Why Is My Toilet Leaking at the Base?
Do you see water on the floor near the toilet? Don’t put your head in the sand. Left unaddressed, your toilet will continue leaking slowly with each flush, allowing dirty water to pool on the bathroom floor and potentially causing expensive mold damage and rot in the subfloor.
A toilet leaking at the base often is a sign of a damaged wax ring. This component is designed to create a tight seal between the toilet base and the drainpipe. When it fails, water may escape every time you flush. Fortunately, it’s easy to locate the source of the leak and pinpoint the problem. If you conclude the wax ring needs to be replaced, we advise reaching out to a plumber for professional toilet repair.
Test Your Leaky Toilet
Occasionally, a nearby leak can make the toilet seem like it is 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 might 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, wipe up any standing water with a towel and flush the toilet. Look carefully —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 surface of the tank for any moisture. To rule out condensation, dry up any droplets with a towel. Then, look again, checking for loose bolts or cracked porcelain leaking water onto the floor. Tighten any loose bolts you notice. 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, defective hose or worn out 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 don’t solve the problem, your toilet is more likely than not leaking at the base like you thought. 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 reach the bolt underneath. Be careful not to over-tighten, as this could damage 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 stop the leaking, a failing wax ring could be the problem after all. Besides water pooling around the toilet, you may smell a sewage stink, indicating a broken sewer line seal. And if the toilet moves from side to side, this may mean it’s sitting on a broken flange, the component that connects the flush system to the plumbing line. A rocking toilet might also point to a soft subfloor resulting from the leak, which requires immediate attention to prevent the problem from causing more problems.
Hire a Plumber to Replace the Wax Ring
If you find that a broken wax ring is indeed the problem, fixing it involves 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 task to a qualified plumber:
- Porcelain is a sometimes brittle material. If you bang 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 in addition to everything else.
- Lifting and lowering the cumbersome plumbing fixture is a two-person job. Even then, poor lifting techniques could leave you with an injured 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 detect that the entire flange underneath the toilet is damaged, it will need to be replaced. This is even more challenging than swapping out the wax ring.
- Removing the toilet, making the required fix and reinstalling it can take a few hours, if not longer. You doubtlessly have better things you’d rather be doing, giving you yet another reason to leave the job to a plumber.
Schedule Toilet Repair with an Expert Plumber
At Becht/Givens Service Experts, resolving toilet leaks is one of our fields of expertise. Whether you complete the troubleshooting tips outlined above before calling, or you want us to handle the entire problem from start to finish, we’ve got you covered. Every job is backed by our 100% satisfaction guarantee,* so sit back, don’t worry, and let us take care of it. To schedule reliable toilet repair in your community, please contact Becht/Givens 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.
