Do you notice a small pool of water where your toilet meets the floor? Does the floor around the toilet feel spongy? Is the finished flooring coming up? If so, you probably have a bad seal between the toilet horn (where the waste exits) and the drain line. Don’t procrastinate any longer. Small leaks trapped beneath the toilet will eventually rot floor surfaces, and even the underlying framing. Wait too long and repair costs rise, especially when you figure in replacing finished flooring and sometimes underlayments, subfloors or even the framing.
In this article, we’ll show you some tips for pulling the toilet (Photos 1 – 3) and then how to diagnose and fix the common causes of leaks. Finally, we’ll show you how to reset the toilet. After pulling the toilet and examining the evidence, you may get lucky and just have to replace the wax ring and remount the toilet. If that’s the case, you’ll have the stool back on-line in under an hour. You’ll find the products we suggest for making repairs at any home center or well-stocked hardware store.
Pulling a toilet is usually simple, but two problems frequently crop up. First, old water supply valves may not shut off entirely, and second, getting old, corroded water closet nuts loose can be a struggle.
Before pulling the stool, you’ll have to shut off the water supply valve and remove the water line leading to the tank (Photo 2). After turning off the valve and flushing the toilet, look in the tank and listen for trickling water. If the water is still running, you’ll have to shut off the main water valve in the house and replace the valve with a new one. Sponge out the excess water from the tank and stool.
Old cast iron and all-plastic toilet flanges are the most likely to break. The problem is usually caused by rocking toilets or overtightened toilet flange nuts. Look for a cracked or broken rim on the outside of the slots that hold in the bolts (Photos 3 and 4). If you have a broken flange, pick up a reinforcement ring along with six 1-1/2 in. No. 8 oval-head stainless steel screws. If the flange is on concrete, use 1-1/4 in. long flathead concrete screws (and the recommended masonry drill bit) for drilling the pilot holes. Follow Photos 4–6 for installation techniques.