DOES WATER LEAK AROUND YOUR TOILET???

Written by Dayton Boring on 25 November 2023. Posted in PAST WORK.

Many toilets over the years start to leak around the floor. One of the best case scenarios is that your wax ring went bad. Wax rings are the seal between your toilet and your plumbing system. They are an easy fix that can prevent rotted subfloor as well as sewer flooding into your crawl space. Over time this can cause sewer gasses to go into your house and isn't a pleasant smell.

We will go over step by step on replacing your wax ring to prevent said stinky situations.

-step 1-

We recommend that you wash down your toilet outside to prevent exposure to human waste that over time gets on and around it. You should also wear rubber gloves. As well as turn off the emergency stop and removing the supply line.(this is usually braided metal or a white plastic line.

-step 2-

After the water is turned off you want to flush the toilet. Then grab your shop vac without the filter on and suck out excess water in the bowl as well as the tank. The tank is the top part of the toilet which is what the flush handle is attached to. *** please note that if you don't remove water it will make a mess later on.***

-step 3-

On the left and right side of the toilet you will see a cap. What you want to do is to use a flat tool like a flathead screwdriver to pop caps off exposing a little bolt facing up with a nut that is fastened to the bottom.

-step 4-

Using a small crescent wrench, go ahead and loosen the bolts until they are off on both sides of the toilet.

-step 5-

Toilets are required in the state of idaho to have a caulking around the base. To remove it we like to use a box knife to cut the rubber like seal all around. This is one of the 2 ways that the toilet is held in place.

-step 6-

Pull the toilet up and you are halfway done. We bring in a piece of plastic that we lay on the bathroom floor to keep clean in a tidy manner. Then lay the toilet gently on the plastic on its side. *please be careful because the toilets are made of glass and can break very easily.*

-step 7-

Using a scraper, scrape off the exhisting wax ring that is located on the bottom of the toilet. Then on the flange(where the toilet was sitting) remove the little black funnel shaped piece of plastic as well as exhisting wax.

-step 8-

After wax is removed you want to remove the old bolts facing up using the crescent wrench. Once nuts are loose you will slide them off.

-step 9-

Place new bolts from the wax ring and bolt kit on the flange. We like to use a measuring tape and measure off of back of the wall to center of pipe in the floor and put new bolts at that measurement on both sides. Then tighten them down so they are snug. Do not overtighten or else it will break the closet flange.

-step 10-

Set new wax ring with the black plastic piece down onto the closet flange.

-step 11-

Using a razor blade carefully cut off old caulking off of the toilet as well as the floor*please note you can cut yourself with razor blade. Do so safely. *

-step 12-

Pick up toilet and set it center of the flange so the bolts go through the holes on the bottom of the toilet. Then press down evenly on the toilet and it will slowly slide down to the finish floor.

-step 13-

Place bottom plastic piece down on the bolt as well as the washer and nut and tighten them down evenly on both sides until toilet doesn't rock when little pressure is pushed on both sides.

-step 14-

Get either white or clear kitchen and bath dap caulking and seal mostly around the toilet. Do not seal all around the toilet completely. You want to leave the back of it unsealed. The purpose of this is if it leaks again you will be able to see the water immediately and will help prevent long term water damage.

-step 15-

We don't recommend using exhisting toilet supply line. So install new supply line on the toilet and go hand tight on the tank side and use a crescent wrench to snug the bottom of the line as tight as you can get it then turn on water. Flush a few times and check for leaks. If leak appears repeat steps.

If you are in the Treasure Valley area of Idaho and cannot complete this task feel free to call us and we will get a technician out there to get the issue solved.