# Wax Toilet Ring Question



## cabinetman (Jun 3, 2007)

I'm doing a bathroom renovation, including installing a new toilet. A little background on my plumbing endeavors... I hate plumbing.

Anyway, my question is pretty simple. Which ring, and where to place it when setting down the toilet. When we had our sewer line hook up, our plumber removed one toilet and when he re-installed it he used a regular ring and placed it on the floor flange, not the underside of the toilet. He also did not recommend using the one with a plastic funnel because they reduce the orifice size for waste flow.

Well, I'm kind of "follow the instructions guy". The instructions with the toilet says to place it on the underside of the toilet, and the included wax ring was just a plain ol' ring.

All of the toilets I've ever installed I placed the ring on the toilet first. Some of the websites I checked out says to put it on the floor, others say put it on the toilet. Which is best? And, which ring is best?

Oh, one more thing. A few websites recommend not using the plastic catch tabs for the bolt covers. They say that as they can wear from any movement and weight transfer, will create the possibility for leaks. Is there any truth to that?


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## al's sewer (Apr 7, 2009)

cabinetman said:


> I'm doing a bathroom renovation, including installing a new toilet. A little background on my plumbing endeavors... I hate plumbing.
> 
> Anyway, my question is pretty simple. Which ring, and where to place it when setting down the toilet. When we had our sewer line hook up, our plumber removed one toilet and when he re-installed it he used a regular ring and placed it on the floor flange, not the underside of the toilet. He also did not recommend using the one with a plastic funnel because they reduce the orifice size for waste flow.
> 
> ...


 Either way works fine. I prefer putting them on the bottom of the bowl simply because there is less chance of it slipping and blocking the pipe but I have done it both ways with out any problems. As far a s the plastic catch tabs what I do is put the catch tab on first then put a metal washer over it then the nut. This keeps the plastic catch tab from moving and squeezing down too much.


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## majakdragon (Sep 16, 2006)

I have always put the seal on the flange. This way, you don't need to worry about it dropping off while setting the toilet. If the closet bolts don't come with tabs to hold them upright, I squeeze some of the seal around the bolts to hold them straight while setting the toilet. I have no problems with the wax seal that has a plastic funnel on it. Look at the discharge hole on your toilet and you will see that it is much smaller than the flange opening, even with this type seal. A properly set toilet should not move at all so I don't see the reasoning for not using the plastic catch tabs. I install them as Al said, under the nut and washer.


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