Water leaking from the base of your toilet is never a good thing and should definitely not be left alone. This small little mess can soon become a very large problem if not rectified immediately. Water pooling around the toilet base generally means that the water is probably not very sanitary and should not be outside of the toilet itself. Water damage caused by dirty water is very unpleasant and can even cause health concerns in the future, not to mention damage to your floors and potentially the ceiling below.
Check Where the Toilet is Leaking
It is prudent to check and see where the leak is coming from and not just a bit of condensation on your bowl on a humid Oshawa day. Clean up the water around the base and flush the toilet a couple times – if you see a pool of water a 2-minute check of the supply line and the shut-off valves will tell you whether it is leaking there or not. Sometimes the toilet is actually leaking from the base when it gets flushed. Additionally, the two bolts that hold your toilet bowl that toilet down might be loose; it’s a good idea to tighten them up. There may be a little cap that’s covering them – remove that and tighten up the bolt alternating sides as you tighten so as to keep the base even.
Below the base is the wax ring
You can’t really see this item until you lift the toilet. If it is not a watertight seal, the toilet will leak when you flush it. Wax rings to have to be replaced from time to time-you may be comfortable as a homeowner doing this yourself, though we at John the Plumber Oshawa always recommend having a qualified plumber come in. You do need to lift the entire toilet in order to get this done and this can often require more than one person.
Uneven Floors Can Be An Issue
Sometimes, especially in an older Oshawa home, the toilet will not sit properly because the floor is not flush to the toilet. This will also cause the base not to seal correctly. Sometimes just putting some shims in this place is enough, but often times the entire seal does need to be replaced and even a bit of caulking put around the toilet to prevent any water leakage.
Replace The Ring
If you choose to replace the wax ring yourself it is relatively simple. Shut off the water supply and unscrew the bolts. Clean off the old wax ring from the flange of the base and install the new one make sure all the it is cleared away. Reinstall the toilet and tighten up the bolts alternating left and right side. Turn the water supply back on and test for leaks.
