to be fair, if you're putting 25 PSI of air pressure on your toilet, you eat way too many beans.

I like the test but you can see the acrylic is bending which won’t be a good seal so something stiffer would have been a better test for both in my opinion

When I did apartment maintenance, I switched over to the better then wax. Worked well for me. I like that there is no wax to clean up. Other bonus, it can be reused incase you set the toilet down off center.

I'm a licensed plumber in New Mexico and I've done service work for 6 years. now I'm in a maintenance position for an apartment complex. Since the first time I tried "Better Than Wax" five years ago, I decided that I was never going back to wax. I've installed hundreds of the foam/rubber ring seals and I've never gotten a call-back or experienced any type of issue related to a toilet I've set using that product. Two things I swear by: "Better Than Wax" and siliconized acrylic caulking in place traditional plumber's putty or for any instance requiring a sanitary seal. This type of caulking is the easiest to use and clean up because, prior to setting up and curing, it's water soluble - just takes a damp rag and washes right off hands and tools. It's also safe on drains because it just dissolves in water on clean up. Once it's set and cured (think basket strainer or disposal adapter installation in a kitchen sink basin) it holds it's seal very well and stays worlds cleaner than putty could ever be capable of.

I've used the exact same Fluidmaster foam rings when I needed to do underlayment repairs under the toilets in our house. I've been pleased with the results. Note: That is a 2 piece system. You don't necessarily have to use both black & blue foam rings. The black piece is used if the flange is below floor level and additional seal is necessary. Really enjoy your videos & tips.

My buddy is a GC and I helped him set with the blue one, also installed the blue one in my house. No issues, no sewer gas. Makes me more likely to upgrade my toilet because I don't have to deal with the wax next time.

I'm an old guy, and after wrestling with replacing a wax ring today, I'm switching to rubber next time. These old knees have had five surgeries, and all the scar tissue across the face of the knee caps does NOT like kneeling on tile floors any more, and especially so if I kneel on a closet bolt or a nut. The tests are a great idea. Thank you for doing this. I'd like to see a couple of things changed on the tests, and see if you have a revised reaction. The pressure gauge should be moved to the pressure chamber. Right now, it is only reading the pressure in the hose. There is a large pressure drop across the Schrader valve when you are pumping, which masks your results. The other thing, is that if you use another metal ring or even a PVC flange over the acrylic plate, you would have even pressure around the whole seal, and would eliminate the bending of the plate, which also masks your result.

The problem you were having with the non-wax seals is that the piece of acrylic you were using was warping severely preventing it from being able to seal. That's a problem you won't see against the porcelain of a toilet. I've used them in my house and never needed to replace one after putting it in. I'm sure they'll fail eventually as all things do but to me they work incredibly well.

The maximum pressure that a ring can hold is not a real world issue. A rocking or unstable issue is an issue. Use very little pressure but rock the acrylic sheet to simulate a wobbling toilet to see what seal gives the best real-world performance. I'm a home owner and have used several of these and they seem to work really well. Especially, if you have lift the toilet for some reason, you don't have a gooey wax mess to clean up.

Landlord here, I've laid 2 toilets personally with better than wax seals, and haven't had a single problem yet! I like them because, I'm not a plumber. I don't have the repetitive skills honed in like one. So it's significantly more forgiving using the better than wax seals. My landlord friends also use better than wax seals, and they swear by them! It's really a great deal to have some leeway installing toilets, for only $10.

I am not a plumber by trade, however, I have installed & repaired many toilets in the last 55 plus years , and I always used the wax rings and never, ever, had a failure with any of them.

Homeowner. Replaced all 4 seals with rubber years ago. Never had a leak so far.

I used the Korky rubber ring during my bathroom remodel, as it allowed our contractor to reinstall the toilet every day without having to use a new wax ring each time. The Korky Wax Free ring is made in Burlington, WI.

To me, and I’m no plumber, but I believe that it really comes down to securing your toilet and preventing it from rocking. The rocking is really bad for wax because it doesn’t expand back to seal it from leaking. If you do it right, a wax ring should outlast rubber.

Not a plumber but diy'er...used 'The Green Gasket' sani seal from Home Depot and it worked great. Almost 10 years later and still no leaks. My dad still prefers the wax rings though.

So for me I've been using the better than wax. For probably 6 years now. I've always been a big fan of wax. And I'm still using wax in certain occasions. But a lot of these new toilate, they have no grip to hold when you're trying to install them. They're odd shaped a lot of times they have these funky designs where you have to insyall the bolts. Inside the bowl so I started using the better than wax. Because it was a way I could get a seal. Cause you have to keep working the toilet sometimes to get the these funky toilets to set the way you want to. And that's just what has worked for me with some of these different toilet designs. But I've never really had any issue with it. And I really don't use the foam piece unless it's. Like specifically, an upstairs toilet situation where maybe the flange is sitting just just a little bit too low and I'll give that to my customers as an option as opposed to redoing the entire upstairs flange, which reinstalling the flange at the right height is the better option. But sometimes with budgets, people can't afford those kinds of repairs when they want to. And have to save up for the repair costs. So it's a kind of a Get me by Repair, but I've had a lot of success with the better than wax myself.

Should have tested the Better Than Wax without the black spacer because you rarely use it. I’ve installed dozens of toilets with the Better Than Wax and I’ve only had to use the black spacer one time.

I switched all wax rings to the blue rubber product you showed. Going strong for 7 years now even when one toilet shifted and rotated.

Should have a metal ring for the acrylic plate to keep it flat.

I have used both wax and rubber. You're right about no clean with rubber. I have not had any issues with rubber.

I have used Fernco wax free toilet seals several times with no problems.

My plumber no longer uses the wax seals with hydronic heated floors. His concern is the heated floor will soften the wax too much.

This is excellent, I really depend on being able to visualize certain aspects of a job in order to feel like I'm doing it right, so seeing how the wax and rubber seals work, is really helpful for me. Thanks!

Plumber here. Fluidmaster rubber for me. If people lose power in Florida it gets hot enough to melt the wax rings. After hurricanes come through and people loose AC I get a lot of leaking toilets. I've never had a complaint about sewer gas.

Probably 10 years ago now I was using a rubber accordion type toilet seal. It went on the horn of a clean toilet with a double sided tape, that was super tough, then you opened it up and set it allowing it to collapse as you set it, I would use them in a retirement home when I had a tenant who continuously broke their wax ring

Hey Roger, I just ran into this choice. I didn't buy them, the home owner did. I did a tile job in a couple bathrooms. The customer got this real thick cement covered foam board, instead of 1/4" Hardy backer. By the time I was done, the flange was now real deep below the tile. I told customer I needed the Jumbo wax ring. He brought those and the foam type. I wanted to try the foam type. With the toilet on the foam, it wasn't even squishing the seal down. So, I just used the jumbo wax ring. Worked great.

I love the Korky rubber rings. Ive never had an issue. Ive used the Fluidmasters, too, but prefer the Korky. Not once have i found or have had a repoet of gas coming through. It seems they're more forgiving, too, of people dropping onto rhe toilet seat or shifting the toilet, somehow.

My upstairs bathroom has had the wax ring fail twice in the seven years we've been living here (first was installed by the people who renovated the house before we bought it, second was installed by me (I am not a plumber)), and both times the ring had a large crack and also appeared to have partially dissolved or something. When it leaked the second time last summer I replaced it with a rubber ring, haven't had any more leaks so far but only time will tell if it lasts as long or longer than the wax rings have. Both failures resulted in water dripping from the dining room ceiling any time the toilet was flushed.

I'm using a better than wax ring on my TOTO Drake bidet for about 1 year now and it seems to be going strong with no issues and no smell at all.

You should definitely try a stiffer/thicker piece of acrylic for these kinds of tests because the acrylic is the weak link in each test and I’m curious to see what they can really take.

I installed the oetey red rubber seal back in 2017 on all three of my toilets and i have had no issues at all. Northern Michigan one toilet is in the basement.

This channel is my go to for plumbing education, great video. Helps me a ton. Liked and subscribed.

I have used the rubber gasket on both of my toilets and 7 years on I still don’t have any leaks. For my small sample size they seem to work great.

I started using the rubber seals from HD a few years ago in both new builds/remodels and repair/replacing faulty wax seal rings. The good thing about them is that they are not messy, so if you need to remove/replace the toilet, you simply reuse the seal. You are correct, in that there isn't going to be that much pressure on a toilet. I specifically like using them on retro fits, because around here, we have a ton of lead downpipes into cast iron. Well, as we know, that lead can deform and leak. When you have a wax ring, it will leak, because it follows the lead when it moves. The good thing about the rubber ring is that it has an extended flange that goes down into the lead pipe, so no matter how much the lead moves/deforms while under the "normal" use of a toilet, that extended piece will cover the gap within 1 to 2.5 inches. And we also know that if your flange/downpipe separate more than 2 inches, you have issues far beyond anything that a ring seal will cover, no matter what it is made out of. Here in the Greater New Orleans area, we have major issues with houses settling constantly due to the ground subsiding. This is followed up by the house foundation needing to be leveled again. This issue can go on for decades, where the house sinks and the foundation guys lifting. Many times the plumbing, specifically the sewer side, does not always follow the house, so the flanges under the toilets can, and does falter and need to be repaired. This is where the rubber part shines really well for me. The thing about the rubber part is that, as you showed, it comes with the extra ring. This ring is only needed if the flange is below the tile level. you can get a second one if your flange is more than 1/2 inch below the top of the tile, but that is rare, at least in my experience. Most of the time I am not even using the extra foam ring, and the rubber ring seal works just fine. While I have only been using these for a few years now, I have never had one fail. One other great thing about them is that if the toilet needs to be removed for tile work or needs to be adjusted a little bit, it will not require a new wax ring. I just used one in my own house last weekend, because the lead down pipe had deformed and separated just a 1/8th inch and you guessed it, it leaked. Of course my wife called me, frantic because the ceiling of the coat closet on the main floor had started to leak. So when I got home, I ripped the sheetrock open and saw a tiny little drip. I knew exactly what it was, ran up the block to HD and bought a rubber ring, repaired the deformed lead pipe and installed the new rubber gasket.

When I installed my new toilet about 10 years ago, I used a rubbery plastic seal. It had an adhesive flange that stuck to the bottom of the toilet, and an extension with ring barbs that fit snugly into the pipe. It looked like the Fernco FTX models, except that it was blue. To ensure the adhesive didn't eventually fail, I made a compressible ring of foam pipe insulation to fit under it, providing a constant upward force against it. Hasn't leaked yet. I also grouted the toilet to the tile floor to provide a solid mounting, so as not to stress the seal. (If it leaks, I'll see it in the basement.)

I used the Danco one that you had in your thumbnail but didn't test. That's the one that's half rubber and half wax. Worked great for my application. Floor was very uneven and I would rock the toilet too much when installing a wax ring, causing a gap. The Danco one did a great job maintaining a seal while I adjusted the toilet to make it snug.

I just tried the fluidmaster rubber gasket 2 days ago and it leaked! I had to pull the whole toilet back up again and used a wax ring. That's what I should have used to start with! So much for new and improved!!

I've used both originally wax and the problem i had is the wax getting compressed down too much from people sitting on it and causing the toilet to wobble. Here about a year ago i switched to the blue one you showed in this video and it's been solid since.

I used a rubber seal in the past and had no trouble with it. I would be interested to know if there are problems 5 years or more after installation...

I am a General Contractor and I have been wondering about these for so long. I've used both, have had no problems with the new rubber seals (especially when dealing with older homes that suffer from people just laying new flooring on old flooring or those flanges just being before floor level), but I have not found a definitive answer for what is better. I mean, I like being able to reuse the rubber and not having to clean up that messy wax, but I just don't know which is better. I seriously question how the rubber seal holds up to a plunger because plunging creates a lot of pressure. I wish someone, somewhere could come up with a definitive answer.

As a DIYer homeowner I would like to know if the wax ring is meant to seal fluid & gases? I'm asking because after using a plunger to unstop a toilet it started leaking water around the base afterwards. I enjoyed your demonstration. One factor that may have to be duplicated is the toilet surrounds the wax ring when it is set on top of it. That insures a better seal in the field.

I'm a home owner and I use the better than wax seal. I don't have any leaks or smells and it's been several years. I put one in my church with the same outcome. Also, the one at church I recently had to remove the toilet for water line issue and when I put the toilet back I had no issues with it resealing and that was a couple of years ago when I replaced the wax seal.

If it's not the phone that's causing the problem but it's not sealing right you may need a thicker piece of plexiglass so it doesn't Flex so much because it may be flexing a little bit when you tighten on the ends not making a complete ringed seal the wax will conform to the bend in the in the plexiglass but the Rubber seal needs a flat surface to work this my suggestion. Cuz I've used one, and it's been 2 years or 3 and no sign of failure yet, and that was the blue first one you used. I install one for a friend of mine and it's held up really well for that whole time so far still working

I have a question, just had my flange and gasket replaced by a plumber when I asked if he was using wax o rubber, he replaced both. Is that a good idea in your opinion and thanks for the video - informative.

As a remodeler, I liked having a rubber seal one for temporary toilet hookups or on jobs where we have to take it out and hook it up a bunch of times, then we just reused it at different sites instead of having to keep a bunch of wax ones around all the time. We only ever used them as a temporary solution until we got the permanent hookup. I've also used them as permanent rings a couple of times and have never had any problems with them. It didn't seem like the acrylic in the video was stiff enough- lots of flex.

Been following for a while, just from curiosity, but now this is valuable to me in my new job. Where I work I get asked about products like this but I don't know anything about plumbing. The video didn't teach me much but your comment section did! 😅 cool idea though! Just not a perfect test, lol. Maybe do a followup video reading some of the comments from DIYers and pros, since you said you don't use both products, and adjusting this test or trying a different test. Or no test at all. Lol. ✌️

Hi Roger, the last time I installed a toilet with the rubber ring instead of the wax ring, the rubber, even though it was pliable, it cracked the toilet bowl at the mounting bolts !!, so, I had to buy a new toilet and I wound up using the wax ring instead!

I had a rubber one. Replaced it after a year. My toilet leaked. Couldn't belive it. Went with a wax ring. I was told rubber is better. I think the rubber misformed or somthing. It was awhile ago. Unless I got a cheap rubber one? Is there a better rubber seal out there?

I used the rubber seals on my toilets in my house with no problems. When I 1st use them it was by Fluidmaster that had foam O rings around a plastic sleeve. Lasted 15 years before I had to pull the toilet because of a clog. When I replaced it I used that blue one you tested.

When I first moved in there were roots growing in my sewer pipe and it required several runs with the auger to finally clear the drain. Luckily I have not had to auger the pipe for a couple of years now but after the second time pulling up the commode to run the big boy I went back with a silicone seal and it has proven to be a great seal and no mess to clean up. No more wax for me!

My personal favorite is the sani-seal. Never had a leak or any problems with it. I've seen the aftermath of plenty of leaky wax rings.

Two wax rings, cheap enough to create a proper seal.

like the way you just cranked that acrylic down with a torque wrench

Eight years ago (Dec 2015) I used the 7530 Toilet seal kit "better than wax" from Fluidmaster. So far so good. No leaks. No sewer gas. It outlived the tank. The tank recently developed a hairline crack and a leak. Replaced the tank but kept the bowl in place still attached to the floor with seal inside. I am not a plumber by any means. Just a home owner.

I have used the rubber rings in areas where I have needed to remove a toilet more than once. This was in a construction project that required me to replace it to have a functioning toilet. It also compensates very well for tile elevated surfaces where the lock ring is low. They also work better in warmer climates and heated floors. I used to use the double wax ring and it works well, but can be messy on removal.

I have removed toilets that have have been installed for many yours and were currently letting sewer gases into the house. When I removed the toilet to my surprise the foam had deteriorated and was leaking. I always use the extra thick wax to give me a good seal. I often find the flange is not level do to a new floor or some other renovation. Wax is the only way to go.

In NYC when we have Radiant floor heat we use Foam or rubber so it doesnt melt and stain any stone floors

We tried that Korky one and just couldn't get it to work. Now I'm as amateur as they get so maybe I did something wrong, but we put the wax one on and no issues. As much as I didn't want to use wax, it worked over the rubber. We returned that one the next day.

I used a rubber ring 3 years ago and no issues so far. it is on a hardwood 1/2 bath so I used a the thick option.

I’ve used wax rings, and the blue rubber one you tried in the video. Some of other rubber toilet rings are junk. The wax rings and blue rubber rings both work, except if using a PVC flange and it is too high above the floor and there is not enough room between flange and toilet to compress the rubber. In that case, use a wax ring. If the flange and floor are not parallel, use a wax ring. Never allow a toilet to rock back and forth even a small amount when using a wax ring. The rubber rings have that advantage over wax rings, when installing a toilet. Supposedly you can reuse the blue rubber rings, but I never do. Wood floors are never perfectly level, so I shim the toilet so it cannot rock when using a wax ring. The ideal flat floor for a toilet are large format porcelain tiles. I’ve never had to shim a toilet setting on a porcelain tile floor that was laid using a floor leveling system. There are typically two causes for toilet ring failure. Improper installation or the toilet gets loose and rocks even a slight amount. That’s why I make sure even if the nuts are not really tight, the toilet does not rock. I use the thin flexible cutting board sheets and custom cut shims that are hidden beneath the toilet.

my flange sat up to high above the finished floor. tried all kinds of wax rings and when i tighten them down to the floor so the toilet didn't wobble they leaked. even tried to shim the toilet so it wouldn't smash the wax so much and still leaked. finally installed better than wax universal and was able to tighten the toilet to the floor and no wobble or leaks years later still no issues

I have replaced a lot of those rubber rings as a service plumber. I think after a while they dry up and shrink, causing the smell to come out. I had one that failed not even a month after installation. I sold the work, somebody else installed it and I felt like a real jerk having to reset this brand new toilet with wax when it should have been done right the first time.

Sometimes the floor isn't stiff enough, and the customer weighs 370 pounds. The toilet rocks a little no matter how correct the installation is, and the wax has no elastic deformation only plastic deformation - it ends up leaking. I use neoprene these days. I've had to go back and repair wax, but never rubber.

I use the danco hydrocap with wax , you get both the wax and the rubber works Great.

Interesting test. Couple thoughts. 1. The plastic cover wasn't stiff enough to get an flat seal. 2. Would be cool to see these tested on an actual toilet as well. Which one is more forgiving and keeps a seal over time. Something else I say a local plumber do was double up on the wax rings.. Maybe cover that topic as well.

I have seen through experience that wax rings with horns leaked when the toilet clogged or the branch/main line backed up. This was almost everytime. I would reset the toilet and find this type of seal. I believe its due to not enough wax under the horn. Can you revisit this and use a regular wax ring without a horn? Im curious to see if it would hold the pressure

Not sure your testing really convinced me on which ring to use

Your test is totally bogus. What you are testing is the bending strength is a thin, flimsy piece of plastic (while it is supported in only 2 places). The plastic is bowing & lifting away from the seal. With 4" pipe, the force on that plastic is about 12 times the PSI you are applying. At only 5 PSI, that amounts to 60 pounds. The plastic bends! Pressure is not what makes a toilet seal leak. It is shifting of the toilet, movement of the pipe, or shrinking of the seal with age (causing the seal to lose contact). The wax seal can only deform ONCE to accommodate irregularities in the toilet or pipe. The silicone seal continues to spring upward to accommodate movement. The maximum pressure toilet can make is 1 or 2 PSI. Seals leak because they separate, not because of pressure.

Fantastic job! I learned something today. You do a great job of explaining to the non-plumbers such as myself, what you think is best for certain applications. I was hoping the foam gaskets worked better, but like you said, wax has been the best way to go. Thank you sir!

As a DIYer and replacing 2 toilets and on both occasions used the wax ring and had leaks because I had no idea what I was doing and messed up the wax ring when setting the toilet, I would prefer the rubber ones. After the second toilet I just decided to call a pro from then on. I do not want toilet leaks. I will be happy to do the piping and other things like replacing my faucets when needed but I am not willing to try another toilet.

Roger , do you always use the thick wax ones regardless? I’m getting ready to put down two new toilets and am flipping a coin on whether to use the Green Seals or Wax rings. 🤷‍♂️

I've never seen these parts in the Netherlands. We mostly use the sanivesk manchet for example and the eccentric alternative.

Did you test jig accurately reproduce the way a seal of any type works to seal sewer gasses/ effluent in the toilet situation? Look farward to seeing the resalts from an acurate test gig.

I used that korky rubber one that didn't hold any air in your test. It hasn't leaked after a year and I'm happy with it. I think if your floor shifts it your toilet wobbles you are better off with a rubber and foam ring due to the elasticity.

I installed one of the rubber seals in my bathroom about 2 years ago after doing the flooring. I have no wobble or leaks.

The plexiglass flexes where the toilet won't. I don't think this really tells us anything....

I tried two of the non-wax designs in November 2023 with a 16 year old Toto and neither fit up properly and they leaked. Back to double wax and bingo- no leaks. Toilets are not glazed or smooth on the bottom- so the flexible (rubber/silicon) seals don’t fit up leak free. As compared to wax which fills the voids and seals.

I install the blue foam seal 6 years ago and have been working 100%ok no odors no leaks ,easier to work than the sticky wax seal!

I've used them for a while now I like them

I installed the better then wax seal about a month ago and now im on youtube searching videos because I keep having issues with sewer gases, weak flush and gurggling from my shower. I have an older house with foundation issues so maybe wax is better to use in my situation.

When we built the house I used a rubber seal on one toilet and 35 years and a toilet change later later it is still holding. The other bathroom toilet has a wax ring which has leaked twice and been replaced three times.

The double stack (the spacer) was "needed" according to the instructions for my toilet (flange even with the floor) but the toilet was WAYYYYYYY to high off the floor. So I didn't use the spacer and just used the blue ring. Did it on Monday - no leaking that I can see. My next toilets I might stack 2 of the blue seals and see how that goes.

We use rubber o-ring or rubber adapter and white cemento to seal in a floor installation

I usually use wax but last week I used the rubber product product sold at Home Depot for $10. Toilet flange on center was 11.5 in from the wall and was a tight fit touching the back wall. Toilet flange had a repair split ring flange and the top of the flange was 3/4 below the tile. I used the rubber because it allowed for a flange below the floor surface and allowed for a slight shift according to the instructions. If it was not for the versatility of the rubber I may have had to melt two rubber wax seals together and double stack. Rubber product allows for toilet removal where the wax doesn't give you a second chance. As far as I know, no leaks so far and I would consider using it again. I keep wax rings in the van at all times; I'll stick to wax whenever I can.

back outlet power flushes i go with fernco rubber stick ons...regular bottom outlet wax with NO plastic horn...

I used to do maintenance at three rental properties and changed out more toilets then I can count. I tried the "better than wax" rings one or two times and had a leak within less than 6 months. Regular wax has never failed me and I see no reason to use anything else, especially when it's included with most new toilets. The only reason not to use regular wax is if you know you'll have to reinstall the toilet multiple times like in a remodel scenario, but normally you should only need to install a toilet once so just use wax, it'll last longer than you most likely.

Here in australia we only use rubber seals. Called pan collars, and the pan isnt bolted down. Just held in place by silicone and gravity. Never had an issue

I used the silicone ring without the foam because my flange is proud. So far, so good, and one thing is for sure; the silicone is easy, and incredibly noob-friendly. My only issue was the flange was all busted up where the bolts go, but thankfully the previous house owners had put a steel flange repair ring on it.

I use the Fernco FTS-3 3" Wax Free Toilet Seal, best on a new toilet install. They also make a 4", FTS-4 a little over 5.00 at Supply House.

Problem is with the circular flange most of the time wood around the toilet is rotted or does not cover around the pipe, you can not screw it on the toilet floor because there is no wood to screw it to, flanges has to be like square shaped that can be secured to the floor wood with the bolts most of the time the flange screws does not grab the floor.

How much pressure do air powered plungers put toilets under? would they blow the rubber?

The foam part is a spacer, should of tried with out. I still like and suggest using regular wax rings.

I've probably got the oddball question here. Are the wax rings still made from bee's wax? I remember reading the box several years ago and found it says it was made from bee's wax so I used it as a source of bee's wax to use in my woodworking projects as a protective finish. It was far less expensive than buying it as a liquid or gel in the woodworking supply places. It's been a long time since I've needed one for any purpose so I'm just curious.

I have used the Fluidmaster seals when I owned apartments, so I am somewhere between the DIY home owner and a pro. I didn't have any problems with them leaking or letting sewer gas into the building. I think that one problem with your tester not holding pressure is that the clear cover is quite flexible compared to how rigid a porcelain toilet. The plastic seal is made for porcelain, where as wax conforms to the shape of the clear lid.

I have an old house and used the red rubber/foam ring you showed off last. With how much my house moves in the winter/summer I wouldn’t do wax. Half of my doors don’t shut in the winter due to the house movement lol. In two years I haven’t had issues yet. I have even moved my toilet a couple of times to redo the floor and paint behind it. It was nice not having to go back to the store to get a new ring. No sewer smells.

About 24 years ago we had our old house jacked up and sort of leveled. I replaced all of the plumbing my self. Switched from galvanized pipe and cast iron to all PVC and CPVC. Put in a new toilet and used a standard wax ring. It started leaking so I replaced it. The new one started leaking. I replaced it with the thicker wax ring and it started leaking. I think the reason was that the toilet was rocking or moving. I found a seal called Sani Seal which was made of some type of green rubber or plastic foam. It has been under the same toilet for all these years and has never leaked. I still have an extra wax ring in the cabinet just in case. On this same note I watch Drain Addict on YT in Australia. They have completely different toilet mounting types over there that I didn't know existed.

I’d be interested in knowing what the pressure of an average plunge is

Like you said your self there is a flange around the ring on the toilet. Also toilets are heavy and not flexible so even though there is only two fasteners on a toilet, I imaging just the weight of the toilet is going to give you a good gasket crush nice and even all the around the bolts are more to hold it secure than to crush the gasket in my opinion. I would recomend retesting this with something more similar to the bottom of a toilet. And possibly even add some more fasteners so you get a more even gasket squish instead of bending the acrylic. I personally don’t have a position as to which one is better. I do my own plumbing in my house and have used both wax ring and the rubber gasket. As far as I know I have never had any leak, I thought I had a wax ring leak once but it turned out to be the tank to bowl gasket. Got a toilet overhaul kit, and it’s been great ever since.

I use the foam when it’s a chance the toilet will rock to try to maintain a seal. As you say a good wax seal that is consistent is strong. Had to pull a toilet for a remodel, I set the toilet 20 years ago, the wax held tight enough I had to rock it side to side to break it loose.

Why is there a danco perfect seal in the thumnail/picture but not the video? Thats the one I use. I like how the danco will move with the toilet a little. I use them for wall mount sits on floor and floor mount where the flange is below the floor. For floating i use wax and I also use wax for applications where the flange sticks out.