How would you go about installing new toilet here?



I'm a newb at installing a toilet. It's wax ring, toilet flange, toilet, right?

Flange goes on the bottom. What happened to the old flange?

I'm guessing that is cast iron plumbing. Here is a YouTube video showing a situation similar to yours...



The flange used in the video is made by Oatey, though there are a variety of flanges available at big box stores designed to attach to cast iron plumbing.

I've never actually used one of these, but I'm interested in them since it has a sleeve that slips down into the drain.

That stub out looks like lead which ties into the cast iron below it. Lead is very soft and (if it is lead) you don't want to use the Oatey flange above which is for cast iron only.

I used this: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Sioux-Chief-7-in-Brass-Toilet-Flange-Ring-890-4BPK/202313221

You would typically pour lead to seal the flange to the lead pipe. I'm not comfortable doing that and found this product:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00083UTDC

Use a caulk gun and install between the flange and lead pipe. Use a ball peen hammer and lightly hammer the lead pipe to the flange until it is formed.

Start at 16 min. in this video. (note he used the wrong end of the hammer but you get the idea)

Would it be easier to cut off a bit of the cast iron pipe and replace with PVC, then connect it to the rest of the iron with a fernco?

I ran into this in my first house..

There are a bunch of ways to skin a cat but I ended up getting a PVC flange like this one and glued a smaller PCV pipe to it to extend down into the pipe. I used a plumbing goop liberally around the bottom of the flange to create a seal with the drain pipe and then anchored the flange to the foundation.

There are a number of choices on flanges but it kind of looks like this is either a pier and beam house or possibly a 2nd floor. I don't see a good way to attach the flange to the floor/sub-floor but it may be my monitor.

It is a pier and beam home. I'm not sure if the old flange caused those gaps in the tile or what, but I was worried that it only looked like I had 2 spots that I could attach a flange screw into the tile/cement base.

I'll defer to The Fife as he knows Pier and Beam like the back of his hand..

Hopefully you can access under the house and get to this spot easily unless he has a trick up his sleeve.

Good luck.

I can get to that spot under the house, but it will be a tremendous PITA.


Thinking about hiring this part out.

You could farm it out, but you may end up paying a pain in the ass tax. I'm going to WAG it at $500. Borderline worth it territory since it could take a while if you're going to be working under the house.

I don't have any personal experience with connecting a flange directly to cast iron since someone before me has always cut the pipe. If you can get to that point, which may in itself be a pain in the ass since it would involve cutting iron, it becomes really easy. The risk with any other solutions IMO is that I personally would want to get down there to make sure it doesn't leak sometime later.

The Fife said:

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You could farm it out, but you may end up paying a pain in the ass tax. I'm going to WAG it at $500. Borderline worth it territory since it could take a while if you're going to be working under the house.

I don't have any personal experience with connecting a flange directly to cast iron since someone before me has always cut the pipe. If you can get to that point, which may in itself be a pain in the ass since it would involve cutting iron, it becomes really easy. The risk with any other solutions IMO is that I personally would want to get down there to make sure it doesn't leak sometime later.

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True, but I'm on a tiny bit of a time crunch, and I budgeted towards the end of my remodel to pay for some plumbing... I'll call the guy and see what he thinks.

Again I say...

Good lord, that toilet install looks like when Indiana Jones picks the wrong letter in The Last Crusade...