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.
A wax ring, when correctly installed, produces a watertight seal between discharge hole and the waste pipe. If the closet flange sits below the level of the finished floor or the wax ring is installed catawampus, the seal can be incomplete, and the toilet will leak.
The top leak is likely caused by the washer (inside the toilet tank) not being seated correctly. The gasket should have come with the replacement fill valve. The tank should be cleaned at the location where the gasket sits.
Behind every good toilet—or, rather, beneath—is a good wax ring. But with time, even good toilet wax rings can go bad.
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.
The seal is created instantly once you seat the toilet on top of the ring. From this moment forward, everything should be stable, and there should be no water leaks or other signs of a bad toilet seal.
There's a Loose Water Supply Line.
If there's a loose water supply line, you'll notice that the water is leaking from the base of your toilet all of the time, rather than just when you flush it. Check the connection where the supply line connects to the tank to make sure the nut and rubber seal are tight.
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.
First and foremost, a loose toilet will often cause a wax ring to lose its seal and leak.
However, consulting my copy of Creative Homeowner Plumbing book I see they recommend "Install the new wax gasket on the toilet flange. Press the bolts into the wax to hold them upright." Next step, "using the closet bolts as guide, set the bowl onto the flange gasket..."
If your toilet leaks, there's a good chance that a broken toilet flange is to blame. The flange is the metal coupling on top of the wax ring that secures your toilet to the floor and seals the connection between the toilet and sewer pipe. If either piece becomes worn or broken, you'll likely have a leak on your hands.
Running Toilets Lead to Damaging Leaks
This is a dangerous situation for your family and can be prevented through fast action and a licensed plumber.
Do not be tempted to stack up two wax rings because this setup tends to leak. Installing a flange extender or using an extra-thick wax ring will work much better in the long run. Place the wax ring on the closet flange, not on the 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.
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.
Here's what to know. 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.
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.
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.
Standard wax rings are about ¾- or 1-inch thick. This standard size is suitable for flanges which are set slightly above, at the same level as the floor, or slightly below the flooring (up to ¼ inch).
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.
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.
If the water appears to be leaking from between the tank and bowl, near the center, you may need a new tank-to-bowl sponge gasket, or new washers for the tank-to-bowl bolts. If water is leaking from the tank to bowl gasket it will tend to leak more often when the toilet is flushed.