toilet leaking at its base

What To Do If Your Toilet Is Leaking At Its Base

A toilet leaking at its base can cause many issues. You might be able to see if you have a leak by the water laying around the bottom of the toilet. 

Reasons Why Your Toilet May Be Leaking

There are many reasons why your toilet may be leaking from its base, so keep reading to find out!

Condensation From Your Toilet’s Tank

If you only notice a small amount of water around your toilet, it may be from condensation. Because of how cold toilet tanks usually are, it is common for condensation to build up on the toilet bowl. Once the condensation builds up, it can lead to water dripping on the floor around the toilet’s base.

The Tee Bolts Are Loose

If your toilet is loose from the ground, this could break the seal and allow water to leak on your floor. Your toilet is held on the ground by tee bolts. If these become loose, you will need to tighten them to create the seal again.

toilet leaking at its base. tighten tee bolts
Tee Bolts

You Need A New Wax Ring

If tightening the bolts doesn’t fix the issue, you might need a new wax ring. A wax ring creates a watertight seal  from the base of the toilet and the ground. These will eventually wear down with time, but this doesn’t happen too often. Most of the time if this happens it’s due to incorrect installation or if the wax ring is many years old. When your toilet becomes loose from the bolts needing tightened, this can wear down your wax ring if left for long enough. 

The Water Supply Tube Is Loose

If your toilet is leaking from the base more than just when you flush, you may have a loose water supply line. This is not due to the water tight seal being broken, but from the water supply line not being on correctly. Check the connection where the supply line connects to the tank to make sure the nut and rubber seal are tight.

toilet leaking at its base. water supply line
Water Supply Line

What To Do Next

Now that you have an idea of why your toilet may be leaking, it’s time to take action!

Look For Condensation

Before you get into the difficult stuff, check for condensation. If you notice a large amount of condensation building up on your toilet tank, there are a few things you can do to prevent it from leaking to the ground. Some of the best ways to fix this issue are;

  • Make sure your flapper isn’t faulty
  • Insulate your water tank
  • Install a tray
  • Take shorter, cooler showers, and turn the fan on

Tighten Tee Bolts

Tightening the bolts is a fairly easy process. This is the easiest solution to a toilet leaking at its base. To do this, all you need to do is remove the bolt covers and tighten the bolts underneath. Use an adjustable wrench to firmly tighten the bolts. After you do this, make sure the toilet doesn’t move easily when you move it. It is easy to tell if a toilet’s bolts are still loose by seeing if you can move it from the ground. If there is no movement to the toilet, you should be good to go.

Remove the Toilet From The Ground

Before you disconnect your toilet, make sure to turn off the water. Shut off your water by locating the shut off valve usually located on the left side of the toilet near the water supply tube. After you do this, you can begin the steps of disconnecting your toilet from the ground.

removing toilet from the ground. 1-Tom-Plumber job site
Removing toilet from the ground
  1. Flush the toilet to drain all of the water that is left in your tank. After that use a rag, towel, or sponge to soak up the water around the floor.
  2. Now use a screwdriver to unscrew the nut that connects the supply tube and the fill valve. 
  3. Use your wrench to remove the tee bolts that you checked earlier. Remove the nuts that hold them in place so you can remove the toilet from the ground.
  4. Now that the toilet is disconnected from the ground, lift it up and away from the drain on the ground. Set the toilet on its side to prevent any damage.

Install A New Wax Ring

A new wax ring is a very common thing that will need to be done if your toilet is leaking at its base. At the opening of the bottom of the toilet, use a putty knife to remove the old wax ring. Be sure that you remove all of the wax. Once you have scraped away all of the old wax, you can place the wax ring on top of the drain. After you do this, make sure the tee bolts are positioned correctly so you are able to correctly position the flange.

Put The Toilet Back

Once everything is in its proper place, you can reinstall the toilet. Carefully lift the toilet and position it over the drain. Make sure to position it so you are able to access the tee bolts. Press the toilet down and apply pressure to allow the wax ring to create a watertight seal. 

Now that the toilet is where it should be, tighten the bolts and nuts with your wrench. 

Reconnect the Water Line

The last step is to reconnect the water supply tube to the fill valve. Now you can turn the water back on and wait for the water to fill up in the tank. Flush the toilet and inspect for leaks. If you couldn’t find any leaks you can seal the base of the toilet to the ground with caulk.

How to prevent leaks

Now that your toilet is no longer leaking, learn how to prevent leaks in the future.

Fix Leaks Before They Get Worse

If you notice a leak, big or small, make sure you get it fixed as soon as possible. Often people will do a bandage repair to save money, but it will cost you more money in the long run if you don’t fix it properly. Repairs will be more costly if you wait until the last minute, and your water bill will also be higher if you let the leak continue.

Be Cautious of What You Flush

Be careful what you flush down your toilet. A clogged toilet can lead to it leaking at its base. The majority of clogs are caused from people flushing non flushable things down their toilet. The only thing you should be flushing down your toilet is human waste and toilet paper. We also recommend only using 1-ply toilet paper to prevent clogs.

Avoid Chemical Drain Cleaners

If you ever have a clog and are considering using a chemical drain cleaner, don’t. Chemical drain cleaners will do more harm than good. They are too harsh for your toilet and can cause damage to your pipes.

Inspect Your Toilet Every Six Months

It’s good to inspect your toilet, as well as all your other plumbing fixtures, to make sure everything is functioning properly. We recommend doing this every 6 months so you can stay on top of the health of your toilet. Doing this and keeping up with the maintenance will prevent your toilet from leaking at its base.

Final Thoughts

Once you’ve completed all of these steps, there’s a good chance your toilet will not be leaking anymore. If you are still experiencing leaks, call a plumber to investigate and solve where the issue is coming from.

Call 1-Tom-Plumber

Don’t hesitate to contact us here or call us at 1-Tom-Plumber (1-866-758-6237) if you need a leaky toilet fixed. 1-Tom-Plumber’s certified team of plumbers and drain technicians respond immediately to any emergency plumbing, drain cleaning, or water damage problem. We also handle the excavation of underground water lines and sewer main lines. Our immediate-response team is available every day and night of the year, even on holidays.

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