Why Is My Toilet Leaking at the Base?

Do you spy water pooling at the base of the toilet? Don’t delay. Left unaddressed, your toilet will continue leaking slowly with each flush, allowing unsanitary 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 points to a bad wax ring. This part is designed to form a tight seal between the toilet base and the drainpipe. When it fails, water may seep out every time you flush. Fortunately, it’s easy to find the source of the leak and find the problem. If you determine the wax ring needs to be replaced, we suggest reaching out to a plumber for quality toilet repair.

Test Your Leaky Toilet

Occasionally, a nearby leak can make the toilet look like it is leaking at the base. Follow these steps to find out specifically where the water is coming from.

Check for Condensation

The “leak” around your toilet could not be a leak at all. Rather, water vapor might be condensing on the bowl or tank and running down onto the floor. To check for this, soak up any standing water with a towel and flush the toilet. Look closely —if no more water pools around the base, condensation is the likely cause. Running the exhaust fan when you shower is an easy way to solve this problem.

Examine the Toilet Tank

Look closely around the surface of the tank for any wetness. To rule out condensation, clean 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 see. If the tank is damaged, you’ll need to replace your toilet.

Inspect the Water Hose

Look at the cold-water supply line located on the back of the toilet. A loose connection, damaged hose or worn out shut-off valve sometimes can cause a leak. If tightening the fittings doesn’t fix the problem, you may need a plumber to replace the water supply hose.

Tighten the Tee Bolts

If these troubleshooting tips prove unhelpful, your toilet is probably leaking at the base like you suspected. Before calling a plumber, try tightening the tee bolts that hold the toilet to the floor. You may need to remove the decorative plastic caps with a putty knife or flathead screwdriver to get to the bolt below. Be careful not to screw the bolt too tight, as this could break the porcelain. If the bolts spin freely, you may need to get new ones.

Look for Signs of a Worn-Out Wax Ring

If bolting the toilet tighter to the floor doesn’t help, a faulty wax ring could be the problem after all. Besides water soaking the floor around the toilet, you may notice a sewage smell, indicating a broken sewer line seal. And if the toilet rocks back and forth, this could 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 failed wax ring is indeed the problem, repairing it requires removing the toilet, replacing the ring and reinstalling the toilet. While it’s possible to do the fix without a plumbing license, DIY toilet removal is not recommended. Here’s why you should leave the issue to a experienced 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 on top of everything else.

• • Lifting and lowering the cumbersome plumbing fixture is a two-person task. Even then, poor lifting techniques could leave you with an strained 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 guide you through.

• • If you detect that the entire flange underneath the toilet is damaged, it will need to be replaced. This is even more challenging than replacing the wax ring.

• • Removing the toilet, making the needed change and reinstalling it can take a few hours, if not longer. You probably have better things to do, giving you yet another reason to leave the job to a plumber.

Schedule Toilet Repair with an Expert Plumber

At Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing, fixing toilet leaks is one of our fields of expertise. Whether you follow the troubleshooting tips outlined above before calling, or you want us to handle the whole job from start to finish, we’ve got you covered. Every job is backed by our 100% satisfaction guarantee,* so sit back, take it easy, and let us take care of it. To schedule reliable toilet repair in your neighborhood, please contact Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing 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.