Toilet flange is like a connector pipe. The Toilet flange mainly connects the toilet to the pipe. It can be of different shapes and sizes. But only the flanges which are suitable for the toilet should be used.
If the toilet flange is not put correctly, it may cause problems in draining and damage to the floor.
Following tips and information regarding toilet flange being too high or too low may help you to give enough idea.
What happens if the toilet flange is too high or too low?
Let’s walk through this section to know what happens if the toilet flange is too high or too low –
Table of Contents
Toilet flange too low:
Too low flange may damage the floor. When the flange is too low, it can cause draining problems. It can also flood your washroom and make it sewerage. The dirty water may flow through the toilet.
Many may face a common problem which is leakage. Other than that, the toilet will not be attached to the floor. The attachment won’t be tight. As a result, the toilet will become movable.
The toilet should be fixed in its place otherwise drainage problems can occur.
You can fix it by adding flange extensions. Some may try by putting wax, yet later it can lead to leakage. You should try a permanent solution.
Toilet flange too high:
If the toilet flange is too high, it can lead to damage to the floor. The exposure of the flange can lead to the growth of molds and microorganisms. The molds may cover up the floor. As A Result, the floor can break too.
Apart from that, it can also lead to leakage. The leakage can let the dirty water overflow the washroom. You can solve this problem by fixing the flange and putting in a new one. The sooner it is fixed, the better.
Otherwise, the floor might be damaged to a severe extent.
What to do if toilet flange is too low?
If the toilet flange is too low, you can put flange extensions. Flange extensions with spacers may increase the height of the pipe. As a result, you can put your desired flange above the extension later when the height is reached. This will give the low floor a height to put the flange.
A too low toilet flange may lead to damage to the floor. In order to prevent that, you can add flange extensions with a spacer. As a result, the height can reach a stable height. To provide the help necessary steps are added below.
Clean the surface:
Clean the surface above the pipe. Do not leave any debris and clean the surrounding surface.
Put extensions:
There are several extensions you can find. These are to be put above the pipe. If the pipe is too low, adding extension might become easier.
Put an extension and add one above. You can also add spacers. You should add a bolt between them to put them in place. Next, put a bolt too, in the holes of the extension. Add more unless it reaches your desired height. Keep the flange just above the floor. Not too high and not too low. Just about ¼ inch from the floor height.
Attach the flange:
Once the desired height is reached, put the flange above. Fix the flange with glue on the above of the extension. Secure the flange in place by putting screws and make sure the flange is tightly fixed. Otherwise, the toilet may become shaky. Put one screw first.
Observe if the flange is fixed tightly or not. And proceed to put the next screw.
What to do if toilet flange is too high?
If the toilet flange is too high, you need to fix it immediately. Too high a flange may damage the floor. Apart from that, it will let mold grow on the floor and even in the flange. This may result in a loose flange too. You need to correct the pipe size and put a new flange in that case.
A too high toilet might open a door for many problems. If you think the toilet flange is too high, you should fix the flange. Otherwise, it can lead to the growth of mold and microorganisms.
Remove the flange:
Before removing the flange, put some paper or plugin in it. Removing the flange might be a bit tricky. While removing the flange, you may mistakenly damage the pipe. That’s why do it carefully. Well, you should remove the screws first.
Take a saw and cut the upper part of the flange.
And remove the flange by pulling it out. You can also use a chisel to input force to pull the flange out. There is also a portion on the pipe which is the part of a flange. You should remove that too. You can use the saw and cut that part. As you do not need it, you can cut it.
Remove it fully without leaving any part but the pipe shouldn’t be damaged.
Cut a bit of pipe or tile:
You can cut a bit of the pipe to make the flange not too high from the floor. Moreover, you can cut the surrounding tiles to make them level. You can use any type of tool whether it is a saw or a circular saw. Only cut the upper portion.
You can also cut the tiles surrounding it to facilitate cutting the pipe.
Put the new flange:
Before that remove all the chuckles and debris and also the papers you have already put into it. Now, put a new flange and fix it. Remember to put the 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock properly aligned. Otherwise, the seal may become loose. Check if the bolts can be fixed and can be moved easily.
Use screws to settle the flange by drilling machine and secure the flange to the pipe and floor. The screws should go below the upper part to secure the flange. Make sure the flange is fixed tightly.
Is a toilet flange supposed to be level with the floor?
Not exactly, it should be just above the floor tile. If the floor doesn’t contain tiles, the flange can be almost to the level of the floor. The gap should be ¼ from the floor.
The Toilet flange is supposed to give support to the pipe while connecting the toilet. At the same time, it facilitates draining. If it is located below or above, it can cause leakage. Moreover, any toilet problem is mostly related to the flange.
Due to the fixing problems of the flanges, toilets are not fitted.
On the other hand, if the toilet flange is level with the floor, putting wax may become a bit difficult. You only need a thin layer.
What is the proper toilet flange height?
The proper toilet flange height is ¼ inch and it should be right above the floor. It should not be on the level of the floor. This height itself is the maximum.
Otherwise, removing wax may become a bit difficult even though it is only a thin layer. Moreover, you may need to fix the toilet if required. In that case, a bit of height helps to remove the flange and attach a new one.
Should the toilet flange be flush with the tile?
Yes, the toilet flange should be flush with the tile. Actually, the bottom surface of the flange should be put just above the floor.
The toilet flange should not be too low or too high. It should be located just above the floor. More precisely to say, it will be attached to the floor. There will be no gap between the floor and the flange. That’s why the toilet flange should be flush with the floor.
There is no need for a gap. The size of the flange itself may provide some necessary gaps.
Can a toilet flange be flush with the finished floor?
Yes, a toilet flange can be flush with the finished floor. The flange flush should be attached to the finished floor.
There should be no gap. The flange might be attached to the finished floor just by ¼ inch. This space is enough and you should not increase the gap. Or creating a gap may lead to problems. Instead, you can easily flush the toilet flange with the finished floor.
Final thoughts:
Overall, Too high or too low toilet flange is not good for the toilet as it can lead to leakage and other problems. This can be fixed either by adding flange extensions or by cutting the pipe a bit. The problem should be fixed immediately or else the washroom can be flooded due to leakage.