The wax ring of my 2nd floor toilet keeps leaking. I have replaced it several times, using different types of rings, some are real wax rings, some are made of rubber, some are hybrid. But they all eventually leak.

A little bit of history: The bathroom has been remodeled and the floor used to be vinyl but are now tiled. The toilet flange was not raised but is now slightly below the tiles. The contractor put in thicker wax ring and it held up for a few years. For some reason it started to leak and the toilet started to rock a little. Ever since then I was not able to fix the leak permenantly.

The toilet rock so little I don't actually feel it rocking. However I hear a sound (like sand grinding on tiles) when I sit on it which imply something is slightly loose.

I know wax ring cannot tolerate toilet movement, that's why I've been replacing the seal with wax ring alternatives. Each time it leaks I try a different product. But even these eventually leak. Or maybe they started leaking right away but I didn't know.

Due to the flange being lower than the tiled floor, when/if it leaks I won't see any water coming out of the base of the toilet. I only know when I see a water stain in the celing on the floor below, or started to notice an odor near the toilet.

One wax-ring alternative I haven't tried is the frenco one that looks like a rubber funnel. Their product rating is not very high and I fear it may make the drain too narrow (from 3 inch to 2.5) but I may give it a try..

If a wax-ring like seal is made from silicone (the kind used for cellphone case), it should be elastic enough to seal and tolerate slight movement. But there's no such product.

Any other ideas?

 

I think you need to resolve the rocking or no seal will last.

 

Also you can get an adapter to raise the flange to be even with the tile. They come in different thickness. I also agree that the rocking needs to be fixed. They make wedges for that purpose. Look for both in your plumbing dept at home improvement store.