I have an old (60+ yrs.) toilet and flange that need to be replaced. The flange is attached to 4" (iron/steel???) pipe and is set in concrete in the basement. the flange is in o.k. shape but is 1/2 an inch or so below grade. should I use an extension/super ring to bring it up to grade or would it be feesible to remove and replace the flange that doesn't have much life left anyway? If R&R is recommended is there anyway to get pvc on the iron pipe? I don't think lead and oakum are out of my skill level so I'll do that if needed> THANKS IN ADVANCE!

 

chcg911, Welcome to the DIY Forums.
The pipe is probably cast iron. If you start breaking up concrete to replace the flange, there is a good possibility of breaking the pipe. I would go with the Flange Extender. They come in different thicknesses so you can get the proper height. Since the floor is concrete, you will have to use masonary fasteners (Tapcon?) to attach the extender to the old flange and floor. Good luck with your project.

 

Thanks sooooooooo much for your quick reply! I'll do as suggested.

 

They also make cast iron toilet flanges that fit inside existing bare pipe with an expanding rubber compression ring.. You tighten down a couple of screws to expand the rubber seal and presto, new watertight flange. Of course if the old flange is still in working conditon why not just use longer closet bolts and double up on the wax rings. I do this all the time and I NEVER have leaks from them, much simpler than replacing the flange.

 

I wound up using a Super Ring and anchored it with Tapcons and sealed it to the floor with silicone. The anchoring bolts were screwed into the concrete and the old flange was essentially disintigated. Upon closer inspection I found that the throat of the waste pipe is clay. If this fix winds up failing (and lord I hope that dosn't happen) I'll give the expanding collar a shot. One thing though is this expanding collar common? I couldn't find one at my local hardware store or the DEPOT.

 

In MY opinion, using a flange that goes inside the existing pipe is not the best idea. Sometimes you have to go with the lesser of two evils. The expanding collar is going to reduce the inlet size of the pipe. If your pipe is 4", there probaly won't be a problem. If it is 3", then you are causing the flow to be interupted as the water and sewage hits the ring. I realize that most toilets have only (at max) a 2" opening but there is a reason that nothing under 3" can be used for toilet drainlines. Good luck.
Since your old flange was not in good shape, you did yourself well by using the Superflange. I am also not a big fan of using more than one wax seal. If you need more than one, you should go with the flange extender. Wax seals have a tendancy to slide when stacked. They do make a thicker wax seal.