Why is My Toilet Wobbling?

Tools You Will Need

To fix a wobbly toilet base, you need a ruler, putty knife, wrench, and some rubber gloves - no professional plumber is needed! You must get a replacement if your closet flange is cracked or damaged. We do not recommend using sealants when the flange is cracked.

Start by shutting off the water supply, then flush the toilet and hold the lever down to drain the water from the tank. Remove as much water from the tank and bowl as you can before moving on to prevent spills.

Helpful Hint: Use the Beehive Max Toilet Plunger to remove the water from the bowl. The large plunger head design makes this quick and easy.

Once the tank is drained completely, disconnect the water supply from the toilet by twisting it clockwise.

Next, remove all nuts, bolts, and washers from the base with a wrench. Once you remove the base, use the utility knife to remove the old wax ring. Be sure to remove as much residue as possible from the top of the flange.

Once clean, place the toilet on the flange without a wax-free seal to ensure that the toilet will sit flat. If your floor is not level, we recommend using shims to make your toilet sit flat.

Once your toilet is level, remove the toilet from the flange and measure the height of the flange using your tape measure. The height of your flange will determine which foam rings you will use.

Use the thin foam ring if your flange is above the finished floor by 1/2 inch or more. If it is less than 1/2 inch, use the thick foam ring. For a flange even with the floor, use both rings. 

When the flange is 3/8 inch or more below the finished floor, stack two full seals. In this case, you may need longer bolts.

After determining which rings to use, place the foam rings on the red rubber seal, then place them on the flange. Finally, set the toilet bowl on the wax-free seal. If your toilet is unstable, that is perfectly normal, as the wax-free seal compresses slightly once tightened.

Next, assemble the bolts at the base with washers and tighten them by alternating sides until the toilet becomes stable. If your toilet has bolt caps, you will need to place the base onto the bolt before tightening the nut. We recommend applying downward pressure on the bowl to help compress the seal. Be careful with this step; overtightening the bolts can cause the porcelain to crack.

Once completed, reinstall the bolt caps by snapping them into place. If your bolts are too long, you may need a hacksaw to remove the excess. The last step is to turn the water supply back on and enjoy your stable toilet.