Why Is My Toilet Leaking at the Base?
Do you see water puddled at the base of the toilet? Don’t delay. Left unaddressed, your toilet will continue leaking slowly with each flush, allowing dirty water to pool on the bathroom floor and potentially causing unsanitary mold damage and rot in the subfloor.
A toilet leaking at the base often signifies a bad wax ring. This component is designed to form a tight seal between the toilet base and the drainpipe. When it breaks, water may escape every time you flush. Fortunately, it’s simple to find the source of the leak and find the problem. If you conclude the wax ring needs to be replaced, we recommend calling a plumber for professional toilet repair.
Test Your Leaky Toilet
At times, a nearby leak can make the toilet appear to be leaking at the base. Follow these steps to find out precisely where the water is leaking from.Check for Condensation
The “leak” around your toilet may not be a leak at all. Instead, water vapor might be condensing on the bowl or tank and puddling onto the floor. To check for this, clean up any standing water with a paper towel and flush the toilet. Look thoroughly —if there are no new water pools around the base, condensation is the likely problem. Running the exhaust fan when you shower is an easy way to solve this problem.Examine the Toilet Tank
Feel around the exterior of the tank for any dampness. To rule out condensation, clean up any droplets with a dry washcloth. Then, check again, searching for loose bolts or cracked porcelain leaking water onto the floor. Tighten any loose bolts you see. If the tank is broken, you’ll need to replace your toilet.Inspect the Water Hose
Examine the cold-water supply line located on the back of the toilet. A loose connection, damaged hose or faulty shut-off valve may cause a leak. If tightening the fittings doesn’t resolve the issue, you may need a plumber to replace the water supply hose.Tighten the Tee Bolts
If these troubleshooting tips prove unhelpful, your toilet is more likely than not leaking at the base like you originally guessed. Before calling a plumber, try tightening the tee bolts that attach the toilet to the floor. You may need to remove the decorative plastic caps with a putty knife or flathead screwdriver to reach the bolt below. Be careful not to tighten it too much, as this could crack the porcelain. If the bolts spin freely, you may need to buy new ones.Look for Signs of a Worn-Out Wax Ring
If bolting the toilet tighter to the floor doesn’t fix the problem, a failing wax ring could be the problem after all. Besides water soaking the floor around the toilet, you may smell a sewage stink, indicating a broken sewer line seal. And if the toilet moves from side to side, this may mean it’s sitting on a broken flange, the component that connects the flush system to the plumbing line. A rocking toilet might also be a sign of a soft subfloor resulting from the leak, which demands immediate attention to prevent the problem from getting worse. Hire a Plumber to Replace the Wax Ring If you discover that a broken wax ring is indeed the problem, repairing it requires removing the toilet, replacing the ring and reinstalling the toilet. While it’s possible to complete the repair without a plumbing license, DIY toilet removal is not recommended. Here’s why you should leave the job to a qualified plumber:-
- Porcelain is an unforgiving material. If you whack the toilet on the floor or hit it too hard with a plumbing tool, it could break, forcing you to pay for a toilet replacement on top of everything else.
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- Lifting and lowering the large plumbing fixture is a two-person task. Even then, poor lifting techniques could leave you with an injured back.
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- Checking for water-damaged subflooring requires a trained eye. And if any damage has been done, it should be fixed/repaired before reinstalling the toilet, something a plumber can help guide you through.
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- If you detect that the entire flange underneath the toilet is damaged, it will need to be replaced. This is even more difficult than replacing the wax ring.
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- Removing the toilet, making the needed change and reinstalling it can take a few hours, if not longer. You probably have better things to do, giving you yet another reason to leave the job to a plumber.