A Non-Plumber's Guide to Assessing a Leaky Toilet

3/14/2019 (Permalink)

Leaking toilet in a Ridgefield, WA home

Assessing a Leaky Toilet 

Household repairs can be overwhelming for anyone, and leaks can be downright frightening if you’re not handy. It’s understandable if you don’t want to deal with a leaking toilet. However, if you’re noticing water on the floor every time you flush, it’s probably time for an assessment.

The good news is you don’t have to be an expert to make some initial determinations. Here are some easy steps that anyone in Ridgefield, WA, can use to evaluate a bathroom leak.

1. Observe the Leak

A good first step is to determine where the leak is coming from. You’ll want to study whether the seepage happens after flushing, if water is coming out from the floor, or if it’s a drip coming from a cracked bowl.

2. Make Sure the Tee Bolts Are Tight

You may not have known what they were called, but you’ve definitely seen tee bolts. Tee bolts are located on both sides of your toilet’s base and they’re covered with simple plastic caps, which can be easily removed. Use a standard wrench to gently tighten the bolts, but don’t over tighten as that can crack the pedestal and worsen your leaking toilet situation.

3. Replace the Wax Ring

If your toilet continues to leak after the tee bolts are tightened, you might need to replace the dry wax ring on the underside of the toilet. You will need to remove the toilet completely to do this, so if you’re not skilled in repairs you may want to call a professional.

4. Check the Tank Flange

The tank flange is simply a connector that attaches the water pipe to the toilet tank, and these can break. If you’ve determined you have a leak, tightened the tee bolts, and replaced the wax ring and still have a leak, you may need a new tank flange.

If you still have a leaking toilet after conducting these easy assessments, it’s possible that your toilet wasn’t installed properly, and you should contact a professional to re-install your toilet as soon as possible. However, you don’t need to be an expert to determine what kind of bathroom leak you have.