Spent 45 minutes chasing a water leak in my basement before realizing I installed the toilet flange upside down

Was putting in a new toilet in my basement bathroom last Saturday. Hooked everything up, flushed, and water started seeping out from under the base. Pulled the toilet off three times, checked the wax ring, checked the supply line. Finally looked at the flange itself and noticed the raised lip was facing down into the pipe instead of up. Had to cut the whole thing out and put a new one in. Twenty bucks and a trip to Home Depot later it was fine. Has anyone else done something this dumb on a simple job?

2 comments

2 Comments

mason.paige14d ago

@valwest's tip about taking a photo is smart but honestly that's like a bandaid for a bullet wound lol. Flipping the flange upside down is definitely a move you only do once though.

valwest14d ago

Oh man, I've been THERE. Pro tip: take a photo of the flange orientation before you glue anything in next time. I keep a whole spare flange kit in my truck now just in case.