How to Know when a Wax Ring Is Bad

Inspect the bathroom. Determine if the Wax ring is possibly bad by inspecting the floor for water or a foul odor of sewer gas.

Use food coloring. If are unsure of where water is coming from you can add food coloring to the toilet tank. If the floor's water is the same color, then you likely will need to install a new wax ring.^[1]

Remove the toilet. Begin by shutting off the water at the shutoff behind the toilet. Flush the toilet now. Then remove the supply line. You may want to reuse the line if it a new flexible type, but if it's an old solid draw tube type, it is easiest to cut it with a tubing cutter and replace it with a flexible type.^[2]

Get a good sized sponge and a bucket like the kind you use for washing a car. Use the sponge to get the remaining water out of the tank and bowl. There is a trap built into the toilet, so be aware there may be some remaining water in the toilet even after you do this. This will be important later when you go to move the toilet.^[3]

Get the johnny bolts free. These are the bolts that hold the toilet down on the floor. Sometimes they can just be removed with a deep well socket, but many times they are corroded and have to be cut or broken off. There are many ways to cut these bolts, but the best way is with a rotary tool or one of the new vibrating tools. Cut next to the base of the toilet, not underneath. There is a flange that the toilet bolts to underneath of the toilet. If you mess this up it has to be replaced and the part can be expensive and is a pain to change.^[4]

Wait until the toilet is free, then it is time to lift it off. This is not the easiest endeavor. You want to try to keep the toilet level so the remaining water does not come out of the trap. You can rock it forward to break it free of the wax ring, but try to lift it level.

Move the toilet out of the way and set it on some newspapers. There will be remaining wax on the bottom of the toilet and if you set it on the floor, it'll make a mess.

Use a stick or disposable putty knife to scrape all of the remaining wax that is on the floor flange off and throw it away. Clean the floor flange as thoroughly as you possibly can. You must now also tilt the toilet and get the underside clean.^[5]

Go to a hardware store or check what you have in stock yourself. You need two new johnny bolts, a new toilet supply line if you are changing it, Teflon tape and a Neoprene floor gasket. Do not get a wax ring. Wax rings are a pain if you do not do this every day. With a wax ring, when it comes time to set the toilet to the floor, you have one chance to get it right. If everything is not lined up perfectly, you have ruined the ring and now have to go get another. The rubber gasket allows you to adjust the toilet into place until everything lines up. Make sure you don't put the gasket in upside down. It will fit the flange very well one way, and not well at all the other.

Place the new johnny-bolts into the keyhole slots in the floor flange. Place the rubber gasket over the bolts. It will help to hold the bolts upright to mount the toilet. Place two 12" long 2x4 scraps on either side of the flange. Place the toilet one these boards and lie on your stomach in front of the toilet so you can line up the toilet.^[6]

Get the toilet lined up, slide each 2x4 out from under the toilet and it should sit down flush with the floor. If it does not, double check to see if your flange connection is aligned. If it is still crooked but you are sure you have a good connection you will need to use a shim under the lip of the toilet base to level the toilet after you have put some tension on the johnny-bolts.

Finger tighten the johnny bolts. When you are sure that the bolts are where you want them, you can use a wrench. You can not level a toilet by tightening the johnny-bolts. Do not over-tighten them, because you can crack the toilet, but you are more likely to break the flange. See #4.