this point what needs to be done is remove the pipe from the coupling and use a street 90 into your closet flange. I think you misunderstood my first post and used a st. 45 instead of a st. 90. You can remove the pipe from the coupling with a tool called a Ram-Bit.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000VYJW0O/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
John