When a toilet leaks at the base, with water pooling on your bathroom floor, it's typically due to the failure of the wax gasket that seals the toilet to the floor. This seal should make a watertight connection between the toilet and floor. A leak often means that the wax seal may need to be replaced.
The main signs of a leaking toilet may include a damp area on the floor around the bottom of the toilet, a spongy feeling in the floor at the bottom of the toilet seat, signs of dampness on the ceiling in the room underneath your toilet, or the occasional smell of sewer gas and the flooring coming up in the area around ...
Highlights. The most likely culprits are the drain line, wax ring, flange bolts, cracks, or water supply line. You can replace a wax ring on a toilet, or you can call in a pro for the job. A pro may recommend replacing parts or the entire toilet.
The most common toilet leak is caused by a deteriorated flush valve (flapper) at the bottom of the toilet tank. If the flapper does not seat properly, water will leak into the toilet bowl. Often this leak will occur without being heard.
Obviously, a toilet leaking from base is the last thing you'd want to see when you're off to work in the morning or trying to run some errands for the day. Rather than waiting for your bathroom to turn into an indoor swimming pool, call for local plumber services immediately.
Check the Connection Bolts and Tighten or Replace
Check the connecting bolts. If they seem loose or you can see water gathering in that area, use the screwdriver to tighten them. Approach the bolts from inside the tank and screw downward to create the best seal.
A silent leak can be caused by a fill valve set too high.
The fill valve is the part of the toilet that is responsible for refilling the tank after being flushed. Over time, a worn or out of alignment fill valve can become a problem, cause a leak, and wear on valve's components and parts.
If water is leaking from beneath the toilet, you might be able to stop it by simply tightening the closet bolts that secure the toilet to the floor. Use a putty knife or slotted screwdriver to pry off the caps that are covering the bolts. Then use a wrench to alternately tighten each bolt, a little at a time.
Every toilet in your home has a wax ring connecting it to your plumbing, which creates a waterproof seal to keep what goes down to the sewer from seeping out the sides. This piece of equipment usually lasts as long as the toilet, about 30 years.
The three most common types of toilet leaks are in the flapper, the water supply line, and the wax ring under the toilet. For each type of leak, the first way to try to identify where the leak is coming from is to do a visual inspection. Often, you'll see evidence of water leaks.
Again, leaky water is a telltale and common sign of a bad wax ring. If you do not regularly see moisture or puddling water under your toilet, you may be fine. Leaks can, however, happen where you do not see them, under the finished floor and into the subfloor.
A faulty or broken flange may be attributed to a loose or worn-out wax seal. However, flaws in the foundation, like an uneven floor, may also cause the toilet's base to leak.
If you find hot spots on the floor, it may indicate a hot water line leak. Another sign of a slab leak is mould or excessive moisture under your carpets. A damp carpet with signs of mildew or mould indicates a water pipe leak under concrete. This may also produce a peculiar odour at times.
Even if the leak is under concrete or behind a wall. Ground microphones or listening discs are acoustic listening devices that a plumber uses to find leaks. Also, an acoustic amplifier can be used to amplify the sound of plumbing leaks that may be too quiet to hear.
While toilets are meant to last several decades, they do have a limit. If you know your toilet has been around longer than you've been alive, then there's a chance that it's likely on its last leg already. A general rule of thumb is to replace a toilet around every 25 years, though your mileage may vary.
Water puddling where your toilet meets the floor. If you notice water pooling at the base of your toilet and don't see anything dripping from the toilet tank, there's a good chance the flange is the problem.
A leaky toilet might not seem like a huge problem, but the water can quickly damage the bathroom walls and floor. External leaks can cause water puddles that can damage a downstairs ceiling, while internal leaks prevent the toilet from holding water properly.
Since the water flows down the sewer, leaking toilets don't necessarily leave any signs of a leak, until you get the bill. The average leaky toilet can waste about 200 gallons of water per day. That's over 6,000 gallons a month ($70.06*) for just one leaking toilet!
Your water and sewer bill could double or even triple in a quar- terly billing cycle. About 20 percent of all toilets leak. Most toilet leaks occur from the tank on the back of the toilet into the bowl, and then into the sewer. They might not make much, if any, noise.
Depending on use, a good toilet may last you 50 years. Most toilets are made of porcelain, which lasts a long time. Certain components within the toilet may need to be repaired or replaced more frequently, however. Most of these can and should be replaced without replacing the whole toilet.
🚽 Caulking Prevents Water Contamination
It could be water splashing out of a bathtub, mop water, water from a shower and even misguided potty training from your young boys who seem to miss the toilet bowl every single time! Without caulk around the toilet base, water can get under there and sit for a long time.