A faulty wax ring, or one that is going bad, may produce any number of telltale signs. These include leaks, bad smells, or a wobbly toilet.
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.
Determine if the Wax ring is possibly bad by inspecting the floor for water or a foul odor of sewer gas. Use food coloring. If are unsure of where water is coming from you can add food coloring to the toilet tank. If the floor's water is the same color, then you likely will need to install a new wax ring.
The first sign of a failing wax ring is water that seems to be seeping out of the base of your toilet. Other signs to look for include: Water stains on the ceiling from the floor below. A lingering, unpleasant bathroom odor from escaped sewer gasses.
Bad Odours
Another common sign is a bad odour in your bathroom. A damaged wax ring not only creates a leak every time you flush your toilet, but it can allow gases from the sewer system to leak into your home.
The only-when-flushed toilet leak could be caused by loose mounting bolts or a worn-out wax gasket while the all-the-time leak could be caused by a loose water supply line connection, a problematic water shutoff valve, or a faulty seal between the toilet tank and its base.
When it works properly, the wax ring creates a watertight seal between the toilet base and the drain pipe. Unfortunately, wax can fail over time, leading to water leaking onto the floor. The good news is that popping on a replacement wax ring will fix the problem.
Wax-free toilet seals are made out of a heavy duty rubber, so they're flexible enough to shimmy into the flange without smearing a wax ring. Wax-free seals can also be reused. As long as they're still attached to the bowl in good condition, you can reinstall the toilet without replacing the seal.
$90-$120 is a good ballpark.
If you are having other plumbing work done, they might do it cheaper, and if they have a large travel fee, you may pay closer to $150. Unless there is a problem, it should take them under a half hour, whereas, it might take a novice 1.5-2 hours.
Place the wax ring on the closet flange, not on the toilet. Pick up the toilet and set it evenly over the closet flange, making sure the bolts come through the bolt holes in the toilet base. Fine-tune the toilet position, so it's right where you want it, then push it straight down so it smashes the wax evenly.
It requires no maintenance and can last 30 or more years, often as long as the toilet itself. But sometimes wax rings can dry out, crumble, and fail prematurely.
As the valve ages and is used regularly, pieces of the valve can deteriorate. The deterioration is what's causing the whistling sound. Additionally, if your toilet has a ballcock, then a faulty gasket could also be the source of the problem.
An improperly installed wax ring may leak. Perhaps the installer used a ring that wasn't thick enough, or perhaps the flange is high enough to lift the toilet off the floor and make it rock. Once water begins seeping through a compromised wax ring, it won't stop. It doesn't take standing water long to rot a subfloor.
Apply the mineral spirits with a rag and scrub gently to remove the wax residue. Always use care with mineral spirits as it is flammable. If you don't have mineral spirits on hand, check in your garage for a bug and tar remover or Goof Off Heavy Duty.
The first sign of a bad toilet ring is water forming around the base of the toilet. To test that a bad seal is the problem, grab a couple of towels and wipe up the water. Go on with your day, checking periodically to see if the water has returned.
A regular wax ring is all you need if the flange is set on top of the finished floor. Oatey® Heavy Duty Wax Bowl Ring can be used to set any floor type closet bowl. A thicker wax ring is used when the flange has already been set on the subfloor and is flush with the tile instead of sitting on top of it.
In order to prevent problems with your new wax ring, it is helpful to know what commonly causes problems with this important little gadget. First and foremost, a loose toilet will often cause a wax ring to lose its seal and leak.
As a result, having a local plumber replace your toilet's wax ring can be anywhere from $75-250 depending on the cost of the trip charge and whether anything else is discovered in the process that needs fixing.
Replacing the wax ring is as easy as sliding the new piece onto the bolts in the floor, then sliding the toilet down to make a tight seal.