(bold is mine)
Originally Posted by
Joe Griffin
Opinions are like a#$%holes, everybody has one, including my own. All I know is there are hundreds of thousands of loose toilets out there, most of which have been installed by "plumbers". Are they all incompetent? Or could we improve on an outdated design? I'm sure the insurance companies would agree.
And please note, that most of these toilets do not come loose quickly, it is latent. That is the real problem, the design is not for the long haul. Without a "locking" system, it is doomed to failure.
Look at the typical jonnie bolts supplied with wax rings. Real high quality fasteners! Couple that with a slotted, non-fixed bolt design, two slippery surfaces, high usage, heavy users, and lateral stress. I smell a loose toilet nearby.
PS I know I said I wouldn't post on this again, but it is nice to have people contributing information without trying to embarass or humiliate each other. So I won't let the pettiness bother me. I don't post much here because it generally degrades quickly into "I am smarter than you are" No need for that. Let's just learn from each other.
All within the same post. Nothing like telling us you are smarter than the others. Then telling us you don't like posts like that???
"Or could we improve on an outdated design?"
Sure, put bolts every 2 inches around the base.
"it is latent. That is the real problem, the design is not for the long haul. Without a "locking" system, it is doomed to failure."
That anchoring has been around "for the long haul" and has survived because it works. Like everything else, it works ... when done properly.
There is nothing latent about it, it is not a design problem, it is an installation problem.
Just like installing 100 foot long 14 AWG copper 15 amp circuits and wondering why there is a voltage drop problem - it is not the copper wire, it is not the 14 AWG size, it is that it was misused and run 100 long.
Install a toilet properly - as Charles stated: "If the floor is solid and level, a toilet needs nothing more than a wax ring and two 5/8" Toilet Bolts properly tightened. If the installer knows what he is doing, a toilet will be sealed and remain water tight and odor free until it has to be replaced."
Charles also added: "Using any type of caulk or adhesive is just an amateur way of sealing an improperly installed toilet.", and he is correct there too.