Results for "toilet leak"

Wax Ring Flange Medium 2–3 hours including drying time 9 👍 0

Toilet Leaking From the Bottom? Here's Why

Looked under the bathroom vanity the other day and noticed a small puddle spreading across the tile right at the foot of the toilet. Now that I'm paying attention, there seem to be three things wrong at the same time: water pooling at the base after every flush, a slight rocking motion when I sit down, AND a faint sewer smell that wasn't there before. My small bathroom already feels cramped, so having a wet floor on top of everything else is driving me crazy.

I've blotted the water dry a couple of times and it keeps coming back — always seems to show up right after someone flushes, not just randomly throughout the day. The toilet itself is several years old and I can't remember it ever being serviced. Not sure if all three symptoms are connected or if I'm dealing with multiple separate issues.…more

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Wax Ring Flange Medium 2–3 hours 8 👍 0

How to Reseat a Toilet After It Leaks

Three days ago my wife pointed out a faint wet ring forming around the bottom of the toilet in unit 2, and now that I'm looking at it closely I can't stop thinking about the damage it could be doing to the subfloor. Guests are checking in this weekend, so I need to sort this out fast. I've mopped it up twice and it keeps coming back, especially right after the toilet is flushed.

I've heard the fix involves pulling the toilet and replacing something called a wax ring, but I want to make sure that's actually the right diagnosis before I tear everything apart. Is reseating the toilet the right move here, and if so, what's the full process? Want to make sure I do this properly and don't leave guests with a bigger problem than when I started.…more

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Smells Sewer Gas Medium 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on cause 7 👍 0

How to Get Rid of Sewer Smell from Your Toilet

Nobody wants to walk into their bathroom and get hit with that rotten-egg, sewer-gas smell coming from the toilet — and yet here I am. It started a few days ago and it's definitely strongest right around the toilet itself, not the drain or anywhere else. I opened a window and lit a candle, but the smell keeps coming back.

I'm guessing something is off with the toilet's seal or maybe something inside the tank? I really can't afford a plumber visit right now, so I'm hoping this is something I can troubleshoot and fix on my own over a weekend without spending a fortune. Has anyone dealt with this and tracked down the cause without calling in a pro?…more

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Install Replace Medium 2–4 hours (including removal and cleanup) 13 👍 0

How to Install a New Toilet: Step-by-Step Guide

My apartment's toilet has to be at least 15 or 20 years old at this point, and it's starting to show its age in a big way — the handle keeps sticking, the flapper goes constantly, and I've noticed some discoloration at the base that worries me. My landlord has given me the green light to swap it out myself if I want to handle it, and honestly I'd rather just have a fresh, efficient unit in there.

I've never pulled and set a toilet before, but I'm reasonably handy and I want to understand what I'm getting into. Are there different ways to approach this job, and what are the main things I should know before I start? I'd hate to get halfway through and realize I'm in over my head.…more

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Wax Ring Flange Medium 1.5–2 hours 18 👍 0

How to Replace a Toilet Wax Ring (Step-by-Step)

Nobody wants to walk into the bathroom and catch that unmistakable sewer-gas smell drifting up from around the base of the toilet. Mine has been giving off a faint but definite odor, and when I kneel down close to the floor I can feel a slight dampness on the tile right after a flush — not a puddle, just a hint of moisture. The toilet rocks ever so slightly when I sit on it, which makes me think the seal underneath has finally given out.

I've owned the house about five years and this toilet was here before I moved in, so I have no idea when the wax ring was last touched. I'd like to tackle this myself on a weekend if it's a reasonable DIY job. What's the best approach for replacing the wax ring, what parts should I grab, and are there any traps I should watch out for before I commit to pulling the whole toilet?…more

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Wax Ring Flange Medium 1–3 hours (depending on whether a full reseat is needed) 6 👍 0

Toilet Leaks at Base Only When Flushed: Why & Fix

Three weeks ago I started noticing a small puddle of water forming right at the base of our main bathroom toilet, but only after someone flushes it — not any other time. Between flushes the floor stays completely dry, which seems strange to me. I've owned this house for a few years and never had a problem with this toilet before.

Before I start tearing into this and potentially voiding something, I wanted to ask: would a repair like this fall under any kind of manufacturer warranty, or is this considered normal wear and tear? The toilet itself isn't that old, and I'd hate to pull it and reseat it if there's coverage I'm not aware of.

Also, we do have fairly hard water in this area — not sure if mineral buildup could somehow be contributing to the seal breaking down faster than normal. Any guidance on what's actually causing this and where to start would be really appreciated.…more

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Install Replace Medium 1–2 hours 13 👍 0

How to Remove an Old Toilet: DIY vs. Pro Guide

Three of my rental units need their aging toilets swapped out, and I'm standing in the plumbing aisle of the hardware store trying to figure out exactly what I need to buy before I start pulling them. I've got a handyman coming to do the actual installs, but I want to have everything on hand and understand the process so I'm not caught off guard if something goes sideways — like a rusted bolt or a cracked flange.

What tools should I have ready, what replacement parts should I grab at the same time, and are there any points in the removal where a landlord really should just step back and call a licensed plumber instead of pushing through? I'd rather know ahead of time what a 'stop and call someone' situation looks like than find out mid-job.…more

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Tank Problems Easy 30–45 minutes 7 👍 0

How to Tighten Toilet Tank Bolts Safely

Three times now the toilet tank has started rocking and dripping right before we have guests over — it never fails. Every time we have people over, I'm in the bathroom with a towel mopping up a slow leak from where the tank meets the bowl, and it's embarrassing. I'm pretty sure the bolts holding the tank to the bowl have worked loose over time.

I know porcelain can crack if you overtighten things, so I'm nervous about just grabbing a wrench and going to town on these bolts. Is there a safe way to snug them down without doing more damage than I started with? Are there any signs I should look for that tell me a bolt or gasket needs replacing rather than just tightening?…more

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Running Toilet Easy 30 minutes 8 👍 0

Why Does My Toilet Keep Filling With Water?

Found myself staring at a toilet that won't stop cycling on and off after all that heavy rain we had last week — the tank fills up, I hear it click off, and then a few minutes later it kicks back on again like it's topping itself up. My house is older, probably original plumbing from the late 70s, so I wasn't sure if the wet weather had something to do with it or if something finally gave out inside the tank. It's been doing this around the clock, and I can hear it from the hallway at night.

I haven't touched the toilet at all, and nothing looks obviously broken when I lift the lid. The water level seems normal, but the fill valve just keeps cycling. Is this something I can sort out myself, or am I looking at a bigger problem?…more

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Tank Problems Easy 1–3 hours (mostly drying time for liner adhesive) 6 👍 0

How to Stop a Sweating Toilet Tank

My toilet tank is doing something strange — it's constantly wet and dripping on the outside, even though I can't find any cracks or loose connections. At first I thought it was a slow leak from somewhere, but when I dry it off with a towel the moisture just comes right back within an hour or so, even without anyone flushing it. The floor around the base of the toilet is starting to feel damp too, which has me worried.

The toilet came with the house when we bought it a few months back, so I don't know its full history. A neighbor mentioned it might just be 'sweating' but I'm not sure what that means or if it's actually something I need to fix. Is this a real problem and what's causing it?…more

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Leaks Base Floor Medium 30–90 minutes depending on cause 17 👍 0

Water Leaking Around Toilet Base? Here's Why

During my first week settling into this rental, I noticed water collecting around the bottom of the toilet. I've never dealt with this before and honestly wasn't sure if it was just condensation or something more serious. The floor around the base is consistently damp, and it seems to get worse after flushing. Is this a wax ring issue, or could it be something simpler? I don't want to panic my landlord over nothing, but I also don't want to ignore something that could cause real damage.…more

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Fill Flush Valves Easy 30–60 minutes 11 👍 0

Toilet Hissing After Flushing? Here's Why

Nobody ever told me how many weird sounds a toilet could make — I just assumed they flushed and that was it. But ours has started making this soft, almost constant hissing noise after every flush, and it seems to go on for a while before it finally stops. I can hear it from the hallway, which feels embarrassing when we have guests over.

I'm probably missing something super obvious here, but I genuinely have no idea if this is a water pressure thing, an air thing, or just the toilet being old. The house is a few years old and I don't think the toilet has ever been serviced. Is this something I should be worried about, or is it just a minor annoyance I can fix myself?…more

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Tank Problems Easy 1–2 hours (plus drying time for foam liner adhesive) 9 👍 0

Why Is My Toilet Tank Sweating? Causes & Fixes

Nobody can seem to give me a straight answer on this. My neighbor says it's a leak from the tank bolts, the guy at the hardware store told me I need some kind of anti-sweat valve, and every YouTube video I watched went in a completely different direction. All I know is that every summer morning I walk into the bathroom and the outside of my toilet tank is dripping wet — there's even a puddle forming on the floor around the base. At first I thought the toilet was leaking, but I wiped the tank dry and the water came back without even flushing it.

I've got an older home and the bathroom doesn't have great airflow. I'm not sure if that matters. Is this actually condensation, or could it be a slow leak I'm missing? And more importantly, what do I actually do about it — is this a serious problem or just annoying?…more

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Supply Shutoff Easy 20–40 minutes 7 👍 0

Toilet Supply Line Dripping at Connection Fix

Nobody wants to spot this, but looking at the base of my toilet tank right now and there's a slow, steady drip forming right at the point where the supply line screws into the bottom of the tank — there's already a small damp patch on the floor underneath it. The connection itself looks intact, nothing is visibly cracked or broken, but there's clearly moisture weeping out from around that plastic nut every time the tank refills. I've gone ahead and snugged the nut a little tighter by hand but the drip came right back once the water pressure kicked in again. Is this something wrong with the nut itself, or is there a washer or seal inside that I need to replace? I'd really like to fix this without pulling the whole line off if I can help it.…more

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Leaks Base Floor Medium 30–90 minutes depending on cause 9 👍 0

Water Around Toilet Base? Here's Why & How to Fix It

My maintenance team flagged a water issue at one of the units — there's a small but persistent puddle forming around the base of the toilet, and I'm trying to narrow down the cause before I send someone in to fix it. The building's maintenance guide says the toilet was recently reseated with a new wax ring, so that should rule out a failed seal — but the water keeps coming back regardless.

What's throwing me off is that the manual points to the wax ring as the default culprit for base leaks, yet I'm not sure that's actually what's happening here given the recent work. I need to figure out whether we're dealing with a condensation issue, a loose connection somewhere, or something else entirely before authorizing a full toilet pull.…more

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