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.
However, if something goes wrong in the toilet, your sanity may be called into question. A simple leak in the toilet can result in a pool of water and bring different problems along with it. For instance, it may damage the floor and walls, and affect the internal pump, and drain pipe.
Over time, water becomes foul and dirty and will normally collect on the subfloor, leaking through the ceiling below. At best it will pool around the toilet if left alone. When your toilet leaks at the base, this will lead to water buildup and eventually water damage. That's when a leaking toilet becomes an emergency.
The Tee Bolts Need to Be Tightened.
The base of your toilet is held to the ground with two bolts called tee bolts. If these bolts loosen, the toilet will likely rock, causing the seal formed by the wax ring to break. Drain water may seep out of the base each time you flush the toilet if your tee bolts are very loose.
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.
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! Some toilets may produce a running water sound that is easy to hear. Some leaks are visible as a small trickle running from the rim to the water in the bowl.
The reason that toilets leak at the base is usually related to one of two things. First, the mounting bolts that fasten the toilet to the floor may need tightening. Second, the wax ring that makes a tight seal between the bottom of the toilet and the drain pipe in the floor may need replacing.
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.
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.
Not all water leaks are an emergency. But, the moment you see some signs of extensive leakage, call an emergency plumber right away. Water leaks can affect the integrity of your home. Some leaks are silent.
They all cause wasted water. Depending on the water pressure to your house, a running toilet can leak over one gallon of water per hour. This is almost one unit of water a month. If left undiscovered, a running toilet can waste almost 13 units of water a year.
How much water a running toilet could use and leak is as much as one gallon every hour. If you let it continue, that could amount to 168 gallons of water lost after just a week, or up to 750 gallons after a month! And that's just for a slow leak.
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.
A toilet leak only gets worse over time, and the longer that water seeps out, the more damage is done. That means if you wait until it gets worse, you could be facing a much steeper bill for full-on repairs, rather than minimal money for a quick and easy fix.
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.
If you notice your toilet overflowing or leaking during a shower this is a sign of a clog. Usually this means there is a clog between the toilet and the sewer. The reason this becomes known during a shower is due to a backup of waste water lines in your home.
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.
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.
A constantly running toilet also presents an increased risk of flooding. This risk can come in a few forms. When you have a septic tank, excess water can go over the tank's capacity, which can lead to sewer backups and basement flooding.
Fixing the toilet
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.
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.