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About Sharon McCarthy
Expertise
I can help with most questions about residential plumbing problems including septic systems, and some questions about irrigation. I have no experience with commercial installations or codes.

Experience
I have been a sole-proprietor service plumber in two small towns north of Phoenix Arizona for 26 years.

Publications
I had a monthly column in the United Steelworkers of America, local 1033, newsletter 1978 to 1982. I wrote an article for "The Theosophist" in 1977. I've written dozens of letters to the editor in many newspapers.

Education/Credentials
High school and three years of college. My step-father, having worked 40 years in the plumbing trade in Chicago, taught me for two years. The rest has been hands-on experience.

Past/Present Clients
Many hundreds of good people in Cave Creek and Carefree Arizona

You are here: Experts > Home/Garden > Home Improvement/Repair > Plumbing in the Home > toilet

Plumbing in the Home - toilet

Expert: Sharon McCarthy - 11/7/2009

Question
My toilet keeps moving after i tightened the crews is it some kind of cement i can put around it to keep it from moving.

Answer
Dear Nelson,

  When you said the toilet keeps "moving", do you mean it rocks, like side to side or front to back? If the floor the bowl is sitting on isn't perfectly level, even with the nuts nice and tight a toilet can "rock".

  I have installed hundreds of toilets in 26 plus years. In almost every instance I had to place shims somewhere under the bowl to level it. Now there are plastic shims you can buy at any hardware store just for this purpose. A package contains maybe eight of these shims. They are white plastic and tapered from front to back.

  Buy a package of these shims, and have a sharp razor knife handy. With the nuts tight, rock the toilet bowl side to side. If it rocks, place the thin end of the shim under one side of the bowl and push it in until it's snug. You might have to use two shims, one closer the the front, one closer to the back.

  If it only rocks front to back, like it rocks forward when you sit on it, then place a shim or two under the back of the bowl until the bowl stops rocking. When you have the shims in the right places, loosen the two nuts about one turn. Then tap the shims in until they feel tight, then tighten the nuts down.

  Whatever excess parts of the shims are sticking out, you can cut them off with a razor knife. You might have to make 3 or 4 firm swipes to cut them off clean.

  I rarely use caulk or grout around the base of a toilet bowl. If water ever began to leak around the wax, this seal would trap the water under the bowl, and could cause damage to the flooring. Hope this answered your question! Sharon

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