Floor Saver Toilet Flange

A toilet leak containment assembly for preventing water leaks from a toilet flange during flushing onto the support flooring into which the toilet is attached. The leak containment assembly contains a leak collector for installation between the toilet base and the support flooring for preventing the water leaks onto the support flooring during flushing. 

The leak collector contains an attachment flange for attaching the leak collector to the support flooring, a collector pan for collecting water leaks during flushing, and an outlet pipe in fluid communication with the collector pan for channeling the leaks into the plumbing drain pipe. It also contains a leak seal assembly for installation and sealing between the toilet base and the leak collector. The leak seal assembly contains a flow channel for channeling water flow into the outlet pipe of the leak collector, and a seal for sealing between the toilet base and the leak collector.

A leak seal assembly for preventing water leaks from a toilet during flushing on to the support flooring to which the toilet is attached, the toilet including a toilet base mounted to the support flooring having an interior toilet passagethrough which water flows into a plumbing drain pipe during flushing; said assembly comprising: an annular flow channel for location between the toilet base and the drain pipe to channel water flow into the plumbing drain pipe; an annular flangesurrounding said flow channel, said annular flange includes an annular flat surface extending to an inclined annular surface for directing water into said flow channel, whereby, water leaks are directed into the annular flow channel for channeling waterflow into the plumbing drain pipe; a seal surrounding said annular flow channel for sealing between the toilet base and the plumbing drain pipe; and said annular flange overlying at least a portion of said seal.

One of the most common and more frustrating home repairs that needs to be made is the replacing of a rotted floor underneath a toilet caused by leakage over time. With the existing toilets and pipes, it is a foregone conclusion that, over time,some leakage will occur when a toilet flushes. The amount of water that does not go directly into the pipe should be forced down into the pipe over time and not be allowed to make contact with the floor or sub-floor where it can rot the floor and causesubstantial damage.

Traditionally, a toilet flange is placed in the sub-floor that receives the toilet bowl itself and the plumbing pipe and connects the two. These traditional flanges have four large areas for the placement of screws connecting the toilet to thetoilet flange and four additional screws for mounting the flange to the sub-floor. The holes that are used for the screws that connect the toilet to the flange allow for much exposed sub-floor upon proper installation of the toilet. The solution forfilling these holes so that no water reaches the sub-floor was the creation of a wax seal. 

The wax seal consists of a plastic insert that connects the toilet with the toilet flange enclosed in a wax seal. Under the pressure of the toilet upon placingthe wax seal in between the toilet and the flange, the wax seal is pressed downward and fills in any holes on the toilet flange and surrounds the base of the toilet. The wax seal provides three benefits, first it protects leakage from reaching thesub-floor by filling the holes, and second it does not allow any gas to escape, and, through it directs water flow to the main drain pipe.

While this system works initially, over time it begins to fail and allows water to reach the sub-floor. As the years and seasons progress, the alternating hot and cold weather expands and contracts the wax seal, thus leaving gaps in the holesthe seal had once filled on the toilet flange. By leaving these areas exposed, the water from any leakage may now seep into these holes and begin to damage the sub-floor.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a floor flange that protects the sub-floor and floor from water seepage.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a seal assembly for use in combination with the flange that will further protect from any water seepage and use the seal primarily as a blocker of gas and not a protector from water damage.