The previous owner...

[SteamWake]

Just a short rant about 'the previous owner' my house and the plumbing.

Feel free to add your own. Dont even get me started on the electric time clock over the hot tub thing

The other day the critters running around under my house tore an AC duct loose. So I crawled under the house to inspect the damage and came face to face with a hidous sight...

The plumbing stack to the toilet was leaking right at the floor line. Wood floor thourghly soaked and rotting in some places. Water dripping from the floor like I was in a cave or something.

It hadent got noticed as the vynil flooring covered it up and there were baskets and crap on the sides of the toilet.

Well I knew immediatly that the wax ring that seals a toilet to the stack had gotten blown out. Just requires removing the toilet, cleaning up a little, and replacing the wax ring / toilet.

After much toil cleaning the water out of the toilet and removing the tank I set out to remove the bolts that secure the toilet to the flange. Except... there not bolts well they were lag bolts. Yes lag bolts wood screws long ones ...WTF ?!

Got the bolts off and removed the toilet base bent over to examine the flange and existing conditions and... oh... my...

Whomever installed this toilet just ran a piece of 3" led pipe up from the stack, through the floor, and litterally hammered it over into a flange of some sort then just plopped the toilet on top of his hand hammered 'flange' dents holes and all and bolted it to the flooring. No wonder it failed.

The fix is easy too they make a fitting for just this type of condition (no flange on a metal stack) but 'the previous owner' or his 'plumber' thought it easier and cheaper to just play blacksmith with the stack.

By the way the fitting... about 20 bucks.

Rotted flooring and new floor covering.... god only knows.