How To Repair Leaking Toilet

Everything should exist equally reliable as a toilet. Information technology's not unusual for i to last more 40 years with only a minimal amount of care. But, occasionally, water will begin to leak out from nether the toilet and spill onto the floor, which tin lead to serious h2o damage. But this type of leak is easy to diagnose and prepare, even if you've never attempted a plumbing repair.

Why is the toilet is leaking from the base?

The leak is usually caused when the seal nether the toilet fails. Below yous'll learn how to install a new wax gasket to create a watertight seal between the toilet and the closet flange and install a new flexible water-supply tube.

Water pooling around the base of the toilet is a good indication that the wax seal has failed. Merely in some cases the problem lies elsewhere. Soak upwardly the water from the flooring with a sponge and dry off the toilet with a towel. Wait until a new puddle appears on the floor, then cheque to make sure the water is seeping out from nether the toilet and not coming from a loose supply tube, faulty shutoff valve, cracked tank or sweaty basin.

How do yous fix information technology?

If water is leaking from beneath the toilet, yous might exist able to finish information technology by simply tightening the closet bolts that secure the toilet to the floor. Employ a putty knife or slotted screwdriver to pry off the caps that are covering the bolts. Then utilize a wrench to alternately tighten each bolt, a little at a time. Be careful not to apply too much pressure; you can cleft the toilet's base.

If y'all're lucky, the leak will cease. If tightening the bolts doesn't aid, you'll have to remove the toilet and replace the wax gasket.

Removing The Toilet

The first pace to replacing a wax gasket on a toilet is to plow off the water at the shutoff valve, which is commonly located behind the toilet, or in the basement or crawl infinite direct below it. Plow the handle all the way in a clockwise direction.

Remove the tank lid, flush the toilet and hold downwards the handle to drain equally much water as possible from the tank. Use a sponge to get upwards the remaining h2o in the tank; a small paper loving cup volition assistance you remove any water left in the bowl.

Next, disconnect the water-supply tube by loosening the compression nut on the shutoff valve (pace 1). Pry the caps from the closet bolts, then use a wrench to remove the basics (step 2). If either bolt spins every bit you turn the nut, hold the tiptop of the bolt with needlenose pliers.

Take hold of the rim of the bowl straight below the seat hinges, and gently rock the toilet dorsum and forth to interruption the wax seal. Lift the toilet off the flooring (step iii) and lay it on a blanket or slice of cardboard. Utilise a narrow putty knife to scrape off the former wax gasket from the lesser of the toilet and from the closet flange in the floor (step four).

Check the condition of the flange to make sure it isn't croaky or bent. Later we scraped off the wax, nosotros discovered that a large piece of the flange had broken off. If this happens, you can supervene upon the entire flange (no piece of cake chore), install a full replacement flange or make full in the missing piece with a repair strap. We opted for the easiest, to the lowest degree expensive option and used the Gapper Flange Repair Strap (about $5) from Jones Stephens Corporation.

To install the curved metal strap, first loosen the 2 screws that secure the flange to the flooring. Insert a new closet bolt into the slot in the strap, and so slide the strap nether the flange (step 5). Tighten the flange screws to lock the strap in identify. Install the remaining closet bolt in the flange. If the bolts won't stand upright, pack a little wax from the quondam gasket around the base of each one.

Accept a new wax gasket and set it downwards on the cupboard flange, making sure it's perfectly centered (step half-dozen). Almost wax gaskets are simply a ring of solid wax, but nosotros used Harvey's Bol-Wax No. 5 (nearly $5). This ane has wax surrounding a core of soft urethane foam, and information technology hands conforms to the flange and toilet to create a superior seal.

Replacing The Toilet

If the toilet is fitted with an former chrome-plated copper supply tube, consider replacing it with a new flexible one made of stainless steel-enmeshed polymer. It makes the installation a whole lot easier, and it will almost concluding forever. We installed a 12-in.-long Fluidmaster supply tube (about $5); other lengths are available ranging from nearly 8 to 24 in.

Employ a light coating of pipage-joint compound to the fitting at each end of the supply tube, then tighten one end onto the fill up-valve shank protruding from the bottom of the toilet tank (step 7).

You're now ready to fix the toilet dorsum in place. Grip the bowl nigh the seat hinges, elevator up the toilet and walk information technology over to the flange. Fix the toilet down onto the wax gasket, using the closet bolts as guides. Slip the washers over the bolts and thread on the nuts. However, earlier tightening them, press down on the rim of the basin with all your weight to compress the gasket (footstep eight).

Bank check to brand sure the toilet tank is parallel with the back wall. Alternately tighten each closet commodities until both feel snug. And so, printing down on the bowl again and tighten the nuts a little more. Continue in this manner until the nuts no longer feel loose afterward yous printing downwards on the toilet. Again, be careful not to exert also much pressure with the wrench or you lot'll crack the toilet. Apply a hacksaw to cut the closet bolts nearly flush with the nuts (pace 9), then snap on the bolt caps.

Your final stride is to tighten the loose finish of the water-supply tube to the shutoff valve (step 10). Open up up the valve and affluent the toilet several times. If a leak occurs, press down on the bowl and tighten the basics a little more. If it isn't leaking, use the toilet for a couple of weeks, then pry off the bolt caps and retighten the nuts. The toilet volition often settle subsequently several uses.

The Caulk Question

At that place's a long-standing contend in the plumbing world over whether yous should caulk around the base of a toilet. Most plumbers don't because they're concerned that the caulk would conceal any leaks. Nevertheless, in some municipalities, the local building code requires homeowners to caulk around the toilet to keep bacteria from growing in the joint.

Check with your building department for the lawmaking requirement in your town. If you lot exercise decide to caulk, be certain to employ a high-quality, mildewproof tub-and-tile caulk.

Footstep past Step Instructions

1. Disconnect the supply tube from the shutoff valve using a wrench. Exist sure the valve is closed and the toilet is drained.
2. Pry off the rounded caps that cover the cupboard bolts, and so use a wrench to remove the hex nuts.
3. Very advisedly lift the toilet past the bowl, not the tank, and set it downwardly on an old blanket or cardboard sheet.
4. Scrape off all of the old wax gasket from the cupboard flange. Note that a department of the flange is broken off.
5. Slide a repair strap under the closet flange later on loosening the screws that secure the flange to the floor.
6. Set the new wax gasket downward on the closet flange, making sure information technology's centered. Notation: Both closet bolts are in identify.
7. Connect the new h2o-supply tube to the threaded fill-valve shank on the bottom of the toilet tank.
8. Press down on the toilet basin rim to compress the gasket. Tighten the closet bolts, then press downwardly over again.
9. Utilise a shut-quarter hacksaw to trim off the tops of the closet bolts. Tighten the basics earlier replacing the caps.
10. Connect the supply tube to the shutoff valve. Then open the valve, flush the toilet and bank check for leaks.

Where to detect it:

Fluidmaster

30800 Rancho Viejo Rd.
Dept. TH400
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
www.fluidmaster.com
800/631-2011

Looking for assistance with repairs around your dwelling? A home warranty may assistance. Check out these in-depth guides from the This Onetime Business firm Reviews Squad:

• All-time dwelling house warranty companies
• American Dwelling Shield reviews
• AFC Dwelling Club reviews
• Select Home Warranty reviews
• Choice Domicile Warranty reviews

Source: https://www.thisoldhouse.com/plumbing/21015019/easy-fix-for-a-leaking-toilet

Share this post