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 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.
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 the water leaks on the floor instead of through the drain, you'll see streaks of old rings around the base. You should fix this problem immediately to prevent long-lasting property damage.
Why is the toilet is leaking from the base? The leak is usually caused when the seal under the toilet fails. Below you'll learn how to install a new wax gasket to create a watertight seal between the toilet and the closet flange and install a new flexible water-supply tube.
It costs between $150 and $300 to fix a leaking toilet in most cases. The cost would be a lot more if the leak has caused damage to your floor or if it's a recurring problem.
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. When that happens, they need to be replaced.
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.
This piece of equipment usually lasts as long as the toilet, about 30 years. However, if it dries out and starts to crumble, you could be at risk for a messy leak. At that point, it's time to install a new one.
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.
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.
🚽 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.
However, a crack in the bowl or tank can lead to water leaking directly into your floor, destroying hardwood, tile, carpet and even the subfloor underneath. If that happens, you've got a major — and expensive — remediation problem to deal with. Toilet leaks can sometimes be very subtle.
How do I know if I need to replace my toilet flapper? If your toilet is running after every flush or the toilet won't flush fully, you may need to replace the flapper. You can see if the flapper is old or if the chain length is too long or short by opening the tank lid.
Whenever you remove a toilet for any reason, you will need to replace the wax ring seal between the toilet and the toilet flange (sometimes called a closet flange) attached to the floor. A wax seal is used because it resists mold and bacteria and retains its sealing ability after years of use.
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.
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.
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.
If you hear water trickling or you see a flush valve sticking out, then you might need a new flush valve. Moreover, you may also notice water seeping through the flapper. This leak may cause your tank to take more time to fill. The only way to resolve this issue is to repair the seal by calling the plumber.
When a toilet bowl or tank starts to form a crack, replacement is the only option. Sealing it with plumbers' putty is not a real solution, and the toilet may crack further and leak water all over your floors!
The first thing you do if your toilet is leaking at the base is stop using it. Water from a leaking seal will damage ceilings, structural members, and floor sheathing if left uncorrrected. This water intrusion can also introduce mold and mildew into the living space.