  We
find a lot of problems with toilets. Always look at
the base and see if the floor is discolored, this is often a
sign of a leak at the wax ring. We frequently find
that water has worked its way under flooring and will
eventually cause damage to sub-floors and
framing.
Check to see if your toilet is loose. We check for
loose toilets be pushing them  with
our knee and see if there is movement of the bowl. All
toilets must be bolted tightly down so there is no
movement. A rocking toilet will cause the wax ring to
loosen and will break the critical seal between the pipe and
the base of the toilet. This brings up a important
point, never flush anything hot down the drain, it can melt
the wax ring and start leaking. See
video instructions on reseating a toilet here.
Modern installs have a flange on the pipe that holds the
bolts. Often this flange will break and need to be
replaced. They make a repair flange, don't buy the
cheap plastic flange repair kits, opt for the metal
ones. Stainless steel screws should be used.
Regular screws may rust off in a short time.
If your toilet runs, the flapper valve in the tank is
likely leaking or the float is set at the wrong height
sending water down the overflow. This can leak a lot
of water and both repairs are very simple to do. See
how here.
Another problem is the valve may be faulty. They
are usually fairly easy to replace, here
is a video on replacing the fill valve. |
