Why Is My Toilet Leaking at the Base?
Do you notice water pooling at the base of the toilet? Don’t ignore this problem. Left unaddressed, your toilet will continue leaking slowly 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 spraying out water at the base often points to a damaged wax ring. This component is designed to create a tight seal between the toilet base and the drainpipe. When it quits working, water may escape every time you flush. Fortunately, it’s simple to find the source of the leak and find the problem. If you decide the wax ring needs to be replaced, we advise reaching out to a plumber for quality toilet repair.
Test Your Leaky Toilet
Sometimes, a nearby leak can make the toilet appear to be leaking at the base. Follow these steps to find out exactly where the water is escaping from.Check for Condensation
The “leak” around your toilet could not be a leak at all. Instead, water vapor might be condensing on the bowl or tank and puddling onto the floor. To check for this, clean up any standing water with a paper towel and flush the toilet. Look closely —if no additional water pools around the base, condensation is the likely culprit. Turning on the exhaust fan when you shower is an easy fix.Examine the Toilet Tank
Run your hands around the outside of the tank for any moisture. To rule out condensation, dry up any droplets with a paper towel. Then, examine it again, looking for loose bolts or cracked porcelain leaking water onto the floor. Tighten any loose bolts you see. If the tank is cracked, you’ll need to replace your toilet.Inspect the Water Hose
Check the cold-water supply line behind the toilet. A loose connection, damaged hose or malfunctioning shut-off valve may cause a leak. If tightening the fittings doesn’t resolve the issue, you may need a plumber to replace the water supply hose.Tighten the Tee Bolts
If these troubleshooting tips don’t solve the problem, your toilet is most likely leaking at the base like you suspected. Before reaching out to a plumber, try tightening the tee bolts that hold the toilet to the floor. You may need to remove the decorative plastic caps with a putty knife or flathead screwdriver to get to the bolt at the bottom of. Be careful not to screw the bolt too tight, as this could break the porcelain. If the bolts spin freely, you might 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 faulty wax ring could be the culprit after all. Besides water puddling around the toilet, you may notice a sewage smell, indicating a broken sewer line seal. And if the toilet moves from side to side, this could mean it’s sitting on a broken flange, the piece of equipment that connects the flush system to the plumbing line. A rocking toilet might also be a sign of a soft subfloor resulting from the leak, which needs immediate attention to prevent the problem from doing more damage. Hire a Plumber to Replace the Wax Ring If you determine that a failed wax ring is indeed the problem, resolving it necessitates removing the toilet, replacing the ring and reinstalling the toilet. While it’s possible to complete the work 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 whack 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 in addition to everything else.
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- Lifting and lowering the large plumbing fixture is a two-person job. Even then, poor lifting techniques could leave you with an strained back.
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- Checking for water-damaged subflooring requires a experienced eye. And if any damage has occurred, it should be addressed before reinstalling the toilet, something a plumber can help guide you through.
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- If you detect that the entire flange below the toilet is damaged, it will need to be replaced. This is even more challenging than repairing the wax ring.
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- Removing the toilet, making the necessary fix and reinstalling it can take a few hours, if not longer. You most likely have better things to do, giving you yet another reason to leave the task to a plumber.
