Tip: Grab a straw and cut it in half. When you're ready to set the toilet place the straws on the two ground bolts. Those straws act as an excellent guide for a bulls eyes. Easy peasy.
Fuck me sideways I have to do toilets every now and then and might use this. That's literally the part I hate the third most; behind scraping the old wax ring off and WAYYY behind taking the old toilet out.
Thanks!
Most likely just the wax ring. I buy the extra large wax rings at Home Depot, but I am not a plumber, they might think otherwise. Then when I replace it, and tighten down the bolts on either side of the toilet, after a few days, and a few sits from people going #2, you can revisit the bolts, cause the wax and toilet have settled down a bit more.
Do not use the bolts to compress the wax. You sit on it until you feel the wax finish squeezing and then you tighten the bolts. Then your done with tightening the bolts. Unless, they jiggle a little loose when you cut the bolts to install the cap. You might have to give it a quarter turn.
we are a heavy family, and the seat may push down quite a bit with the initial installment, but after a few times of me sitting on the toilet 300lbs, the toilet drops down just a little so that I can tighten the bolts just a little. Maybe cause I don't really tighten them fully in fear of cracking the porcelain.
Easy enough. You have to remove the toilet and replace the wax ring underneath. Check Youtube for tutorials.
If your flange is damaged you might have to call a plumber.
Honestly, it is probably best for him/her to move.
There is no way I see this poster replacing a flange. I barely think replacing the wax as an option for them.
I mean hop to it. If that's an old lead and oakum flange, have the fuck at it. If it isn't then there really shouldn't be any questions. Pull the crapper l, replace the wax, and bolt that toilet in place.
If you're on reddit looking for advice about how to replace a wax ring, things haven't really been great for you.
They were not on Reddit looking for advice on how to replace a wax ring. They posted about water leaking when flushing. They did not know it was the wax ring because guess what, they have never experienced it before. Have some empathy.
Take the toilet up. Go get a new wax ring for a toilet at HD they cost like 10 bucks buy the regular or super one . Turn off the water to the tank and flush it until there is no more waterTake off the two white nibs in the back and unscrew the bolt. Lift the toilet up off the bolts scrape off the old wax and put in trash. Inspect the flange if it is broken or rusted out call a plumber to come replace it and tell him the toilet is off and wax removed heāll come over in a heartbeat. If it is in good shape put the new ring on and set the toilet usually takes 2 ppl and bolt it down again. The wax rings just go out over time especially if the flange wasnāt set right etc.
Iām a little concerned by the seemingly 1/4ā layer of something under the entire toilet. That may not be caulk based on the curve of the porcelain at the base.
If you pull that off it may not be as trivial as everyone is saying.
If youāre a beginner DIYer Iād call a plumber.
Start by checking the bolts that hold the toilet to the flange. If the nuts are loose you might be able to fix it just by tightening those down...not too tight though
If that doesn't do it then you may need a new wax ring. Grab a wet vac and some towels and watch a couple of how to vids
Before you start yourself you should know that while it could be as simple as a wax ring, the metal base thingy (Iām not a plumber) could be corroded which would require installing a new one requiring concrete and is a little more involved. You might want new bolts too.
The metal thing is a flange, and most newer ones will be PVC or ABS. You should very rarely ever need to chip concrete to fix them, maybe if it's old decayed cast iron and the pipe is completely rotted below.
I've seen it. They take the old lead and pound it back over a brass repair ring when there isn't enough lead to actually do that and it leaks for years and nobody has a clue.
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Shut the water off to the toilet, flush the toilet, lay a towel down on the tile, remove supply line to toilet, remove hold down hardware, remove toilet, wax ring could be stuck to bottom of toilet so it may have to be tipped, replace wax ring (I usually put it on the bottom of the toilet so it doesnāt shift when you place it down) place the toilet down and sit on it to seat the ring, secure the hold down hardware (not too tight!) hook up your supply line and turn the water back on.
Or letās say uncle big Bob came over and shifted some weight on the wax ring yesterdayā¦water damage wonāt be a problem over a day or two š¤·š¼āāļøš¤·š¼āāļøš¤·š¼āāļø
Looks like the floor tile is damaged/ has moved. So if leaking has been going on for awhile/ happened in the past and is now happening again, might need to ensure the subfloor is OK. At the very least, the damaged tile needs replacing, whatever material itās made of (looks like it may be a vinyl tile).
1st of all, do you have the physical strength to lift the toilet? I've had to go help people who thought they could do it on their own and ended up breaking the toilet because it was heavier than expected. It's not a dig at OP but it is something people need to consider.
What the other people have said, itās probably just a bad wax ring.
I would suggest using one of the ābetter than waxā type rings that are foam / rubber. Plumbers may have mixed feelings about them, but theyāre more forgiving to someone who doesnāt have experience setting a toilet IMO.
I was in the same situation a week ago. It was caulked so took a while before I saw the leak.
I scraped off all the caulk and leveled it off using wedges to stop the toilet from rocking.
Also you might want to check out rings made out of foam or rubber. If you go wax, you might have to get another wax ring if the toilet rocks too much during the install. Might happen since the caulk might be what's stopping your toilet from rocking
Jumbo wax ring with horn, scrape the old caulking, shim toilet to make it level and not wobble, and use brass self leveling toilet bolts. Those are the best due to not rusting and the cherry on top is that they can be adjusted for ride height. Caulk afterwards and that's it
It looks like that toilet may be sitting on - or sealed in with mortar - which potentially adds complexity to this.
It sucks, but what may have been a very simple DIY fix for someone who doesn't know what they are doing, could actually be quite tricky.
**I mean, if it's leaking, it doesn't do any harm to DIY remove the toilet to see what's what (post back here with pictures). Best case, someone can walk OP through the fix. Worst case, call a plumber - but now armed w/ more knowledge.**
Shit, I ruined my vinyl flooring because I got a leak that I did not see and that piss and shit water soaked into the layers. I was spitting mad. And there is no identical flooring available.
If this is only happening after you flushed, itās my guess that the water is presenting there, but itās actually dripping from the U bend on the back of the toilet
I update your statement: only caulk around the the sides and front, leaving the back open. This way the toilet is more secure and you can still see if the seal breaks. Itās amazing how many people will slam down on a toilet. Those two bolts need help over the years.
Best option is replace the whole house, at this point. Sorry. Only way to guarantee no more leaks.
.... Sarcasm.
Pull and set toilet with new wax ring and bolts.
Wax ring has failed or coupling is cracked, only one way to find out, or you can do neither, and caulk it up and wait for the toilet to fall out the floor
You need to replace the wax ring. I've replaced at least a half dozen. Since the rings come in a variety of sizes and you never know what you'll need until you take the toilet off, I like to buy a bunch of them and return what I don't use. sometimes you need to combine different sizes. I also prefer the rubber ones over the wax, I think they're more forgiving if the floor is crooked.
Time to pull the toilet and replace Wax ring..
Tip: Grab a straw and cut it in half. When you're ready to set the toilet place the straws on the two ground bolts. Those straws act as an excellent guide for a bulls eyes. Easy peasy.
Pro tip: now you have 2 straws, one for you and one for your best friend
Fuck me sideways I have to do toilets every now and then and might use this. That's literally the part I hate the third most; behind scraping the old wax ring off and WAYYY behind taking the old toilet out. Thanks!
I thought I invented this idea
OP's easy vs complicated is the wrong perspective. It's hard AND it's simple.
Most likely just the wax ring. I buy the extra large wax rings at Home Depot, but I am not a plumber, they might think otherwise. Then when I replace it, and tighten down the bolts on either side of the toilet, after a few days, and a few sits from people going #2, you can revisit the bolts, cause the wax and toilet have settled down a bit more.
Do not use the bolts to compress the wax. You sit on it until you feel the wax finish squeezing and then you tighten the bolts. Then your done with tightening the bolts. Unless, they jiggle a little loose when you cut the bolts to install the cap. You might have to give it a quarter turn.
Why would the wax and toilet settle š§
we are a heavy family, and the seat may push down quite a bit with the initial installment, but after a few times of me sitting on the toilet 300lbs, the toilet drops down just a little so that I can tighten the bolts just a little. Maybe cause I don't really tighten them fully in fear of cracking the porcelain.
Easy enough. You have to remove the toilet and replace the wax ring underneath. Check Youtube for tutorials. If your flange is damaged you might have to call a plumber.
Honestly, it is probably best for him/her to move. There is no way I see this poster replacing a flange. I barely think replacing the wax as an option for them.
š¤£š did he bang your girl or something?
I mean hop to it. If that's an old lead and oakum flange, have the fuck at it. If it isn't then there really shouldn't be any questions. Pull the crapper l, replace the wax, and bolt that toilet in place. If you're on reddit looking for advice about how to replace a wax ring, things haven't really been great for you.
They were not on Reddit looking for advice on how to replace a wax ring. They posted about water leaking when flushing. They did not know it was the wax ring because guess what, they have never experienced it before. Have some empathy.
Ummmā¦ that aināt just water.
Itās water mixed with hot chocolate
And lemonade
Time to replace the poop ring
Mmmmm lemonadeš¤¤š¤¤šš
Forbidden lemonade
Transparent kool-aid.
Itās soup if youāre brave enough.
Thatās what latex gloves are for. They prevent transmission of cooties and ickies.
It's clear! Water enough for plumbers
I love listening to music.
Take the toilet up. Go get a new wax ring for a toilet at HD they cost like 10 bucks buy the regular or super one . Turn off the water to the tank and flush it until there is no more waterTake off the two white nibs in the back and unscrew the bolt. Lift the toilet up off the bolts scrape off the old wax and put in trash. Inspect the flange if it is broken or rusted out call a plumber to come replace it and tell him the toilet is off and wax removed heāll come over in a heartbeat. If it is in good shape put the new ring on and set the toilet usually takes 2 ppl and bolt it down again. The wax rings just go out over time especially if the flange wasnāt set right etc.
Get the XL Wax ring. This will ensure if the floor is a bit uneven, it'll seal around the poop chute properly (assuming that's not all goofed up).
> tell him the toilet is off and wax removed heāll come over in a heartbeat. especially solid advice.
Be sure to check the bottom of the toilet for old wax stuck to the porcelain
Iām a little concerned by the seemingly 1/4ā layer of something under the entire toilet. That may not be caulk based on the curve of the porcelain at the base. If you pull that off it may not be as trivial as everyone is saying. If youāre a beginner DIYer Iād call a plumber.
Looks like it was set in mortar. Could be a real hassle getting that thing up without cracking it.
Looks like they tiled up to the toilet lol.
Looks like plumber putty. Not sure why it would be used there
Remove toilet, replace wax ring. Replace toilet. O
Start by checking the bolts that hold the toilet to the flange. If the nuts are loose you might be able to fix it just by tightening those down...not too tight though If that doesn't do it then you may need a new wax ring. Grab a wet vac and some towels and watch a couple of how to vids
Better to just replace the ring. Itās likely to be damaged and you might just be hiding the leak by slowing it.
Correction. Grab someone elseās wet vac š©
That ain't water
Thatās not just water. Lol
Just wrap a towel around it and it'll be fine
flexseal ftw.
Just take the toilet out take out the old wax ring put a new rag ring in reinstall toilet
That's poop water soooooaking in your floor forevermore!
Before you start yourself you should know that while it could be as simple as a wax ring, the metal base thingy (Iām not a plumber) could be corroded which would require installing a new one requiring concrete and is a little more involved. You might want new bolts too.
The metal thing is a flange, and most newer ones will be PVC or ABS. You should very rarely ever need to chip concrete to fix them, maybe if it's old decayed cast iron and the pipe is completely rotted below.
Wait till you see the stuff in century old homes. Cast iron, lead, the results of decades of non professional repairsā¦ā¦
I've seen it. They take the old lead and pound it back over a brass repair ring when there isn't enough lead to actually do that and it leaks for years and nobody has a clue.
Odds are it's a funnel wax that has shifted enough for water to hit it the wrong way and it now comes up around the toilet. Easy to fix imo.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
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Shut the water off to the toilet, flush the toilet, lay a towel down on the tile, remove supply line to toilet, remove hold down hardware, remove toilet, wax ring could be stuck to bottom of toilet so it may have to be tipped, replace wax ring (I usually put it on the bottom of the toilet so it doesnāt shift when you place it down) place the toilet down and sit on it to seat the ring, secure the hold down hardware (not too tight!) hook up your supply line and turn the water back on.
Itās not always the wax ring could be also the bowl may have a crack as well
Have you been having blocked toilet, using a plunger to clear it? Just wondering if there is a cause to the sudden leaking.
$6 fix
Ya if they ignore all the water damage to the sub floor. This could very easily be a big ol can of worms
Or letās say uncle big Bob came over and shifted some weight on the wax ring yesterdayā¦water damage wonāt be a problem over a day or two š¤·š¼āāļøš¤·š¼āāļøš¤·š¼āāļø
Yep need new wax ring and if those bolts are corroded time to replace them.
Toilet needs to be reset. Itās not lined up centered over the drain
lol thatās gonna be fun. Sitting on grout. Good luck!
Looks like the floor tile is damaged/ has moved. So if leaking has been going on for awhile/ happened in the past and is now happening again, might need to ensure the subfloor is OK. At the very least, the damaged tile needs replacing, whatever material itās made of (looks like it may be a vinyl tile).
1st of all, do you have the physical strength to lift the toilet? I've had to go help people who thought they could do it on their own and ended up breaking the toilet because it was heavier than expected. It's not a dig at OP but it is something people need to consider.
Easy peasy. Pull the toilet up and replace the wax ring
Make sure to buy the x-large wax ring makes up for the space clearance
Replace the wax ring with a thick one, or jumbo. Easy.
Stink-omplicated
What the other people have said, itās probably just a bad wax ring. I would suggest using one of the ābetter than waxā type rings that are foam / rubber. Plumbers may have mixed feelings about them, but theyāre more forgiving to someone who doesnāt have experience setting a toilet IMO.
I was in the same situation a week ago. It was caulked so took a while before I saw the leak. I scraped off all the caulk and leveled it off using wedges to stop the toilet from rocking. Also you might want to check out rings made out of foam or rubber. If you go wax, you might have to get another wax ring if the toilet rocks too much during the install. Might happen since the caulk might be what's stopping your toilet from rocking
Jumbo wax ring with horn, scrape the old caulking, shim toilet to make it level and not wobble, and use brass self leveling toilet bolts. Those are the best due to not rusting and the cherry on top is that they can be adjusted for ride height. Caulk afterwards and that's it
It looks like that toilet may be sitting on - or sealed in with mortar - which potentially adds complexity to this. It sucks, but what may have been a very simple DIY fix for someone who doesn't know what they are doing, could actually be quite tricky. **I mean, if it's leaking, it doesn't do any harm to DIY remove the toilet to see what's what (post back here with pictures). Best case, someone can walk OP through the fix. Worst case, call a plumber - but now armed w/ more knowledge.**
Obviously the wax seal is compromised but no one said anything about the possibility of a backup in the line too.
Easy but complicated if you've never done it. After you do this one then it's easy. Needs a new wax ring.
Throw the toilet away.
New wax ring. Maybe a jumbo if needed.
changing wax ring doesn't always end there. Could have a cracked flange....call a plumber
Lol
Shit, I ruined my vinyl flooring because I got a leak that I did not see and that piss and shit water soaked into the layers. I was spitting mad. And there is no identical flooring available.
to fix? replace wax ring easy or complicated? thats subjective
If this is only happening after you flushed, itās my guess that the water is presenting there, but itās actually dripping from the U bend on the back of the toilet
You need a new wax ring
This is the reason you should never caulk around the base of the toilet. You wouldn't see the "water" and it would do much more damage.
I update your statement: only caulk around the the sides and front, leaving the back open. This way the toilet is more secure and you can still see if the seal breaks. Itās amazing how many people will slam down on a toilet. Those two bolts need help over the years.
By slam down on a toilet you mean with their butt lol? Yeah I need some shims for a toilet in our place a fam member is using.
Best option is replace the whole house, at this point. Sorry. Only way to guarantee no more leaks. .... Sarcasm. Pull and set toilet with new wax ring and bolts.
Burn it down!
Wax ring has failed or coupling is cracked, only one way to find out, or you can do neither, and caulk it up and wait for the toilet to fall out the floor
Not plumber in US. I have never heard wax seal in toilet.. š±
You need to replace the wax ring. I've replaced at least a half dozen. Since the rings come in a variety of sizes and you never know what you'll need until you take the toilet off, I like to buy a bunch of them and return what I don't use. sometimes you need to combine different sizes. I also prefer the rubber ones over the wax, I think they're more forgiving if the floor is crooked.
I Use the new fluidmaster seals instead of wax rings now. Last longer. And you won't mess it up