Do you spy water on the floor at the base of the toilet? Don’t delay. Left unaddressed, your toilet will continue leaking slightly with each flush, allowing toilet water to pool on the bathroom floor and potentially causing potentially dangerous mold damage and rot in the subfloor.
A toilet oozing water at the base often points to a damaged wax ring. This component should create a tight seal between the toilet base and the drainpipe. When it fails, water may seep out every time you flush. Fortunately, it’s easy to test the source of the leak and troubleshoot the problem. If you decide the wax ring needs to be replaced, we recommend hiring a plumber for professional toilet repair.
Test Your Leaky Toilet
Sometimes, a nearby leak can make the toilet seem like it is leaking at the base. Follow these steps to find out precisely where the water is escaping from.
Check for Condensation
The “leak” around your toilet may not be a leak at all. Instead, water vapor may be condensing on the bowl or tank and dripping onto the floor. To check for this, wipe up any standing water with a paper towel and flush the toilet. Look thoroughly —if no additional water pools around the base, condensation is the likely cause. Running the exhaust fan when you shower is an easy fix.
Examine the Toilet Tank
Look closely around the exterior of the tank for any dampness. To rule out condensation, clean up any droplets with a towel. Then, check again, looking for loose bolts or cracked porcelain leaking water onto the floor. Tighten any loose bolts you find. If the tank is cracked, you’ll need to replace your toilet.
Inspect the Water Hose
Examine the cold-water supply line behind the toilet. A loose connection, defective hose or worn out shut-off valve may cause a leak. If tightening the fittings doesn’t help, you may need a plumber to replace the water supply hose.
Tighten the Tee Bolts
If these troubleshooting tips don’t help, your toilet is probably leaking at the base like you suspected. Before contacting a plumber, try tightening the tee bolts that hold the toilet to the floor. You may need to pry off the decorative plastic caps with a putty knife or flathead screwdriver to access the bolt underneath. Be careful not to screw the bolt too tight, as this could crack the porcelain. If the bolts spin freely, you could need to get new ones.
Look for Signs of a Worn-Out Wax Ring
If bolting the toilet tighter to the floor doesn’t help, a damaged wax ring could be the culprit after all. Besides water pooling around the toilet, you may detect a sewage stink, indicating a broken sewer line seal. And if the toilet wobbles, this may mean it’s sitting on a broken flange, the part that connects the flush system to the plumbing line. A rocking toilet might also point to a soft subfloor resulting from the leak, which demands immediate attention to prevent the problem from causing more problems.
Hire a Plumber to Replace the Wax Ring
If you determine that a failed wax ring is indeed the problem, resolving it requires removing the toilet, replacing the ring and reinstalling the toilet. While it’s possible to attempt the repair without a plumbing license, DIY toilet removal is not recommended. Here’s why you should leave the job to a qualified plumber:
- Porcelain is a sometimes brittle material. If you drop the toilet on the floor or hit it too hard with a plumbing tool, it could break, forcing you to pay for a toilet replacement along with everything else.
- Lifting and lowering the cumbersome plumbing fixture is a two-person chore. Even then, poor lifting techniques could leave you with an hurt back.
- Checking for water-damaged subflooring requires a trained eye. And if any damage has been done, it should be addressed before reinstalling the toilet, something a plumber can help arrange.
- If you discover the entire flange below the toilet is damaged, it will need to be replaced. This is even harder than swapping out the wax ring.
- Removing the toilet, making the needed fix and reinstalling it can take a few hours, if not longer. You most likely have better ways to spend your time, giving you yet another reason to leave the task to a plumber.
Schedule Toilet Repair with an Expert Plumber
At Freschi Service Experts, repairing toilet leaks is one of our fields of expertise. Whether you go through the troubleshooting tips outlined above before calling, or you want us to handle everything from start to finish, we’ve got you covered. Every job is backed by our 100% satisfaction guarantee,* so sit back, relax, and let us take care of it. To schedule dependable toilet repair in your area, please contact Freschi Service Experts today!
*Not applicable to the Advantage Program. See your signed Advantage Program Agreement for full details and exclusions. 100% Satisfaction Guarantee is subject to certain restrictions and limitations as set forth in the applicable Terms and Conditions.