No Hamilton homeowner wants to discover a toilet leaking around the base. Not only is this unsightly, but it is also unsanitary and has the potential to lead to water damage in the area surrounding the toilet.
If you notice this problem, you should fix it immediately since water can continue to leak with each flush, possibly causing damage to the floor or even the ceiling beneath.
Here are a few reasons why your toilet might be leaking at the base and what you can do to fix it.
Test the leaky toilet.
A leak around the base of the toilet usually occurs when you flush the toilet. To ensure the water isn’t simply from condensation, mop up the water and then flush the toilet again to see if you have any leaking. Also, be sure to check the hoses behind the toilet to rule out that a loose water supply line is causing the water.
Tighten the tee bolts.
If the toilet does leak when you flush it, it might be because it is not bolted tightly enough to the floor. When you look at the base of the toilet, you should notice two tee bolts which may be covered with caps. There should be a wax ring under these bolts. However, if this ring does not create a water-tight seal, then when you flush the toilet, water will leak from the base.
To repair the leak, it could be a simple matter of tightening these bolts. In order to pry off the caps, you may need to use a flathead screwdriver or putty knife. Tighten the bolts gradually and alternate between the right and left, being sure not to over-tighten, as this could cause the toilet base to crack. If the bolts spin when you try to tighten them, you may need to replace them with new bolts.
Replace the wax ring.
Once you have tightened the bolts, try flushing again to see if the repair worked. If you notice that water is still pooling around the base of the toilet, then the wax ring needs to be replaced. The good news is that these rings are fairly inexpensive and easy to replace, although you will need to remove the toilet to do this job.
If you are not comfortable doing this, you can call a professional plumber, but it can be done as a DIY job if you want. This can take an hour and may require two people.
To do the job yourself, you will have to:
- Buy a new wax ring from a home improvement store.
- Turn off your water supply and empty your toilet tank.
- Mop up leftover water in the tank and bowl.
- Unscrew the tee bolts, remove the toilet from the floor and lay it on its side.
- Clean away the remaining wax ring from the base of the toilet and install the new ones (depending on the condition of the tee bolts, you may want to replace these as well).
- Reinstall the toilet and turn the water supply back on.
- Wait a few days to make sure the problem is fixed.
Contact Wentworth Plumbing today.
Have you noticed water leaking around your toilet and would like a plumber to repair the problem for you? Contact Wentworth Plumbing today. We service the Hamilton/Burlington/Brantford region for residential, commercial and industrial plumbing.