Do you聽see聽water聽on the floor聽at the base of聽the toilet? Don’t聽delay. Left unaddressed, your toilet will continue leaking聽slightly聽with each flush, allowing聽toilet聽water to pool on the bathroom floor and potentially causing聽unsanitary聽mold damage and rot in the subfloor.
A toilet聽leaking聽at the base often聽is a sign of聽a聽faulty聽wax ring. This聽component聽is designed to聽create聽a tight seal between the toilet base and the drainpipe. When it聽quits working, water may聽escape聽every time you flush. Fortunately, it’s聽easy聽to聽test聽the source of the leak and聽find聽the problem. If you聽conclude聽the wax ring needs to be replaced, we聽recommend聽hiring聽a plumber for聽qualified聽toilet repair.
Test Your Leaky Toilet
Occasionally, a nearby leak can make the toilet聽look like it is聽leaking at the base. Follow these steps to find out聽specifically聽where the water is聽escaping聽from.
Check for Condensation
The “leak” around your toilet聽may聽not be a leak at all.聽It's possible, water vapor聽may聽be condensing on the bowl or tank and聽dripping聽onto the floor. To check for this,聽soak聽up any standing water with a聽towel聽and flush the toilet. Look聽thoroughly聽—if聽no more聽water pools around the base, condensation is the likely聽culprit.聽Running聽the exhaust fan when you shower is an easy聽fix.
Examine the Toilet Tank
Look closely聽around the聽exterior聽of the tank for any聽dampness. To rule out condensation,聽wipe up聽any droplets with a聽paper towel. Then,聽look聽again,聽looking for聽loose bolts or cracked porcelain leaking water onto the floor. Tighten any loose bolts you聽find. If the tank is聽broken, you’ll need to replace your toilet.
Inspect the Water Hose
Look at聽the cold-water supply line聽behind聽the toilet. A loose connection,聽defective聽hose or聽malfunctioning聽shut-off valve聽may聽cause a leak. If tightening the fittings doesn’t聽resolve the issue, you may need a plumber to replace the water supply hose.
Tighten the Tee Bolts
If these troubleshooting tips聽prove unhelpful, your toilet is聽probably聽leaking at the base like you聽suspected. Before聽calling聽a plumber, try tightening the tee bolts that聽attach聽the toilet to the floor. You may need to聽pry off the聽decorative plastic caps with a putty knife or flathead screwdriver to聽access聽the bolt聽underneath. Be careful not to聽over-tighten, as this could聽crack聽the porcelain. If the bolts spin freely, you聽may聽need to聽replace them.
Look for Signs of a Worn-Out Wax Ring
If bolting the toilet tighter to the floor doesn’t聽stop the leaking, a聽faulty聽wax ring could be the聽cause聽after all. Besides water聽pooling聽around the toilet, you may聽notice聽a sewage聽stink, indicating a broken sewer line seal. And if the toilet聽moves from side to side, this聽may聽mean it’s sitting on a broken flange, the聽component聽that connects the flush system to the plumbing line. A rocking toilet might also聽indicate聽a soft subfloor resulting from the leak, which聽requires聽immediate attention to prevent the problem from聽getting worse.
Hire a Plumber to Replace the Wax Ring
If you聽discover聽that a聽broken聽wax ring is indeed the problem,聽resolving聽it聽necessitates聽removing the toilet, replacing the ring and reinstalling the toilet. While it’s possible to聽do聽the聽work聽without a plumbing license, DIY toilet removal is not recommended. Here’s why you should leave the聽issue聽to a聽experienced聽plumber:
- Porcelain is聽a surprisingly delicate聽material. If you聽whack聽the toilet on the floor or hit it too hard with a plumbing tool, it could聽break, forcing you to pay for a toilet replacement聽in addition to聽everything else.
- Lifting and lowering the聽large聽plumbing fixture is a two-person聽task. Even then, poor lifting techniques could leave you with an聽hurt聽back.
- Checking for water-damaged subflooring requires a聽Expert聽eye. And if any damage has聽happened, it should be聽fixed/repaired聽before reinstalling the toilet, something a plumber can help聽guide you through.
- If you聽detect that聽the entire flange聽underneath聽the toilet is damaged, it will need to be replaced. This is even聽more challenging聽than聽swapping out聽the wax ring.
- Removing the toilet, making the聽required聽repair聽and reinstalling it can take a few hours, if not longer. You聽probably聽have better聽things to do, giving you yet another reason to leave the聽repair聽to a plumber.
Schedule Toilet Repair With an Expert Plumber
At 天美传媒,聽resolving聽toilet leaks is one of our聽fields of expertise. Whether you聽go through聽the troubleshooting tips outlined above before聽calling, or you want us to handle聽the whole job聽from start to finish, we’ve got you covered. Every job is backed by our聽Service Experts Guarantee,* so sit back,聽take it easy, and let us聽take care of the problem. To schedule聽superior聽toilet repair in your聽neighborhood, please聽contact 天美传媒 today!
*Not applicable to the Advantage Program. See your signed Advantage Program Agreement for full details and exclusions. 天美传媒 Guarantee is subject to certain restrictions and limitations as set forth in the applicable Terms and Conditions.
