Slow leak beneath toilet

[lumsden]

Hi,

I've got a slow leak around the wax seal in my toilet. I tried replacing the seal but the leak persists. One of the things I noticed is that the leak happens regardless of whether we flush the toilet or not. Does this suggest a cracked bowl?

As another piece of information, the flange is quite high leaving a very small gap for the wax seal. I don't think it's touching but it may be very close. My current plan is to remove the toilet and examine very closely for small hairline cracks. If I don't find any, I was going to try a wax seal without the plastic collar.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks,
Mark

 

[Redwood]

Hi,

I've got a slow leak around the wax seal in my toilet. I tried replacing the seal but the leak persists. One of the things I noticed is that the leak happens regardless of whether we flush the toilet or not. Does this suggest a cracked bowl?

As another piece of information, the flange is quite high leaving a very small gap for the wax seal. I don't think it's touching but it may be very close. My current plan is to remove the toilet and examine very closely for small hairline cracks. If I don't find any, I was going to try a wax seal without the plastic collar.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks,
Mark

Possibly a cracked bowl. hows the water level in the bowl? Does it drop over time?

Wax rings with the plastic horn cause more leaks than they ever cured!

 

[Sponsor]

 

[lumsden]

Hi,

I've never seen the level drop. The amount of water is not very much - probably talking a few drops a day. After about 3 days there's a tiny puddle that can be easily wiped up with a single piece of paper towel.

Thanks for the reply,
Mark

 

[MG]

I would feel around the connection where the tank meets the bowl - both in the area of the tank to bowl gasket, and the tank bolts. Either the tank bolts are loose or the gasket is shot.

If it is the tank bolts, I'd recommend replacing them, AND using an extra nut + metal + rubber washer set on the outside of the tank. Tighten that up, and then attach the tank to bowl normally. That extra set always works.

 

[Gary Swart]

Possibly a good time to try the food coloring test to check where or what is actually leaking.