Loose toilet help needed

Rileybaby

Hi all,

I'm wondering if you can assist. The toilet is loose in my ensuite. I've checked and the 2 bolts which are supposed to hold it onto the flange just spin freely! It's that bad you can now lift the toilet!!

I think I'm going to attempt a fix myself but this is why I need your help - I'm a single mum with very little experience in the way of DIY and by little I mean I've plumbed in a washer, decorated, built beds / cupboards but that's about it!

I believe if the flange looks intact I can just replace the wax seals ( will possibly need 2 as I think the height of the floor has risen since the toilet was installed I've had a new floor. Is this an easy is fix.

Any tips on what to do and importantly what not to do??

Look forward to hearing from you all.

thescouselander

Might be difficult. You'll need to find out why the bolts are just spinning freely - it could be that the hole in the floor they go into has become damaged and is too large for the threads to grab onto.

Alternatively the bolts may have snapped and you're just spinning the head while the threads are still stuck into the floor.

There may be other explanations too. I think more investigation might be needed. Are you able to move the toilet out of position to get a better look? Also, what sort of fitting does the toilet have? Screws vertically down into the floor or ones that go parallel to the floor into a bracket attached to the floor? A photo might help.

jk0

Wax seals? Is this in the USA?

Rileybaby

Thanks the scouselander. No jk0 I'm in Manchester uk not USA. There is only one fixing bolt in my toilet pan ( I have just found out) and I have simply pulled this out by hand.

It should have fixed the toilet to the floor vertically and there appears to be a ring of sealing wax that goes round the base of my toilet.

Any further help would be greatly appreciated.

thescouselander

The substance around the base it likely to the silicone sealer. You could replace this and it should hold the toilet down but it would be better to get some new bolts and fix the pan down properly. There's plenty of videos on youtube that can take you through this if you want to attempt a DIY fix or I expect you could find a local handyman to sort it relatively cheaply (maybe £25 or so).

To be honest I'd probably go down the handyman route as by the time you've bought the materials the difference between that and getting someone in isn't that much and you'll save yourself a load of hassle and mess.

Rileybaby

Thanks again the scouselander. I've just asked for local handyman recommendations on FB as being a single girl I've been ripped off before! Fool me twice shame on me & all that lol. I've got to go to B&Q later so might just attempt to fix it myself you don't know until you've tried :-). I'll let you know if I've done it by my own fair hand.

thescouselander

In that case make sure you get the correct sanitary fittings as these have special plastic washers that give way to prevent the toilet cracking if the bolt is screwed in too tightly.

Tigsteroonie

B&Q sell a pack with the correct bolts and washers ... we bought a pack over a year ago. Haven't used them yet, we've just perfected the technique of not wobbling the toilet when we use it! One bolt has now been appropriated to fix a fence panel, so I guess the toilet will wobble for a little longer.

If you find a handyman in Manc who fixes it for £25, let us know Alternatively once you've practised fixing yours, OP, come round and fix ours! We know it's a case of the bolts/screws spinning in the floor, the holes are too big.

robatwork

Can't help you directly but.... people in here are very helpful and some pictures of the fittings would help greatly. You have twice mentioned being a single female but that's no barrier to being able to do DIY, nor take some pictures and post them into your messages.

Rileybaby

Thanks Robatwork there's nothing to take pictures of its simply a screw and some silicone sealer which appears to have perished! I mentioned that I'm a girl as an explanation as to not having done much DIY before - ex used to do it all. I never said it was a barrier to dong DIY but I've not done much before but have impressed myself by actually being capable when I've tried the bits I've done!

robatwork

Give it a go. I have also (as above) found youtube to be a great resource and much easier to follow than a list of instructions.

It's amazing that someone would bother to film themselves clearing a U-bend or replacing a washer, but more power to them.