About Leaking Toilets
What causes a leaking toilet? On most toilets, the toilet tank is separate from the bowl. It’s important to understand that the toilet tank is always full of water, and when the toilet is flushed, the water in the tank is the water that washes down the debris inside the toilet bowl. Inside the toilet tank there are many moving parts. Some of these parts have seals such as toilet fill valves, and toilet flush valves. These seals can wear out and allow water to escape from the tank. Another place the toilet can leak from is from the base of the toilet.
If you notice that the caulking around the base of your toilet is starting to become discoloured then this is a good indication that the toilet’s wax seal has started to leak. The wax seal is a part that forms a watertight seal between the toilet base and the toilet flange (which is an integral part of any plumbing drainage system).
A leaking wax seal is a somewhat easy leak to repair that involves removing your toilet and replacing the seal then reinstalling your toilet. Another common leak on a toilet is the seal that connects your toilet tank to your toilet bowl.
Lastly, the water supply line that connects your toilet can wear out over time and begin to leak. It is wise to replace your toilet supply line every 5 years to avoid early failure and a potentially large flood. When replacing the toilet line, there is a water shut off that comes out of your wall or floor which controls the water supply feeding your toilet. There are times when this water shut off begins to leak. The water shut off is likely to leak if it hasn’t been touched in a long while and then is used to isolate the water to your toilet. The most common area it leaks from is the stem where the handle connects to the brass body of the shut off.
As you can tell, we know our stuff when it comes to toilet leaks and are fully capable of helping you no matter where the leak is coming from.