Why Is My Toilet Leaking at the Base?
Do you see water pooling around the toilet? Don’t delay. Left unaddressed, your toilet will continue leaking a little bit with each flush, allowing dirty 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 is a sign of a faulty wax ring. This piece of equipment is designed to make a tight seal between the toilet base and the drainpipe. When it breaks, water may leak every time you flush. Fortunately, it’s easy to find the source of the leak and troubleshoot the problem. If you decide the wax ring needs to be replaced, we advise hiring a plumber for professional toilet repair.
Test Your Leaky Toilet
At times, 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 coming from.Check for Condensation
The “leak” around your toilet could not be a leak at all. It’s possible, water vapor might be condensing on the bowl or tank and puddling onto the floor. To check for this, soak up any standing water with a rag and flush the toilet. Look closely —if there are no new water pools around the base, condensation is the likely problem. Running the exhaust fan when you shower is an easy fix.Examine the Toilet Tank
Run your hands around the exterior of the tank for any moisture. To rule out condensation, wipe up any droplets with a dry washcloth. Then, check again, searching for loose bolts or cracked porcelain leaking water onto the floor. Tighten any loose bolts you see. If the tank is damaged, you’ll need to replace your toilet.Inspect the Water Hose
Examine the cold-water supply line located on the back of the toilet. A loose connection, damaged hose or malfunctioning shut-off valve sometimes can 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 prove unhelpful, your toilet is most likely leaking at the base like you originally guessed. Before contacting a plumber, try tightening the tee bolts that attach the toilet to the floor. You may need to take off the decorative plastic caps with a putty knife or flathead screwdriver to get to the bolt below. Be careful not to tighten it too much, as this could break the porcelain. If the bolts spin freely, you could need to buy new ones.Look for Signs of a Worn-Out Wax Ring
If bolting the toilet tighter to the floor doesn’t fix the problem, a damaged wax ring could be the problem after all. Besides water puddling around the toilet, you may smell a sewage smell, indicating a broken sewer line seal. And if the toilet wobbles, this may 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 indicate 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 faulty wax ring is indeed the problem, repairing 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 chip, forcing you to pay for a toilet replacement along with everything else.
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- Lifting and lowering the heavy plumbing fixture is a two-person chore. Even then, poor lifting techniques could leave you with an injured back.
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- Checking for water-damaged subflooring requires a Expert eye. And if any damage has occurred, it should be fixed/repaired before reinstalling the toilet, something a plumber can help guide you through.
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- If you determine the entire flange at the bottom of the toilet is damaged, it will need to be replaced. This is even more challenging than swapping out the wax ring.
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- Removing the toilet, making the needed fix and reinstalling it can take a few hours, if not longer. You doubtlessly have better ways to spend your time, giving you yet another reason to leave the repair to a plumber.
