16 Aug How To Fix a Leaking Toilet
Have a Leaking Toilet?
A toilet can be a great convenience, but it is not something you should take for granted. Like all appliances and machines, toilets should be kept in good working order. One common problem associated with toilets is leaking from the bottom of the tank; this is usually due to water overflowing or draining slowly. This article will help you learn how to identify and fix the problem.
Causes of Leaking Toilet
If a toilet is leaking, it can be due to several reasons. Below, we have listed some of the most common causes.
Corroded Pipes
Rusty or corroded pipes may cause small leaks by listening carefully to the sound of dripping water. In addition, leaking waste lines of the toilet’s fill valve assembly may leak due to wear and tear. Replace the Fill Valve Assembly (valve seat, washers, and retainer) if you suspect this part of being the source of the leak.
Worn Out Seals
The seals of the toilet bowl can become worn out over time, causing a gapping space for water to leak between the tank and bowl. This is typically seen as a slow leak that you may overlook at first sight but could add up if left unchecked. If your toilet leaks from the bottom or requires fixing, you can replace the toilet bowl gasket. Hire a plumber if the problem is too large or complex for you to handle on your own.
Loose Connections
Loose or worn toilet flange connections can allow water to leak between the toilet and its base. If your toilet is rocking or wobbling, you may have a loose connection. When looking for this problem, you should first check the bolts holding the flange to the floor.
Corroded Tank
Corrosion in the toilet tank can cause new toilet leaking from the bottom. This forms in areas where toilet tanks come into contact with water. To Fix a corroded tank, you can replace the tank with a new one or clean off any corrosion.
Loose or Worn Toilet Tank Bolts
Can cause leaks, wobbling, and rocking of the toilet, maybe because of damaged floor flange, loose bolts on the toilet’s base, or partially broken floor tiles. In this case, you will need to tighten or replace the bolts in the toilet flange. If you tighten the bolts, be sure not to over tighten them as it may crack the porcelain.
Faulty Fill Valve
Faulty fill valve or float assembly cause overflowing. To fix the issue, You will need To replace the fill valve or float assembly; seek professional assistance.
Faulty Shutoff Valve
Faulty shutoff valves can cause water to drip. If the valve is dripping, replace it.
Damaged Toilet Bowl
Damaged toilet bowls can leak. Look for chips or cracks around the drain and replace the damaged part of the toilet bowl.
Faulty Flapper
The faulty flapper may not seal correctly and could cause toilet leaks. The only way to fix this issue is by replacing the old flapper with a new one. How To Fix a Leaking Porcelain Toilet
Burst Pipes
Burst pipes can cause severe leaking water in your toilet tank, will need to be replaced with a new one. If you find a burst pipe, stop the flow of water immediately. Contact or hire a plumber to drain water from the toilet and repair the leaky pipe.
Installation Errors
If your toilet is leaking from the bottom, you must identify the root cause and fix it. If this problem involves your toilet’s flange, tank seal, or wax ring, you should contact a plumber to repair it for you.
How to Fix a Leaking Toilet
To fix a leaking toilet, you will need a plunger, toilet bowl cleaner with bleach, towel, rubber gloves, screwdriver, toilet, bowl gasket kit, pipe wrench and, plumbers putty.
The steps to fix toilet leaking from the bottom are removing the tank lid and looking for obvious problems such as a cracked or corroded bowl. If you have spotted any problems, solve them, clean the toilet bowl, refill it with water, and try flushing to see any change. If everything looks good, install new gaskets and wax or replace the old ones. If you are not familiar with how to do this, hire a plumber.
If leaking is from the tank, verify that there are no loose connections inside or outside the tank and tighten any bolts found to lose. Fixing a toilet bowl leak can be achieved if you have all of your materials ready. You can use a plunger to try to fix the toilet bowl leak. If you have already verified that it is not a slow drain issue, use up and down plunging motion with your toilet plunger once or twice should unplug your toilet bowl completely.
You can also use a product called “Snake It,” a plumbing snake from the toilet drain, to unclog the toilet bowl. If the toilet is leaking from the bottom, none of your attempts to fix the toilet bowl leak is successful. You will need to turn off the water supply valve and remove the actual toilet itself.
When To Hire a Professional
Look for any possible damage that could be causing a leak from cracks in the trap or wax ring around the toilet’s base. Clean off any debris that is causing leaks and fix them if possible. Then, put a layer of plumber’s putty at the bottom of the toilet if there are cracks or anything else has broken off from previous damage. Hire a plumber if there are any other problems. Next, use a pipe wrench to turn the toilet bowl and set it back in place. Tighten the toilet bowl bolts firmly, but not too hard as you may break it at this point. Reconnect the water supply line to the toilet and flush again to look for any leaks.
In conclusion, fixing some leaks in your toilet can be done on your own if you have all the necessary materials and skills. However, if there is a severe leak, it may require professional help to avoid messing up things further. As long as you know what is causing the leaks and how to fix them, you should handle the situation.
If you need a plumber to fix your leaking toilet, do not hesitate to hire a professional plumber.
Benjamin Franklin Plumbing Tyler serves the East Texas cities of Kilgore, Longview, Tyler, and Whitehouse with a team of certified plumbers. In addition to emergency plumbing repair, some of the plumbing services provided by the company include faucet repair, drain services, toilet repair, plumbing fixture installations, tub and shower installations, kitchen sink repair, faucet installation, water heater repair/replacement, and garbage disposal replacement. Call us today at (903) 730-6611 to schedule an appointment!