Toilet removed and no visible flange or pipe. Is this normal?

[FrankNJ]

Hello all.

Bought a house a few months ago. Last week my daughter told me the toilet was rocking. I figured a nut was maybe loose. I inspected by taking off the little plastic caps that cover the bolts, and saw some kind of adhesive, possibly caulk, was covering both bolts. Worked it off with my fingers and discovered both bolts were also broken somewhere below the ceramic of the bowl, so the only thing holding the toilet in place was gravity.

I knew from my mother's house that these things tend to rust and break after so many years, and the couple we bought the house from was elderly, maybe they didn't know any better or didn't have the money or strenth to lift the bowl and install new bolts.

I ran to Home Depot for a new wax seal and bolts, came back home, disconnected everything, lifted the bowl and saw what's in the attached pics.

I don't see a flange or even a pipe. It's just a hole in the floor. Also, the bolts that the bowl was attached to are just cemented directly into the tile floor.

I'm pretty handy, but this is a beyond my current experience. I've since plugged the hole with a damp towel and placed the bowl in a storage closet.

No leaks per pre-purchase inspection. I've been in the crawl space directly behind this bathroom and no leaks there either.

Any advice or insight would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[breplum]

You probably need a good plumber.
Typically, they will be able to evaluate access to the piping and come up with the best solution.
Maybe cleaning up the pipe and using an insert fitting.

 

[frontporch]

I agree that step one is to clean out and determine what you have. There is the possibility the flange corroded and was not properly fixed or it is buried under new tile. Either way it’s a surprise.

If you can. Clean it up and get some good resolution photos posted