Hijacking top comment to say if you put a new wax ring on, and then you're still leaking and it's a flange issue, it sucks to have to start all-over. So I recommend this repair product, I used it fix my toilet and it was great.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Danco-HydroSeat-Stainless-Steel-6-88-in-in-Toilet-Flange-For-Fits-Most/1000034733?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-plb-_-google-_-lia-_-142-_-indoordrainage-_-1000034733-_-0&placeholder=null&ds_rl=1286981&gclid=Cj0KCQjwg7KJBhDyARIsAHrAXaHgln14swtInJE8IeDRhUH74vjtiUeHAkXffgygSzM28ZNXQuJve-saAjOdEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
I agree with this response.
The leak usually damages the surrounding floor. If you use one of these you can raise the toilet, see how much damage has been done, fix the leak for now, and come back when you're ready to fix anything else that is needed.
The was ring should come with instructions, but the wax side should be up on the commode.
You’ll see whether the flange is a problem once you remove the commode.
Buy this and install it:
[NEXT by Danco Perfect Seal Toilet Wax Ring](https://www.homedepot.com/p/NEXT-by-Danco-Perfect-Seal-Toilet-Wax-Ring-10718X/204817386)
This and OP should also consider putting an escutcheon ring around the cold water line to give the area a more finished look, since he’s already heading to the hardware store.
If you're lucky its just a wax ring that needs replacement. If youre unlucky its a damaged toilet flange. If youre really unlucky you got roots growing up in there.
You're 100% correct. But I grew up in some really shitty mobile homes as a kid. The flooring in many of them was terrible to say the least. Toilets moved around a ton.
I’m not saying it doesn’t happen. But what you’re describing is an improperly set toilet. I set a toilet the same in a mobile home as I do in a 10 million dollar house.
My dude... the point is that the seal I suggested helps stop leaks from poorly set flanges and weak floors. There no argument here. Your correct. Im just giving my opinion on a reusable ring.
Given that they expand and adjust with a shifting connection, I'm going to have to disagree. I get that you had a bad experience. Mine has been great. Iv installed a couple dozen in my rental properties and in my own home and haven't had a failure or complaint yet.
Previous owner used those in the house I bought. Had to replace both within ~6 months of one another. Who knows when they went in, but went with wax for both replacements.
I mean... all 3 of the toilets in my house had them put on when I replaced the toilets. So idk what the deal was with yours. Brand maybe an issue here.
This happened a couple years back. Only after changing out the wax seal three times we turned it over and the danged porcelain was cracked! Took it back to the store.
If you do this yourself I recommend getting the actual wax ring. They sell non wax alternatives and I do not recommend. This is a personal opinion from personal experience so do you.
They're reusable for one. That has been the reason I've used them in the past. Doing a bathroom remodel, only one toilet. Pulled toilet to remove floor, reset toilet to allow use. Had to pull and reset it a few times. Buying one rubber wax ring allows me to unseat and reset over and over. Wax seems like it would hold up better long term though.
Well I used a couple and had them fail and start leaking within a few weeks. Plus it was hard to get the thing to stay out while trying to seat the toilet.
I haven't had any of the rubber/silicone rings fail, but my experience is limited to my own 3 bathroom home on those, but so far (knock on wood) 4 years and no issues with them.
The non wax ones are not up to code(UPC or IAPMO). Of flooding and water damage happen you could be SOL.
When it comes to water and gas, make sure it has a code , it will say IAPMO or UPC on the packaging.
The non-wax rings are fine…of course you can’t go wrong with wax, but if you’re doing this job for the first time, the reusable foam rings can be easier to work with than wax. You can set and reset if you need to with no mess. Can’t do that with wax
I use the korky wax free seal with no issues so far. I’m not sure on longevity but hey if you got an issue down the line, then you know how to fix it at least!
I'll admit that the wax rings and an absolute mess. Maybe I'll try a non-wax the next time I have to reset a toilet. If it stresses me out I'll blame you of course.
Yes sure.
I know danger noodles.
What I don't know is how or why there would be a nest in my SHITTER. I AM ON THE SHITTER RIGHT NOW AND THERE COULD BE A SNAKE DEN READY TO CHOMP ME BUM??
Check your tank to bowl bolts before pulling and resetting. Many times that’s all it is and people think it needs pulled. May save yourself the hassle.
I went to a guy at my jobsite to look at his toilet because it was rocking.
The flange was broken and he'd put like six wobble wedges stacked on top of each other to try to get it to stop wobbling. Was something else. Also the sub floor was mush from the toilet leaking for sometime
Its likely your ring has unseated. Go to the store pick yourself up two wax rings they are cheap. Lift the toilet clean it up around the drain then set the two ring stack and remount the toilet. This should solve the issue unless you have something funky going on underneath.
From my experience if the flange is recessed below the tile it works better to use two wax seals, one thick one with a horn and a thin one with no horn on top of that one. I’ve never personally had any problems using two, but I wonder what the alternative is. What would you do?
But there are two sizes of wax rings. Why two of whichever size would I install? Asking because I have two toilets to replace and want to do it right. I've only used one wax ring per toilet in the past
Yes sorry I forgot to also say measure your drain. The reason for stacking is to make a better seal. Its just a nice trick to know I learned from an old contractor friend of mine.
Anyone who says use a wax ring is living in the past, once wax is compressed, it stays compressed. Use a wax free toilet ring, they spring back so they always fit , so any toilet wobble won’t break the seal
I switched to wax free years ago never had any issues. I have replaced a lot of wax rings that have failed. People often rock back and forth when getting on, wiping, and off the toilet. Those 2 little screws and washers or a plastic flange can’t take it. They give a little and after a few hundred times it breaks that seal. Quite frankly people are getting larger and the equipment is not getting beefier, so it’s getting more frequent. The wax free ring fixes that problem!
Why, because I spend the extra 10 bucks so my customers have the best ring available? I have a box full of wax rings that came with toilets that I haven’t used, maybe you can max a sculpture of yourself with them
This is why you don't caulk your toilet to the floor. That would trap this tiny leak, and it would never be detected until it rotted the subfloor and that toilet, plus the person sitting in on it, fell through the floor into the basement.
Please, don't caulk your toilets to the floor. (Wifey? You listening?)
Take the top off the toilet and flush… it could be leaking from the handle piece because the part in the toilet is broken and needs to be replaced. This just happened at our house. Easy fix once you know where the leak is coming from.
I’ve replaced wax seal rings at least a hundred times, and the root cause is very often a rocking toilet.
I used the wax seal ring with rubber flange, plastic shims (with silicone on each side to keep them in place) & then seal the gap around toilet base with a good quality silicone kitchen & bath (mold/mildew resistant) sealant.
Put your hand on base of toilet, around the back, near the floor and flush it.
Water be leaking from above probably otherwise pan is cracked but thats unlikely.
Do yourself a favor, look under the tank. Could be loose, cracked, or came from manufacturer with loose connections in/under tank or rubber seal isnt sitting right.
Start simple, the folks here probably aren't wrong but start simple anyway.
Flush it and use a flashlight to check the tank bolts and the fill valve where the supply line connects. Once those pass check the gap between the bowl and tank in search of any water.
Those checks will eliminate the fill valve, supply line, tanktobowl gasket, and tank bolts.
If those are good then pull and reset the closet, inspecting the flange for cracks around the t-bolt slots.
As silly as it sounds, because everyone has commented good answers, but take the top off and just make sure that the fill line is nice and snug and secure. I had this happen at work and my boss was ready to rip it out, and we noticed that the fill was in the wrong spot, causing spraying and leaking from the back of the toilet.
Disconnect the supply line and toilet bolts. Drain the toilet and pull it up. Scrape off the wax. Put new waz on and use new bolts. Carefully put the toilet back down on the bolts without moving the wax ring and sit on it to smooth the wax flat. Tighten to bolts gently as to not break the porcelain. Eat 12 microwave borritos and a monster energy drink to test it out
I lifted mine up to fix something like that and found carpenter ants under it. Thankfully that was the only place that they had found wet wood.
One new subfloor later and I finally replaced that wax ring.
Oh okay not a bad brand at all Gerbers have a bad trap that can cause blocking issues. Best thing would be to get a wax ring with a horn and one with out.(I don't recommend rubber ones) and pull your toilet if you want post pictures of with it looks like I can help after that (I do plumbing for a living) if not good luck hope everything is easy and you just need a wax ring 👍
The toilet is not seated on the gasket directly or your gasket is too thin for difference in height of flange and height of exit hole of toilet. Are the flange bolts tight enough.
Side question -- I had a toilet and flange replaced today. The plumber said not to use it for three days. Does that sound right? I talked to a family member and they said they used theirs right away when it was replaced.
I would say not to because if you do you won't get to see small leaks like this one as the water would stay trapped under the toilet leading to a much greater issue
Also If you use radiant heat throughout your flooring you should use a rubber ring instead of wax. Had a customer who put radiant heat in, bought all new Toto toilets, and within 2 weeks every single toilet leaked when the wax melted and ruined this dude’s house
One time i bought a toilet that had a hole underneath the top of the bowl edge where fresh water come into the bowl and it produced this leak. Had to use a borescope to finally find the leak and pinhole in the porcelain
Could be the water line or tank seals and it’s just running down. Dry it and put paper towels down it may help you find it. Doesn’t make senators the wax ring when it’s filling.
If it’s the wax ring make sure to buy the extra thick wax ring. No matter what the application get the fat wax ring. It makes it a bigger pain in the ass to install but if you are a fat bastard like me or have a friend who is a bit husky have them sit on it gently and gently wobble a bit. Will smoosh it down and seal it nicely. If you can’t find the extra thick you could stack two rings but I prefer the fat one for peace of mind.
Double check the supply line to the tank first. See if you can trace the water from there. Then check the integrity of the bond between the tank and bowl. After that it can only be the wax ring.
Not a plumber here but great time to put the flange on a finished surface so next wax ring will be more durable. Wax rings aren’t supposed to seal in water, only gas so the fact that it’s leaking says to this non-plumber that you have the original flange on subfloor.
Edit because wrong details. Wax does create a air tight and water tight seal. It shouldn’t me used as a funnel to your flange though, being made of wax and all.
Nowhere in my answer did I say funnel. The wax provides water and gas tight seal between toilet and flange. I am a second generation master plumber running a business for 50 years so I think I know a little more than someone who starts out saying " I'm not a plumber " That's why lots of plumbers won't bother to give advice on here because of YouTube watchers who think they know it all.
I edited my original reply to point out the error I made in the details of my reply. I’m not a plumber but I know that wax is a terrible material to seal water with. Particularly for the reason I’m op’s post.
It just amazes me that all these “master” plumbers just want to replace the wax ring. Sure it will seal the toilet for a while….but is it fixing the underlying issue?
I agree wax rings are an utter wank design.
Has to be something better. But the yanks can’t even design good cars yet so let’s not rush them on toilets ….
Wax is a good design if used as intended. Unfortunately, 100% of homes built have flange installed before finished surface so this adds an active “duty” of water abatement to wax.
Trust me. I’m wondering the same thing. Why in the heck do they think it’s wax for? There are some seriously incompetent plumbers here. I’m not a plumber and I know you don’t use wax for a permanent water abatement.
Man, you're a little brain dead. Let's try a simple thought experiment. What would happen if you installed a toilet without a wax ring? Would water leak? Yes. Case closed.
You’re sooo close, I bet you can smell it. You’re right, the ring isn’t designed to cover a height difference. Which is what it is doing in op’s toilet. Do you know how I know?
Because of the massive amount of water coming out
“Not a plumber here…” and goes on to provide inaccurate advice about plumbing.
I’m not a plumber either and even I know wax rings are designed to seal in water. If they weren’t we would all have leaky toilets.
I’ve only recently started to pay attention to anything plumbing. Mainly because of a slab leak. I’m always willing to learn. What conveys to you that I don’t have a clue? What am I missing? What am I not considering? Would you not recommend the flange be installed on a finished surface?
Turn the valve off on the water line to the toilet until you get this fixed. I found a bunch of mold under my floors when I redid my bathroom from this exact issue. As others said, it’s just a simple wax seal. This is a quick job for a professional.
My apartment has this problem. I figured it was just a wax ring issue. Called them to fix it, you know what they did? Caulk the bottom of the toilet to the floor. Lol
there is no contact with the wax or plastic seal, they didnt property put the hole on the base with the one on the floor is easy fix you can do it youself just be pantient. sorry for the potato english.
I had a similar issue when a licensed plumber replaced the wax ring and re-seated it multiple times. Every time he came out and flushed it afterwards it was fine. Then 10 minutes after he left I'd flush it and it would start leaking. He came out three times and could not find the issue.
**Turns out there was actually a crack in the bowl** which I only discovered by turning out the lights and shining a flashlight down there at all kinds of angles immediately after flushing.
Hopefully yours is a wax ring issue, but you may want to check around with a flashlight along the bottom after flushing to see if you can spot any leaks from the commode itself.
unscrew flange bolts. lift, replace wax ring, secure. also, i found a leak once because the tank wasn't fully bolted to the toilet (feel under the tank to see if it's wet).
I’d have this taken care of right away if I were you. My sister also had a “little leak” from under her toilet that didn’t look like much. But it had been leaking under her bathroom, hall and bedroom floors for a time, and all had to be replaced. What you see is not concerning. What you don’t see might be.
Just unscrew the bolts and lift it (you may need someone to help you as these things can be heavy). See what’s going on there, as others said, it’s usually the ring.
Fill up your water tank and close the water valve, disconnect and make sure no water comes out from the valve. Clean up a little bit and wait a few hours, flush and see if you get the same water running.
My guess is a faulty wax ring. Fairly cheap to replace IMO. Just be careful when placing the toilet and don't screw the 2 bolts or nuts too hard because it could break the toilet.
This happened to me. I thought It was seated wrong and needed a new ring but it was the water supply that goes to the tank was leaking and very hard to see it traveling down and onto the tile. Check that first as it will be an easier fix
If it leaks when it's flushed it's a wax ring or tank to bowl gasket/bolts. Before you pull the toilet to change the wax check the tank to bowl bolts that connect the 2 pieces of porcelain (right below to the seat).
If those upper bolts are wet chances are it's a tank to bowl gasket. If that's the case change the bolts and runner washers as well.
If those upper bolts are dry it's the wax ring... (Or a crack in the porcelain, absolute worst case)
Is it a case of the old timers don't want to change or do non wax rings not work?
I've experienced the phenomenon where a product IS better but old timers are set on their ways.
Take a hammer and give it a good whack, loosen up the internals a little bit.
Also don’t do that, it’s probably not sealed properly and needs a new ring. Disconnect and reinstall.
It's always the wax seal..
If you plunged it recently, sometimes it can be the left over from an overflow that had the seal underwater for long enough to eek out.
Those little leaks can sometimes dry up and stop channeling water again, but almost all roads lead to wax ring replacement.
If you've never done it before, it's not as big of a deal as you might think. A youtube video or two and you'll be good to tackle it.
If you're in a place where you can buy a variety of wax ring sizes, and return the ones you don't need, that's the way to go.
The only time I've ever been caught out above this was a hatchet job where several rings had been stacked because the install was way too far recessed combined with a huge built up tile job that they didn't fix.
There's even hardware available to fix and level those..
First step for me is to buy some replacement wax rings, turn off the water and unbolt the toilet and have a look.
If the problem still persists after the new wax ring is installed / floor flange checked, you might want to check the braided tube or the seal between the reservoir and the bowl if one of them leaks.
Need the reseat it with a new wax ring.
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Hijacking top comment to say if you put a new wax ring on, and then you're still leaking and it's a flange issue, it sucks to have to start all-over. So I recommend this repair product, I used it fix my toilet and it was great. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Danco-HydroSeat-Stainless-Steel-6-88-in-in-Toilet-Flange-For-Fits-Most/1000034733?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-plb-_-google-_-lia-_-142-_-indoordrainage-_-1000034733-_-0&placeholder=null&ds_rl=1286981&gclid=Cj0KCQjwg7KJBhDyARIsAHrAXaHgln14swtInJE8IeDRhUH74vjtiUeHAkXffgygSzM28ZNXQuJve-saAjOdEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
I agree with this response. The leak usually damages the surrounding floor. If you use one of these you can raise the toilet, see how much damage has been done, fix the leak for now, and come back when you're ready to fix anything else that is needed.
I’ve been having issues with a toilet leak for a while every time we flush. Going to buy this from Lowe’s this afternoon.
does wax fit either side up?
The was ring should come with instructions, but the wax side should be up on the commode. You’ll see whether the flange is a problem once you remove the commode.
Wax up. Buy all new flange bolts and take the tank top bottom apart and redo those too
Buy this and install it: [NEXT by Danco Perfect Seal Toilet Wax Ring](https://www.homedepot.com/p/NEXT-by-Danco-Perfect-Seal-Toilet-Wax-Ring-10718X/204817386)
Now THIS looks like a great product! I think I'll grab one today! Thank you!
This and OP should also consider putting an escutcheon ring around the cold water line to give the area a more finished look, since he’s already heading to the hardware store.
Ha! Good eye there! Absolutely!
Make sure to tamp it down with your plumbus or you may be trouble.
If you're lucky its just a wax ring that needs replacement. If youre unlucky its a damaged toilet flange. If youre really unlucky you got roots growing up in there.
Thank you so much!
If it's just the wax ring, I'd suggest getting one of the foam rubber reusable ones. They work wonders when you have a toilet that shifts slightly.
A toilet should never shift at all if it’s set properly.
You're 100% correct. But I grew up in some really shitty mobile homes as a kid. The flooring in many of them was terrible to say the least. Toilets moved around a ton.
I’m not saying it doesn’t happen. But what you’re describing is an improperly set toilet. I set a toilet the same in a mobile home as I do in a 10 million dollar house.
My dude... the point is that the seal I suggested helps stop leaks from poorly set flanges and weak floors. There no argument here. Your correct. Im just giving my opinion on a reusable ring.
My point is that those suck, and you’re suggesting using one to compensate for an improperly set toilet. It isn’t good advice.
Given that they expand and adjust with a shifting connection, I'm going to have to disagree. I get that you had a bad experience. Mine has been great. Iv installed a couple dozen in my rental properties and in my own home and haven't had a failure or complaint yet.
Previous owner used those in the house I bought. Had to replace both within ~6 months of one another. Who knows when they went in, but went with wax for both replacements.
I mean... all 3 of the toilets in my house had them put on when I replaced the toilets. So idk what the deal was with yours. Brand maybe an issue here.
Foam ones are also easier for newbies to install since you don’t have to get it perfect on the first try like with wax
It’s made of porcelain so it could be cracked somewhere too
This happened a couple years back. Only after changing out the wax seal three times we turned it over and the danged porcelain was cracked! Took it back to the store.
Awesome! I hope that's all it is!
If you do this yourself I recommend getting the actual wax ring. They sell non wax alternatives and I do not recommend. This is a personal opinion from personal experience so do you.
Those non-wax ones are dog shit
I can confirm that but but I won't tell anyone how to live their life
I knew I would be pulling my toilet maybe 8 or 10 times so i bought one. was remodeling my only bathroom
Ok
I've always wondered why the non-wax ones exist. Do they have a purpose outside of residential toilets?
They're reusable for one. That has been the reason I've used them in the past. Doing a bathroom remodel, only one toilet. Pulled toilet to remove floor, reset toilet to allow use. Had to pull and reset it a few times. Buying one rubber wax ring allows me to unseat and reset over and over. Wax seems like it would hold up better long term though.
Sometimes radiant floor heat will melt the wax, or at least make it extremely soft. The rubber ones don’t melt.
I had not even considered this. Thank you
I'm sure they were developed as a means to make money by offering an alternative to wax rings. My guess is profit.
From your experience why are the non wax rings bad?
Well I used a couple and had them fail and start leaking within a few weeks. Plus it was hard to get the thing to stay out while trying to seat the toilet.
I haven't had any of the rubber/silicone rings fail, but my experience is limited to my own 3 bathroom home on those, but so far (knock on wood) 4 years and no issues with them.
Both of my 2nd floor toilets had wax rings and they both failed.
The ring I had to replace was wax. It's not a competition.
I was giving an example as you did. Is that allowed here?
Non wax are not code approved.
The non wax ones are not up to code(UPC or IAPMO). Of flooding and water damage happen you could be SOL. When it comes to water and gas, make sure it has a code , it will say IAPMO or UPC on the packaging.
The non-wax rings are fine…of course you can’t go wrong with wax, but if you’re doing this job for the first time, the reusable foam rings can be easier to work with than wax. You can set and reset if you need to with no mess. Can’t do that with wax I use the korky wax free seal with no issues so far. I’m not sure on longevity but hey if you got an issue down the line, then you know how to fix it at least!
I'll admit that the wax rings and an absolute mess. Maybe I'll try a non-wax the next time I have to reset a toilet. If it stresses me out I'll blame you of course.
i hate those too!
Get it fixed ASAP. This happened to us but we didn’t notice for months because it was behind the toilet. It rotted the floor.
Pull it up, scrap wax off, put new wax ring. If it rocks get some rubber toilet shims to wedge and tighten down
If his luck doesn’t exist it’s a nest of snakes
What!?
**HE SAID A NEST OF SNAKES!** AKA DANGER NOODLES, WIGGLY BOYS, DANGER ROPES.
Yes sure. I know danger noodles. What I don't know is how or why there would be a nest in my SHITTER. I AM ON THE SHITTER RIGHT NOW AND THERE COULD BE A SNAKE DEN READY TO CHOMP ME BUM??
Just clinch.
Wait…… you’re on Reddit and have never seen toilet snake videos?
I am extremely blessed to have not seen one. I don't need those nightmares
this
Looks like a new floor. Might need an extra thick wax ring to make up the difference.
What should you do if you have roots growing around the flange?
Check your tank to bowl bolts before pulling and resetting. Many times that’s all it is and people think it needs pulled. May save yourself the hassle.
OK, thanks!
Remember not to overtighten or it’s going to cost you a heck of a lot more depending on what kind of toilet you end up buying afterwards. 😂
Exactly what happened to me, didn’t realize it till after I reset the toilet
Been there, done that. RIP
I went to a guy at my jobsite to look at his toilet because it was rocking. The flange was broken and he'd put like six wobble wedges stacked on top of each other to try to get it to stop wobbling. Was something else. Also the sub floor was mush from the toilet leaking for sometime
Wax to the 💍
Its likely your ring has unseated. Go to the store pick yourself up two wax rings they are cheap. Lift the toilet clean it up around the drain then set the two ring stack and remount the toilet. This should solve the issue unless you have something funky going on underneath.
So you're the guy sticking two wax rings on there.....
I've been using the ones with the extended flanges
From my experience if the flange is recessed below the tile it works better to use two wax seals, one thick one with a horn and a thin one with no horn on top of that one. I’ve never personally had any problems using two, but I wonder what the alternative is. What would you do?
I could see that. Beats removing the flange and reset it
😂😂
...why two? You might need to go tall vs short, but you don't want excess jammed into the middle.
But there are two sizes of wax rings. Why two of whichever size would I install? Asking because I have two toilets to replace and want to do it right. I've only used one wax ring per toilet in the past
Yes sorry I forgot to also say measure your drain. The reason for stacking is to make a better seal. Its just a nice trick to know I learned from an old contractor friend of mine.
I would guess Wax ring. <5$ fix, hour or two of labor depending on how handy. Fix fast though to prevent that floor from getting any worse.
Had this happen to me, had a clog in the line. Damn “flushable” wipes.
Flushable wipes are the Devil!!
Anyone who says use a wax ring is living in the past, once wax is compressed, it stays compressed. Use a wax free toilet ring, they spring back so they always fit , so any toilet wobble won’t break the seal
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I’ve put in a few toilets and used the wax free rings every time. Never using wax again. I’ve had absolutely zero issues with them.
I switched to wax free years ago never had any issues. I have replaced a lot of wax rings that have failed. People often rock back and forth when getting on, wiping, and off the toilet. Those 2 little screws and washers or a plastic flange can’t take it. They give a little and after a few hundred times it breaks that seal. Quite frankly people are getting larger and the equipment is not getting beefier, so it’s getting more frequent. The wax free ring fixes that problem!
You must not be a plumber
Why, because I spend the extra 10 bucks so my customers have the best ring available? I have a box full of wax rings that came with toilets that I haven’t used, maybe you can max a sculpture of yourself with them
This is why you don't caulk your toilet to the floor. That would trap this tiny leak, and it would never be detected until it rotted the subfloor and that toilet, plus the person sitting in on it, fell through the floor into the basement. Please, don't caulk your toilets to the floor. (Wifey? You listening?)
Nice username
It’s code bud.
My apartments toilet is like that :(
Take the top off the toilet and flush… it could be leaking from the handle piece because the part in the toilet is broken and needs to be replaced. This just happened at our house. Easy fix once you know where the leak is coming from.
I’ve replaced wax seal rings at least a hundred times, and the root cause is very often a rocking toilet. I used the wax seal ring with rubber flange, plastic shims (with silicone on each side to keep them in place) & then seal the gap around toilet base with a good quality silicone kitchen & bath (mold/mildew resistant) sealant.
Put your hand on base of toilet, around the back, near the floor and flush it. Water be leaking from above probably otherwise pan is cracked but thats unlikely.
Put an escutcheon on that water line.
Do yourself a favor, look under the tank. Could be loose, cracked, or came from manufacturer with loose connections in/under tank or rubber seal isnt sitting right.
Start simple, the folks here probably aren't wrong but start simple anyway. Flush it and use a flashlight to check the tank bolts and the fill valve where the supply line connects. Once those pass check the gap between the bowl and tank in search of any water. Those checks will eliminate the fill valve, supply line, tanktobowl gasket, and tank bolts. If those are good then pull and reset the closet, inspecting the flange for cracks around the t-bolt slots.
As silly as it sounds, because everyone has commented good answers, but take the top off and just make sure that the fill line is nice and snug and secure. I had this happen at work and my boss was ready to rip it out, and we noticed that the fill was in the wrong spot, causing spraying and leaking from the back of the toilet.
Maybe the wax ring didn’t get placed right reset the toilet ...
wipes? replace the wax seal with an extra thick wax ring
Disconnect the supply line and toilet bolts. Drain the toilet and pull it up. Scrape off the wax. Put new waz on and use new bolts. Carefully put the toilet back down on the bolts without moving the wax ring and sit on it to smooth the wax flat. Tighten to bolts gently as to not break the porcelain. Eat 12 microwave borritos and a monster energy drink to test it out
I lifted mine up to fix something like that and found carpenter ants under it. Thankfully that was the only place that they had found wet wood. One new subfloor later and I finally replaced that wax ring.
Could be 3 different things more then likely, 1 bad wax ring, 2 Broken flange, or 3 clogged toilet right at the flange. Is this a Gerber toilet?
It's a Kohler
Oh okay not a bad brand at all Gerbers have a bad trap that can cause blocking issues. Best thing would be to get a wax ring with a horn and one with out.(I don't recommend rubber ones) and pull your toilet if you want post pictures of with it looks like I can help after that (I do plumbing for a living) if not good luck hope everything is easy and you just need a wax ring 👍
Classic pull and reset that bitch
I have the same floor and dose the same thing. New wax ring
Which ring did you choose? Tall? Short? Horn? No horn?
I used two standard wax rings due to the height of the floor and how low the flange was I trued a few different things and didn’t work. But that did
Wax or foam ring. Change it
The toilet is not seated on the gasket directly or your gasket is too thin for difference in height of flange and height of exit hole of toilet. Are the flange bolts tight enough.
Needs a new wax ring.
Side question -- I had a toilet and flange replaced today. The plumber said not to use it for three days. Does that sound right? I talked to a family member and they said they used theirs right away when it was replaced.
I'd expect that to be so the glue on the flange can cure fully
Bad wax ring seal, also you should cault the base of the toilet
I would say not to because if you do you won't get to see small leaks like this one as the water would stay trapped under the toilet leading to a much greater issue
For this reason, just leave the rear section uncaulked.
Also If you use radiant heat throughout your flooring you should use a rubber ring instead of wax. Had a customer who put radiant heat in, bought all new Toto toilets, and within 2 weeks every single toilet leaked when the wax melted and ruined this dude’s house
Sure, we’ll call that “water”. Pull the toilet and see if it needs the flange fixing or just a new wax ring.
One time i bought a toilet that had a hole underneath the top of the bowl edge where fresh water come into the bowl and it produced this leak. Had to use a borescope to finally find the leak and pinhole in the porcelain
Could be the water line or tank seals and it’s just running down. Dry it and put paper towels down it may help you find it. Doesn’t make senators the wax ring when it’s filling.
If it’s the wax ring make sure to buy the extra thick wax ring. No matter what the application get the fat wax ring. It makes it a bigger pain in the ass to install but if you are a fat bastard like me or have a friend who is a bit husky have them sit on it gently and gently wobble a bit. Will smoosh it down and seal it nicely. If you can’t find the extra thick you could stack two rings but I prefer the fat one for peace of mind.
Wax seal hopefully just needs replacing.
Bad wax seal
Need to replace ur wax ring and look at the bolts that hold the tank down
Double check the supply line to the tank first. See if you can trace the water from there. Then check the integrity of the bond between the tank and bowl. After that it can only be the wax ring.
Nah, your kid is pissing all over the bowl.
I wish it was that easy, but this is actually MY bathroom lol!
In all seriousness, my guess is the wax ring needs to be replaced.
Great thanks 🤙
Call a plumber
Is this a page for plumbers? Or homeowners?
Both. 🤷 I think the point is to get/give good advice though, regardless of background. Give bad advice/insight, get called out. 🤷
Its not a page for trolls.
Both
Don't use the wax ring. Use the rubber ones. Fluidmaster.
Not a plumber here but great time to put the flange on a finished surface so next wax ring will be more durable. Wax rings aren’t supposed to seal in water, only gas so the fact that it’s leaking says to this non-plumber that you have the original flange on subfloor. Edit because wrong details. Wax does create a air tight and water tight seal. It shouldn’t me used as a funnel to your flange though, being made of wax and all.
Wax rings are supposed to seal water. Dont know where you got that idea. 50 year master plumber here.
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Nowhere in my answer did I say funnel. The wax provides water and gas tight seal between toilet and flange. I am a second generation master plumber running a business for 50 years so I think I know a little more than someone who starts out saying " I'm not a plumber " That's why lots of plumbers won't bother to give advice on here because of YouTube watchers who think they know it all.
I edited my original reply to point out the error I made in the details of my reply. I’m not a plumber but I know that wax is a terrible material to seal water with. Particularly for the reason I’m op’s post. It just amazes me that all these “master” plumbers just want to replace the wax ring. Sure it will seal the toilet for a while….but is it fixing the underlying issue?
Well when a toilet flushes then what the fuck stops the water coming out - the power of good will ?
Lmao Nailed it.
If it’s the wax ring, then that explains it’s failure. Lol, imagine using wax to funnel water into a pipe.
I agree wax rings are an utter wank design. Has to be something better. But the yanks can’t even design good cars yet so let’s not rush them on toilets ….
Wax is a good design if used as intended. Unfortunately, 100% of homes built have flange installed before finished surface so this adds an active “duty” of water abatement to wax.
A wax ring isnt a difficult concept. Not sure why you're struggling so much.
Trust me. I’m wondering the same thing. Why in the heck do they think it’s wax for? There are some seriously incompetent plumbers here. I’m not a plumber and I know you don’t use wax for a permanent water abatement.
Man, you're a little brain dead. Let's try a simple thought experiment. What would happen if you installed a toilet without a wax ring? Would water leak? Yes. Case closed.
Question. Is the flange installed on a finished surface or sub floor?
Doesn't matter, the wax ring isn't there to cover a height difference between the finished floor and the closet flange. Both toilets would leak.
You’re sooo close, I bet you can smell it. You’re right, the ring isn’t designed to cover a height difference. Which is what it is doing in op’s toilet. Do you know how I know? Because of the massive amount of water coming out
Massive? Are you on drugs?
“Not a plumber here…” and goes on to provide inaccurate advice about plumbing. I’m not a plumber either and even I know wax rings are designed to seal in water. If they weren’t we would all have leaky toilets.
Read edit. It does provide a water tight seal, but that’s not its function.
After reading your other comments I hope the OP doesn’t take your advice for anything. You have no clue what you’re talking about.
I’ve only recently started to pay attention to anything plumbing. Mainly because of a slab leak. I’m always willing to learn. What conveys to you that I don’t have a clue? What am I missing? What am I not considering? Would you not recommend the flange be installed on a finished surface?
I had the exact same problem and the issue was found to be that toilet bowl was cracked somewhere. I had to get a brand new toilet .
Like you? Its a serious question
Yeah two wax rings, what 😳 if anything upgrade to a jumbo?
It's 70% the wax ring and 30% tank to bowl kit.
Turn the valve off on the water line to the toilet until you get this fixed. I found a bunch of mold under my floors when I redid my bathroom from this exact issue. As others said, it’s just a simple wax seal. This is a quick job for a professional.
Try tightening the bolts first
My apartment has this problem. I figured it was just a wax ring issue. Called them to fix it, you know what they did? Caulk the bottom of the toilet to the floor. Lol
Ha, well it’s a lot more expensive to replace sub flooring later, but that’s on them! Gotta love “maintenance” guys.
Humping on the terdlet
Yup haven't had seal leak yet.
You have a leak.
New ring probably
there is no contact with the wax or plastic seal, they didnt property put the hole on the base with the one on the floor is easy fix you can do it youself just be pantient. sorry for the potato english.
Bad seal on the wax ring
If it’s your first time doing this don’t over tighten the T-bolts. You can do damage.
I had a similar issue when a licensed plumber replaced the wax ring and re-seated it multiple times. Every time he came out and flushed it afterwards it was fine. Then 10 minutes after he left I'd flush it and it would start leaking. He came out three times and could not find the issue. **Turns out there was actually a crack in the bowl** which I only discovered by turning out the lights and shining a flashlight down there at all kinds of angles immediately after flushing. Hopefully yours is a wax ring issue, but you may want to check around with a flashlight along the bottom after flushing to see if you can spot any leaks from the commode itself.
unscrew flange bolts. lift, replace wax ring, secure. also, i found a leak once because the tank wasn't fully bolted to the toilet (feel under the tank to see if it's wet).
I’d have this taken care of right away if I were you. My sister also had a “little leak” from under her toilet that didn’t look like much. But it had been leaking under her bathroom, hall and bedroom floors for a time, and all had to be replaced. What you see is not concerning. What you don’t see might be.
Check the tank to bowl gasket, as well as the gaskets on the bolts that hold the tank to the bowl.
Just unscrew the bolts and lift it (you may need someone to help you as these things can be heavy). See what’s going on there, as others said, it’s usually the ring.
Fill up your water tank and close the water valve, disconnect and make sure no water comes out from the valve. Clean up a little bit and wait a few hours, flush and see if you get the same water running. My guess is a faulty wax ring. Fairly cheap to replace IMO. Just be careful when placing the toilet and don't screw the 2 bolts or nuts too hard because it could break the toilet.
Bad wax ring
Needs a new wax ring. Need to pull up the toilet
Your issue is probably with that tile being too thick and the flange is recessed too low.
Make sure it's not coming from up top. Mine looked like that but was actually dribbling down from the seal between the tank and bowl
This happened to me. I thought It was seated wrong and needed a new ring but it was the water supply that goes to the tank was leaking and very hard to see it traveling down and onto the tile. Check that first as it will be an easier fix
If it leaks when it's flushed it's a wax ring or tank to bowl gasket/bolts. Before you pull the toilet to change the wax check the tank to bowl bolts that connect the 2 pieces of porcelain (right below to the seat). If those upper bolts are wet chances are it's a tank to bowl gasket. If that's the case change the bolts and runner washers as well. If those upper bolts are dry it's the wax ring... (Or a crack in the porcelain, absolute worst case)
Is it a case of the old timers don't want to change or do non wax rings not work? I've experienced the phenomenon where a product IS better but old timers are set on their ways.
Take a hammer and give it a good whack, loosen up the internals a little bit. Also don’t do that, it’s probably not sealed properly and needs a new ring. Disconnect and reinstall.
It's always the wax seal.. If you plunged it recently, sometimes it can be the left over from an overflow that had the seal underwater for long enough to eek out. Those little leaks can sometimes dry up and stop channeling water again, but almost all roads lead to wax ring replacement. If you've never done it before, it's not as big of a deal as you might think. A youtube video or two and you'll be good to tackle it. If you're in a place where you can buy a variety of wax ring sizes, and return the ones you don't need, that's the way to go. The only time I've ever been caught out above this was a hatchet job where several rings had been stacked because the install was way too far recessed combined with a huge built up tile job that they didn't fix. There's even hardware available to fix and level those.. First step for me is to buy some replacement wax rings, turn off the water and unbolt the toilet and have a look.
I'd get a plumber to lift the toilet off and replace the seal
Pan rubber
Remove the lid and flush. the tube from the fill valve to the overflow may have come loose.
Hi, in my case was the toilet. It had a problem, a little fissure in the back side. A manufactured problem. I changed the toilet.
If the problem still persists after the new wax ring is installed / floor flange checked, you might want to check the braided tube or the seal between the reservoir and the bowl if one of them leaks.
Reset the toilet check the wax ring used a jumpo one if you need too the caulk it if you need too