How to know if new wax ring is leaking just a little?

[Djarchow]

I am at the end of a long basement finish and have gotten lots of great advice from Terry's forum to get me to this point. Thanks for everyone's help.

I moved an old Toto drake to my basement for the new bathroom. Because of the repair plate I had to use secure the toilet flange to the tile and concrete (link), there is very little room between the flange and bottom of the toilet for the wax ring, maybe 1/8" or less. I used a wax ring with no horn in it and all seemed to go well. I had my shims set before I set the toilet on the wax ring so there was no chance of rocking. The toilet has probably only been flushed maybe 15-20 times over the past month as I am still waiting for final inspections. I haven't caulked the base of the toilet yet.

I think I am seeing some slight discoloration of the grout coming out from under the center the of the toilet which could be a small wax ring leak. The tile and grout are dark gray so it is hard to tell for sure. I slid some paper under the base of the toilet in several spots between my shims and it was dry when I pulled it out. I don't smell any sewer gas. I marked the level of the water in the bowl and the tank, and other than evaporation, if there is a leak it is small.

Any other suggestions for how to detect a small leak other than just pulling the toilet and resetting it?

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[oldVermonter]

If you can't detect any liquid, nor any smell, I think it's unlikely you have a leak. But definitely do keep an eye (and nose) on it.

Also, I wouldn't grout the toilet footprint at all, it makes it much harder to determine any future leak.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Djarchow]

Thanks for the reply. I wasn't planning on grouting the toilet base, but UPC says you are supposed to caulk it. I don't really want to, but my local inspector is a stickler for code. I am sure I could claim ignorance and not do it and see if he calls it out. When I had a minor issue on the rough inspection, he let me fix it and send him a picture.

 

[Reach4]

The motivation for the caulk is to prevent leaks coming in. If you don't want to caulk, I would not stand for it. Sit.

 

[Integrity Repipe]

It sounds like you've done a great job with your installation, but even a slight gap between the flange and the toilet can lead to a slow leak over time. Since the grout is dark gray, moisture stains can be tricky to spot, so one way to test for a slow leak is to place a few layers of toilet paper around the base and let it sit overnight. Any dampness in the morning would indicate a leak. Another method is to add a few drops of food coloring to the toilet bowl and if the color seeps into the grout, the wax ring may not have sealed properly. If you do find a leak, you might need a thicker wax ring or even consider a wax-free seal, especially with the limited space under your toilet.