Broken toilet elbow

[Benjamin Cox]

I recently moved into a new house. Upon inspecting one of the toilets i ended up having to replace its pvc flange as it had completely shattered. The problem is that while chipping away at the old flange i accidentally pierced through the elbow joint just about a quarter of an inch below where the new flange ends. I filled the pierced hole with j&b water weld quite liberally as it is supposed to hold a water tight seal up to 900 psi. My question is, is this enough or do I absolutely need to dig up the floor and replace the entire elbow?

 

[havasu]

Is the flange in wood framing upstairs, or on a concrete slab downstairs? Condo or house?
Sometimes shortcuts work, but not at the risk of causing serious damage with a failure.

 

[Benjamin Cox]

Its a plywood floor on the second floor of a detached house

 

[SHEPLMBR]

Its a plywood floor on the second floor of a detached house

Go to the floor below, open up the ceiling and cut it out and replace it. Do it right and you won't have any further issues.

 

[havasu]

I agree. A simple fix!

 

[jeffmattero76]

Asking the pros here... at Home Depot, I have seen a flange with an extension that fits inside the old flange. It seals using a red rubber gasket on the outside. I'd I can find a link, I will post it. Would that work in this situation?

 

[havasu]

Like this one?

 

[jeffmattero76]

Something like that, but made by Sioux (if memory serves), and had a red rubber gasket that has three ribs. Same idea, however.

Would that be advisable in this situation?

 

[jeffmattero76]

I can't find a link to the one I described, but here is a link to what seems to be the replacement that my local Home Depot now carries.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Oatey-Oatey-PVC-Twist-n-Set-Open-Flange-436512/100062268

 

[SHEPLMBR]

Something like that, but made by Sioux (if memory serves), and had a red rubber gasket that has three ribs. Same idea, however.

Would that be advisable in this situation?

NOT IF THE 90 IS CRACKED

 

[jeffmattero76]

NOT IF THE 90 IS CRACKED

HE DIDN'T SAY IT WAS CRACKED. HE SAID IT WAS PIERCED.

Why are you yelling?

 

[TomFOhio]

If its cracked, pierced, or has a hole it, replace it and do it correctly.

 

[jeffmattero76]

If its cracked, pierced, or has a hole it, replace it and do it correctly.

Tom - if it were my house, I would remove and replace the pierced flange. However, what is "incorrect" about using the product I posted?

 

[Benjamin Cox]

Thank you all for your help. Ill speak to my handyman or my plumber and see how much they'd charge to replace it from underneath. For those of you recommending a flange extender heres a little bit more information. The reason i had to remove the toilet in the first place was because the previous owner put in additional flooring and never put in a flange extender, which caused the flange to crack. Before i could put in the new flange extender i had to replace the old flange. In the process of chipping away at the old flange i accidentally pierced through the vertical 3” pipe before the bend twice about 1/8th of an inch in diameter. I filled both holes with a liberal amount of water weld and left a fair amount around the holes as extra. When i ended up installing the flange extender it has a downward cone piece that completely covered one of the holes i had fixed and is about 1/4” above the other repaired hole. Is this helpful.

 

[jeffmattero76]

If one of the holes is below the flange extension, you have no other choice but replacement. Good luck!

 

[SHEPLMBR]

HE DIDN'T SAY IT WAS CRACKED. HE SAID IT WAS PIERCED.

Why are you yelling?

CAP LOCKS STUCK ON. I FORGOT

 

[jeffmattero76]

Still stuck on???

 

[SHEPLMBR]

my inventory system at work only works on caps. Do yes. Still occasionally.

 

[House Doc]

Now children!! Do I have to stop this car?
We are here to help. Benjamin Cox had a problem that he wanted so help with.
(Ben.. pictures are ALWAYS the best way to describe a problem.)

I've been doing this for over 45 years and have found too many "Professional" tradesmen (women) who think that the more money you spend (put in their pockets) the better the job. Sad, but true. Replace..Replace..Replace!
My mantra is to provide the customer with the most cost effective method to resolve the problem, as long as it does not have negative long term consequences.

What I get from the conversation is that a small hole was punctured in the elbow while trying to repair the flange. Using JB Weld (a time proven product of 51 years) to repair a small, non pressure, hole sounds like a "winner" to me. And using the flange extension (if installed correctly) will resolve the problem. This is something that I gather Ben can do himself, correctly, for under $50.

Replacement would probably cost over $500 plus having the mess of cutting out and repairing the ceiling.

Think about what actually "needs" to be done.

 

[Benjamin Cox]

Here is a diagram of what was done. Unfortunately to take actual pictures i would need to remove the toilet which would take some time. The jb weld is applied quite liberally to both holes. I hope this helps