Is Your Toilet Leaking... From The Base?

Bathrooms are wet places. The faucet that occasionally drips from time to time, or the low ledge tub that doesn’t hold water in the way you’d like, there’s often water droplets on the floor even when you don’t know where they came from. If you’re regularly cleaning up water from the base of your toilet, though, this could be more than shower run off. Toilets leak, that’s a fact of life. Some toilets will leak from the tank, some leak from the bowl, but what do you do when your toilet is leaking out of the base? 

We all know that water leaks are dangerous, water getting into the structure of your home is a means to an end, it can cause structural damage, mold, and a whole slew of awful things. This means you need to be aware of two of the following things; loose tee bolts, or a damaged wax seal. While there are many reasons a toilet can leak, these are two of the most common reasons the base could. 

A loose tee bolt can cause a leak because the tee bolt seats your toilet, and secures it to the floor. If you’re standing in front of your toilet, at the base you will see two plastic nubs. The bolts reside underneath those nubs. If they are loose, bent, or damaged in any way, the toilet can unseat and cause a leak. The good thing about a leak from a loose tee bolt is that it’s an easy fix. 

If you’re seeing water pool underneath the toilet, or if you experience a rush of liquid every time you flush, that’s a big indicator that your toilet is in need of some repair. Underneath the toilet, there is a wax ring that can dry out, crack, or become warped. This is sometimes due to age, or various other things. Most toilets should last you quite some time, upwards of 25 years! 

Leaky toilets may sound like no big deal, but they are dangerous and could cause mold to grow underneath your toilet. If you have a caulked toilet, it’s especially important to ensure that no liquid gets trapped between the base of your toilet and your floor. Caulking can prevent you from noticing leaks, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t present. This is also a red flag if there’s bacteria trapped underneath your toilet, because it will lead to mildew. 

​Before attempting any repairs to your toilet, you need to ensure that you know exactly what you are doing. Over tightening, or leaving a bolt too loose will allow water to get trapped under your toilet. If you attempt to replace a wax ring alone, you could face similar issues. It’s best not to do anything you aren’t 100% confident in, so if you have any concerns about either tightening bolts or replacing the ring, give us a call. We are here to help and want to make sure your toilet is getting the care it needs.

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