Toilet leaking

[Alison556]

I had a problem with my toilet leaking at the pan connector. Plumber came out, gave the toilet a bit of a wiggle and said it was sorted. Apparently it wasn't. Yesterday was spent hauling the toilet out, ripping out the floor and having a cry over the mess. I will also say that having your hand up the soil pipe to retrieve part of the connector is NOT a pleasant experience

I'm not sure if the pan connector should just be replaced to stop it sliding off. Going by the way he wiggled the pan, there's obviously a bit of movement there. If I replace it, would using a flexi connector be better if there is some movement? I think it's an offset connector but I'm not sure and I don't know if you can tell from a really dodgy photo . Also, the inlet pipe to the back of the pan was covered in what I assume is plumber's mait. Does it need this on it or should it not need it?

Any advice greatfully received as I'm a tad worried about flushing now lol

 

[terryplumb]

Fit a new rubber flush cone to the flush pipe.
The pan connector appears to be misaligned into the soil pipe , as though the pan outlet is higher level than the soil pipe ,is this so ? Or is the picture deceiving ?

 

[Alison556]

It might be the picture. I had to keep twisting the connector till I could feel that it was completely over the the back of the toilet. It just didn't feel like it was lining up properly. It's a tight space for trying to get a decent photo.

This photo is probably even worse

 

[terryplumb]

Well , flush the toilet ,or pour large buckets of water into the pan , and if it doesn't leak your ok !!

 

[Alison556]

That's what I did lol. I made the mistake of flushing first and got my feet soaked again. So started again and got wise to it with the buckets of water. It seems to have stopped leaking but I'm not convinced I've done it right. Should you actually be able to twist the connector round or should it be a much tighter fit?

 

[terryplumb]

It should be a tight fit onto the pan outlet ,and pushed onto it fully and squarely ,and a tight fit into the soil pipe. Are you using a brand new pan connector ? It's not wise to re use one that has been taken off .

 

[Alison556]

It's the one that was on it. I'll get a new one though. I did wonder about replacing it as the fin bits on the soil pipe end had come off (hence the hand down the pipe to retrieve it) and to me, it feels like it's just too easy on and off the toilet side.

 

[terryplumb]

Once it has been used ,the rubber kind of moulds to the shape of the pan outlet ,and over time the rubber loses its elasticity , becomes too loose to re use.

 

[Alison556]

If I'm not sure about it being offset, would I be better getting a flexi fit connector? I'm not sure that the merchants will be too thrilled at me taking the existing connector with me - not without giving it a damned good scrub first lol

 

[Alison556]

And which flush pipe seal should I get?

https://www.wolseley.co.uk/webapp/w...GgdK9Brwm4=&ddkey=https:AjaxCatalogSearchView

 

[terryplumb]

Show us a picture once it is removed. We don't care what it looks like . I don't think it's offset.
You can use a Flexi if you wish ,but rigid are preferable.

 

[Alison556]

Thank you. That'll be tomorrow's job and my hand back up the bloody pipe to get the bit that keeps coming off lol

 

[terryplumb]

And which flush pipe seal should I get?

https://www.wolseley.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CatalogSearchView?langId=44&pageSize=12&pageView=detailed&catalogId=12001&searchTerm=flush+cone&categoryId=&storeId=10203&krypto=LXLs8I5/HwlK6e382zn0Kd6f5czqu4OMjOennan2PevyVwKUGBuOongfORkWWNJj3ifcOScE4KiQqvwES0wiC+s6e7u2QezVOI8gyojVsfzcZfT8kNrNFxjkt0//zvt+nohk2jOUOp5ifi30qFsv5gVSYAC0T2VPXGgdK9Brwm4=&ddkey=https:AjaxCatalogSearchView

I have never used any of those ,but the last one appears to fit the bill.
I get mine from a local independent plumbers merchants ,to be honest I don't even know who makes them ! But they are black rubber ,not white EVA ( which is a fairly rigid plastic) and not very good in my opinion.

 

[Alison556]

That might be why the one on it is absolutely sticking with gunk. I'll go through all our plumber's merchants and see what they have

 

[terryplumb]

Sometimes ,if they don't seal ,then packing plumbers mait in between the fins will make it watertight. Some of the pan inlets are not perfectly formed !!!!