Three Easy Steps to Repair a Leaky Wax Seal on Your Toilet

Symptom: There is water on the floor around the base of my toilet or water leaks from under the base of my toilet when I flush.

Usually this happens when the wax ring looses it's seal. Replacing the wax ring under the toilet bowl should repair this problem.

The first step in making this repair is to turn off the water source and remove all the water from your toilet tank and bowl. A good maintenance tip is to have a stop valve installed before the water supply line to the toilet tank. This is very common in most residences. If there is no stop valve the water will have to be turned off outside to make this repair. Many times an inline shut off valve will be installed where the water enters the home. The water can be turned off here, or at the street where the water meter is installed. A good maintenance procedure is to install a shut off valve right outside the house where the water enters from the street. It is also very convenient for making other plumbing repairs.

Next, once all the water is out of the toilet tank and bowl and the water is turned off, disconnect the water supply line to the toilet tank. Next Remove the nuts from the bolts that hold the toilet bowl to the floor so you can lift the bowl off the floor and away from the toilet flange(top of the sewer pipe). Inspect the flange for deterioration or damage. Cast iron pipe flanges rust over time and may need to be repaired or replaced. There are several options for repairing a cast iron flange. Putting a new steel ring over the top of the cast iron flange, chipping off the rusted flange and replacing with a new cast iron flange, or inserting a PVC (plastic) flange with an expansion joint are some of the options for repairing a damaged or deteriorated cast iron flange. Repair techniques for PVC flanges include using a "half moon" metal part, or a PVC spacer. All these parts can be purchased at your local home improvement store.

The last step, once you have inspected and/or repaired the toilet flange is to install the wax ring that you purchased at the local home improvement store. The wax ring is applied to the bottom of the toilet bowl. Set the bolts in the toilet flange and carefully set the toilet bowl over the bolts onto the wax ring. Install the nuts onto the bolts being careful not to over tighten. Reattach the water supply line and open the valve. Check for leaks. Once the tank is full, do a test flush to be sure you have a good seal at the flange. Your repair is complete!

Tools needed: channel lock pliers, adjustable wrench, hammer.

Her Fix-it Guide to Toilet Repair

Imagine your home without toilets. Yes, the thought itself is enough to make you cringe. The toilet is often the most used, or should we say the most 'misused' fixture in the home. The importance of the toilet can only be felt at the exact point in time when something goes wrong with it. Toilets generally are a fairly easy DIY project that can be successfully completed by anyone. With just a bit of work and the tips you will find in this article, you should be able to quickly fix your toilet.

The first step in fixing a toilet is to determine the problem with the toilet. Your toilet could either be a slow moving toilet, or it could be clogged, or it could even be a running toilet. A slow moving toilet implies that you have to flush the toilet quite a number of times and the water drains away quite slowly. Slow moving toilets are often the result of clogged sewage drain pipes, and are at risk of suddenly clogging completely and overflowing. No one likes to clean up the mess an overflowing toilet creates. A running toilet is one where once you flush it, the water does not want to stop flowing into the toilet bowl. A running toilet can use up a large amount of water over a fairly short period, so it is important to get it fixed as soon as possible.

Make no difference which problem you have, you can fix it yourself. If you happen to have a clogged or slow moving toilet, then the first thing you should do is turn off water supply to the toilet. You can do this can be by turning the knob on the shut off valve to the right until the water supply stops. The valve is normally placed a few inches above the floor on the left when facing the toilet.

Now determine which the problem you have. To do this, pour a bucket of water quickly into the bowl. If it flushes slowly, the toilet has developed a clog. Clear the clog affecting your toilet by first using a plunger. If this removes the clog, then you can turn the water back on to the toilet, if it does not clear the clog, then you should try using a plumber's snake. This tool will allow you to clear most any clog.

Once you have the clog taken care of, then you should clear the mineral deposits that tend to develop in the small holes under the rim of the toilet. This will help your toilet flush much more effectively. These holes can be cleared with a stiff bristled brush, or you can use the bent end of a coat hanger to poke the holes clear. You might also want to make use of a small mirror to see the holes that are being cleared.

If your toilet is letting water into the bowl at all times, then you have a running toilet. First off, remove the toilet tank lid and sit aside out of your way. Some people like to place it in the bathtub. Next check the ball cock, which is the valve that the float is attached to. If water is coming out of the valve, you may need to replace it.

If that doesn't seem to be the problem, then press down on the flap at the bottom of the toilet tank to see if the water stops running into the bowl. Over time, these flaps tend to warp out of shape and cause the tank to leak into the bowl. If this solves the problem, then replace the tank flap.

Whichever needs replacing, be certain to shut off the water supply to the toilet before you begin your repair.

Toilet Repair

I don't know how many times I have walked down the plumbing section in home depot and some poor guy or girl is standing there trying to figure out how to repair their toilet. There are only a few things that can go wrong with your toilet. You get plug it, but that is for another article. It could be leaking. There are leaks from a number of places.

Leaks can come from:

The wax seal

The connection from the tank to the bowl

The connection from the supply tube

Leaking inside from the tank to the bowl

Leaking inside from flowing over the overflow tube

There are other toilet repair problems, but these are the most common.

The wax seal:

Often the toilet will either have water on the floor or through the floor to the ceiling below. To fix this you need to get a new wax ring and t-bolts. Turn off the supply water, flush it, sponge out as much water as you can from the tank and from the bowl, loosen the t-bolts off, loosen off the supply tube, lift the toilet off the floor, turning it upside down beside you, scrape off the old wax seal from it and from the floor, remove the old t-bolts, put in new t-bolts, and wax ring, set toilet down on top of the flange, press gently to the floor allowing the wax to create a seal, tighten t-bolts, go from one bolt to the other 5 ¼ turns each, DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN, hook up the supply tube, turn on water, flush toilet, check for leaks.

That's it, normally I would charge about $150 for coming to someone's place to do this, so you just saved that money.

The connection from the tank to the bowl: In this case you might need a new spud washer and tank bolts. Or in some cases this happens and the tank or bowl has cracked over time. The first thing you need to do is find where the leak is coming from. Does it leak all the time or only when the toilet is flushed? If it leaks all the time the tank may be cracked. These are quite often hairline cracks, try and wipe dry the tank, then feel with your hands where the water is coming from. Sometimes it might be condensation as well, if this is the case you will need to line your tank with a Styrofoam insulation, you can buy this at your hardware store. If you find water is coming from a small crack you will need a new toilet, if it is newer you might be able to get the matching tank still.

To change the spud washer and tank bolts you will need to shut off the supply water, and flush the toilet. Now loosen the bolts under the tank that connect to the bowl, usually two sometimes three. Loosen the supply tube and remove. Remove the tank and remove the washer the is at the bottom of the tank, normally a rubber type washer with a spongy feeling. Replace with a new one and put the tank back on the bowl. Tighten the new tank bolts in place, again alternating to keep the tank even. Now too tight or you will crack the tank or the bowl. Put the supply tube back into place and turn on the water. Check for leaks, tighten slightly if there is some. You are done! That's another $150.00 you just saved yourself.

The connection from the supply tube:

This one is easy, simply turn off the water and remove the supply tube. Pick up a new one and put into place, turn on the water and check for leaks. Savings this time $120.00.

Leaking inside the toilet from the tank to the bowl:

This is a very common toilet repair, this is just the seal from inside the tank. Called the flapper. American Standard has their own kind of flapper, but the rest are the same. Put a few drops of food coloring into the tank and wait an hour or two. If there is food coloring in the bowl you know you have a leaky flapper. Buy a universal flapper from the hardware store. Turn off the water, and remove the old flapper. The rubber may be giving off a black film, this will stain your floor so make sure to wrap it up right away. To remove the flapper, take the chain off the lever, and remove the flapper from the two hooks at the bottom of the overflow tube. These hooks are rubber and attached to the flapper. Now install the new one, and turn on the water. Flush the toilet. If the toilet does not flush well you will need to adjust the chain length from the lever to the flapper. Then flush again and you are done! Savings $120.00

Leaking inside the toilet by flowing over the overflow tube:

The second most common toilet repair. If the water is flowing over the overflow tube, or if it is running from the fill valve tube to the overflow tube you need a new fill valve. Fill valves come in two styles, one with the big float ball and arm, the other with the float on the valve itself. Both are interchangeable with each other. Buy a new fill valve. Turn off the water, and disconnect the supply tube. Flush it and sponge out the water in the tank. Loosen the nut under the fill valve on the outside of the tank. Remove the old fill valve. When installing the new one check the height of the fill valve. If you bought the type with the float on the valve you can raise this by twisting the valve. Don't go too high or you will have to start over. Now put the valve into the hole at the bottom of the tank, tighten on the nut on the outside of the tank. Put on the supply tube, and turn on the water. Check for leaks, if need be tight the nut a bit more, being careful not to over tighten. Take the tube that comes with the new valve and connect from the valve to the overflow tube with the connector in the package. This allows the bowl to fill after you flush so that sewer gases do not come up out of the sewer. Savings $130.00

These are the most common toilet repair jobs, there are others just not as common.