Toilet in liquid nails

Discussion in 'Repairs & Maintenance' started by OzziMelbourne, 28th Feb, 2021.

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  1. OzziMelbourne

    OzziMelbourne Well-Known Member

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    About 19 years ago or so my house was built and a very licensed plumber put both toilets on liquid nails.
    One toilet is now leaking a little, which means it needs to be removed and we will probably find out that a rubber seal needs to be changed.
    I invited a plumber to do this, he struggled to remove a toilet & said that liquid nails are underneath the ceramic part. Well, I saw this anyway without this observation.
    He said the only solution would be to smash the toilet, inspect why the leak occurred and then put a new toilet.
    My question is if anyone experienced a similar install and how it might be possible to remove a toilet without smashing it. So, the task is to try preserving the toilet and moving it out from the place where it sits on liquid nails
    Thanks
     
  2. qak

    qak Well-Known Member

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    Have you got a particular attachment to that 19yo toilet?
    It's probably quicker & cheaper to just buy a new one and smash the old one off.
    Time = money.
     
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  3. OzziMelbourne

    OzziMelbourne Well-Known Member

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    No attachment
    I just thought that it might be still possible to use it rather than smash it :)
     
  4. willair

    willair Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    There are a few chemical solvents that will break it down ,liquid nails is like Ramset ChemSet once it sets it lasts a long time..
    The Plumber would be more worried about the time factor,one minute with a sledge hammer and it's in the bin ,then reset and install..imho..
     
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  5. The Y-man

    The Y-man Moderator Staff Member

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    The toilet is obviously very attached to the house! :D

    The Y-man
     
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  6. OzziMelbourne

    OzziMelbourne Well-Known Member

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    So, what are these solvents?
    I appreciate recommendations to smash the toilet but if people have radio in their cars non-operational, they typically repair the radio rather than buy a new car...
     
  7. Fargo

    Fargo Well-Known Member

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    No. they just slide out the old radio and put a new $100 radio in, or a $10 one from the wrecker if they are tight. It is much cheaper and they dont have to go weeks without a radio.
     
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  8. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

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    Is the toilet ugly? Can you see the pipes or is it wall backed? I'd swap it for a nicer toilet, assuming it is the ugliest thing in the bathroom now.
     
  9. OzziMelbourne

    OzziMelbourne Well-Known Member

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    Yes, and the radio is in this case a rubber seal rather than a toilet.
    Thanks for your valuable contribution but if you have no method of removing a toilet without smashing it, thanks again and all the best
     
  10. OzziMelbourne

    OzziMelbourne Well-Known Member

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    The pipe goes from underneath. With a pipe from a wall a story would be different
    The task is to move a toilet connected to the floor with liquid nails, then change a rubber seal that costs 10 dollars and then put a toilet back
     
  11. willair

    willair Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    The one I used to used was a homebrand heavy duty domestic cleaner about $3-00 per 1-25 l..
    But the problem you will find is lifting the pan to access the underneath section and that will take time..
    If your looking for a low cost
    and keep the existing system.
    Then just buy a tube of high quality silicone and just seal the old seal with a layer of silicone..
    The problem most people encounter is unless you have the seal to match up with the old one it will still leak and the smell..good luck..imho..
     
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  12. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

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    If your plumber says the only way to do it is to smash and put in a new one, haven't you already paid him for one call out?

    Last time I organised a toilet repair, the plumber ended up smashing it in the attempt to fix it.

    My first though was to break the seal like you can with silicone but it seems that isn't possible. I do think you may find it gets smashed in the attempt to shift it anyway.

    Maybe buy a new one, leave it boxed, and return it if you don't need it. If it is smashed in the attempt it will be a third callout or time wasted for the plumber to drive and get a new toilet and you will be paying for that.

    I agree time = money and I would just swap it for new. I don't think you want to hear that but your plumber has said it, plus a few people on here.

    Don't shoot the messenger. :(
     
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  13. OzziMelbourne

    OzziMelbourne Well-Known Member

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    If I can’t elevate it, yes, I’d smash it but then I don’t think I’d need a plumber. As soon as I smash it, I’d see where a problem is...
    Thanks
     
  14. OzziMelbourne

    OzziMelbourne Well-Known Member

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    So, today I resolved a problem without any licensed plumbers. The solution came in with a sturdy stainless steel scraper blade that costed me 3 dollars from Bunnings. I spent 30 min going with it along a perimeter and then was able to elevate a toilet. A culprit was a rubber thing that costed me 4.5 from Bunnings.
    In total, I was able to keep the same toilet, didn’t destroy anything, spent less than 10 dollars instead of at least 500. Moreover, I didn’t put a toilet back using liquid nails. Instead, I drilled two holes thru concrete and bolted the toilet, this a plumber would never do.
     
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  15. jaydee

    jaydee Well-Known Member

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    seems like you got your **** together! Simple toilet seal, well done!
     
    Last edited by a moderator: 6th Mar, 2021
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  16. Paul@PAS

    Paul@PAS Tax, Accounting + SMSF + All things Property Tax Business Plus Member

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    Loo pans are usually laid onto a bed of damp sand / cement with PVC adhesive between the mix and the pan base. Leave a few days to set. Plumbers rarely use the screw holes as it destroys floors and waterproofing.
     
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  17. OzziMelbourne

    OzziMelbourne Well-Known Member

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    I drilled 2 holes thru tiles and they came nicely without any cracks. Then went further into concrete. When a loo pan was put in place and screwed, I used sealant to go around to fill the gap. If the rubber seal under the pan doesn’t keep water going down, such waterproofing around the pan based on cement or anything is a danger anyway, in my view, because water with some other bits and pieces would be kept under the pan rather than come out to demonstrate a problem with rubber.
    Anyway, next time for such events I wouldn’t need a plumber. A plumber would destroy a pan, spend at least 1 hour doing this and installing a new rubber seal and then putting a new pan. All in all, at least $500 and next time the next plumber would do the same.
     
  18. bmc

    bmc Well-Known Member

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    using rust proof screws/bolts - brass or stainless ? and you didn't drill through the waterproof membrane and the pan is level.

    you should be right
     
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  19. OzziMelbourne

    OzziMelbourne Well-Known Member

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    Stainless
     

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