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deep toilet flange

rick12 | Posted in Construction Techniques on April 25, 2010 10:49am

My bathroom floor is higher than it was.  I have a lead closet bend that came up thru a brass flange and was then formed or bent down over the brass.

Because my new floor is higher I purchased a new deep brass flange.  Since the lead bend does not reach the top of the flange and you can’t bend it over the top, do you just leave the top edge of the lead against the inside of the brass flange? Or, are you suppose to seal or solder the top edge of the lead to the brass?

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  1. Shacko | Apr 25, 2010 02:10pm | #1

    Toilet Flange

    "do you just leave the top edge of the lead against the inside of the brass flange?"

    If you try that you are guaranteed to have a leak in the pipe.

    " Or, are you suppose to seal or solder the top edge of the lead to the brass? "

    You could try to solder the pipe to the flange but, soldering lead takes a lot of skill.

    I hope you have a way to get to the bottom of the pipe, because the only practical way I see to resolve your problem is to replace the lead pipe, sorry.

    1. rick12 | Apr 25, 2010 05:12pm | #3

      I thought the deep flange was made for just my situation.  Was I wrong?

      1. Shacko | Apr 26, 2010 12:07pm | #8

        A deep flange would work if you can get someone to solder it, its a bad idea to leave it unsoldered. Trying to use a flange that expands usually dosen't work because lead is a soft metal and you can't get a good seal on it. In MHO the only safe way is to change the pipe to pvc and put the flange where it is supposed to be.

        1. rick12 | Apr 26, 2010 01:51pm | #10

          How do you replace a lead bend that goes into a cast iron stack?

          Can you simply cut off the lead about an inch from the cast iron and then connect new  pvc using a fernco coupling? The fernco coupling would tie together the new pvc and the 1 inch lead stub left behind.  Would the little lead left behind be strong/ridgid enough to hold the fernco?

          1. Shacko | Apr 26, 2010 02:47pm | #11

            There is little chance that one inch of lead would be enough to make a viable joint'

            To get a cast iron joint apart (assuning it's pack and pour) there are two good ways, you can drill a lot of holes in the lead entil it is  weak enough to pry the remaining lead out, the other way is to melt it out with a torch, that can only be done if you have the room to not set something on fire.

            If you decide to do this you will need a donut connector to go to the new pvc.

  2. DanH | Apr 25, 2010 03:32pm | #2

    Ideally the lead should be soldered to the brass flange.  Good luck finding someone that knows how to do that anymore, though.

    You might look into some of the waxless toilet seals -- some have a tailpiece that seals to the inside diameter of the pipe.

    If you strike out with either of those, be sure to use a wax ring with a "horn".  This will eliminate 80-90% of the risk from the unsoldered connection.

  3. rdesigns | Apr 25, 2010 11:07pm | #4

    You might be better off to go back to the thinner flange, bend the lead over it, and make up the difference with a thicker wax ring, or even two wax rings.

    1. DanH | Apr 26, 2010 06:47am | #5

      Or there are several different ring extensions on the market.

  4. tinybutt | Apr 26, 2010 10:39am | #6

    WHAT YOU HAVE IS A DEEP SEAL FLOOR FLANGE, THE EASIST WAY TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM IS TO GET A LEAD EXTENSION. THIS DROPS INSIDE THE EXISTING LEAD BEND AND EXTENDS OVER THE FLANGE. THE ONLY PROBLEM IS IF YOU GET A STOPPAGE IN THE LEAD BEND WHICH IS UNLIKELY MOST STOPPAGES ARE IN THE WC. MAKE SURE THE FLOOR FLANGE IS SECURED TO THE FLOOR WELL.

                                                                                                                                 GOOD LUCK

    1. User avater
      xxPaulCPxx | Apr 26, 2010 11:54am | #7

      Ow - you hurt my eyes!

      Any particular reason YOU ONLY USE CAPITOL LETTERS?  IT MAKES IT LOOK LIKE YOU ARE SHOUTING.

    2. Shacko | Apr 26, 2010 12:21pm | #9

      "WHAT YOU HAVE IS A DEEP SEAL

      "WHAT YOU HAVE IS A DEEP SEAL FLOOR FLANGE, THE EASIST WAY TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM IS TO GET A LEAD EXTENSION."

      I'm willing to learn, what do you call a lead extension?

      "MOST STOPPAGES ARE IN THE WC."

      I guess that everybody can now get rid of their machines and just keep their closet auger!

  5. brucet9 | May 03, 2010 10:46pm | #12

    http://www.amazon.com/Pasco-1018-K-Toilet-Flange-Extension/dp/B00068YC5U

    If you haven't removed the old flange, leave it.  If you have removed it, can you put it back in and bend the lead back over it as it was before?

    If either of the above is correct, then you can use a flange extension or just double wax rings.

        

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