If your toilet is leaking from the water supply, the water supply line may need repairing. This is a common and inexpensive repair for your plumber to make. If the toilet rocks when you sit on it, your plumber may need to replace the wax seal.
Leaking Around the Base of Your Toilet
The worst-case scenario is that the toilet leaks through the floor and causes damage to the room underneath. For this reason, it's best to involve a plumber to pinpoint the cause of the toilet leak and provide a quality solution.
While leaky sinks and pipes can cause damage to your home, there's a vast difference between a tiny leak that's dripping and a considerable leak that quickly fills buckets of water. A large volume of leaking water is generally considered a plumbing emergency.
What's the price range for a typical toilet leak? Expect to pay $150-$500 USD—but likely closer to $150-$175. In the U.S., the average plumbing repair costs a bit over $300 USD, but that includes repairs that are more complex than most toilet leaks.
Leaking toilets are more than just an annoyance—they waste water which leads to higher water bills. The next time you hear the unmistakable sound of a running toilet, it's a sign of a leak in need of immediate repair. The good news is that sometimes diagnosing and fixing the issue can be a simple and inexpensive task.
If your toilet is causing a wet floor, you could end up with rotted floor boards, damage to the ceiling below, and other structural damage, which could end up being disruptive and expensive to repair.
If you suspect your toilet keeps running because of a major leak or damage to the bowl, gasket, flushing mechanism, or pipes, call a plumber right away. Be wary of easy, DIY solutions that might make problems worse, costing you more time, stress, and money in the long run.
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.
External leaks can cause water puddles that can damage a downstairs ceiling, while internal leaks prevent the toilet from holding water properly, which will increase your monthly water bill.
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.
You'll be covered for plumbing leaks if it's sudden, accidental and significant enough that it's discovered right away. But again, most homeowners insurance policies exclude damages that occur gradually.
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.
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.
The average septic system is designed to handle 300-360 gallons of wastewater per day! As you can see a leaky toilet or leaky faucet can completely flood out your septic system and cause major issues.
A continuously running toilet can waste up to 200 gallons a day or more depending on the volume flow down the drain. This can cause a terrible increase to a family's typical water use, so fix toilet leaks as soon as possible. Some leaks are easy to find, such as a dripping faucet or running toilet.
Just as leaking water can damage the structure of your home, even a small amount of water can lead to dangerous mold growth. If your toilet is leaking into your walls or floor, this mold can grow undetected, causing health concerns for you and your family.
The wax ring usually needs to be replaced because the toilet is loose. The other reason why a wax ring may need to be replaced is that it has been worn down over the years and is no longer pliable. This means the seal is no longer intact. Therefore, it causes water to seep through the base.
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.
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.
According to Fixr, the average toilet valve repair cost is between $75 and $200 to replace a flush valve or up to $400 to fix a constantly running toilet. This includes the cost of the plumber's time for the toilet repair and the cost of the toilet parts.
More often than not, continuously running toilets are extremely easy and inexpensive to fix – you might just need to replace the flapper. A constantly running toilet also presents an increased risk of flooding.
Typically, a running water toilet will waste thousands of gallons of water per month which translates to approximately $200 unnecessarily tacked onto your monthly water bill-- that's nearly $2,500 dollars a year down your toilet bowl. The above scenario is in the case of an extreme toilet leak.