Why Does My Toilet Leak Every Time I Flush?

4/11/2022 (Permalink)

Learn more about leaky Toilets, Follow out Tips, and Avoid Water Damage in your property.

Have you detected water dripping or collecting on the outside of your toilet every time you flush? Typically leaking that coincides with flushing emerges either around the toilet base or between the tank and the bowl. A leaking toilet can result from various issues, so as with any bathroom leak, it could take some time to investigate to uncover the problem.

Types of Toilet Leaks and Their Fixes

If you detect a leak coming from your toilet, there is a good chance it is occurring due to one of the following issues. A leak between the tank and the bowl when the toilet is flushed could result from either a worn spud washer, cracked flush valve or loose tank bolts. Fortunately, most are relatively easy repairs that you can probably accomplish yourself.

Still, if there is a significant amount of water, you may need to hire water damage restoration professionals to thoroughly clean up after the repair.

1. Worn Wax Ring

The wax ring on a toilet is a plastic ring with a thick layer of wax around it. It's supposed to provide a watertight seal between the top of the toilet flange and the bottom of the toilet. A properly working wax ring also prevents sewer gases from releasing into the bathroom from the floor and toilet. Alternatively, you can use a rubber seal, which tends to be cleaner than its wax counterpart.

If you notice a leak around the toilet base, the wax ring is probably not sealing as it should. Make sure the bowl isn't cracked first before replacing the ring. If your leak is seeping from the base, it could be that the ring is not sealing because of loose bolts. If the ring doesn't look damaged, try replacing it and tightening the bolts to see if this helps.

2. Faulty Flush Valve (aka Douglas Valve)

The flush valve is located where the flushed water enters the bowl from the tank. Often, if the flush valve is leaky, you can create a new seal by replacing the flapper that seals the opening of the flush valve. Unfortunately, if you have to replace the flush valve, you will need to remove the tank.

3. Damaged Tank-to-Bowl Gasket (aka Spud Washer)

As its name implies, the tank-to-bowl gasket creates a watertight seal between the tank and the bowl to prevent a leaking toilet. Typically, you will find this gasket on the flush valve. The toilet tank will usually have to be removed to make the repair.

4. Broken Closet Flange

A closet flange (aka toilet flange) screws into the bathroom floor as a pipe fitting that connects the toilet to the drainpipe. This connection also secures the toilet to the floor. The toilet and the closet flange are joined by two bolts. If the toilet's base is leaking, it could be because the bolts are loose. You'll probably notice that the toilet wobbles if this is the case.

When your New Bern, NC, home has a leaking toilet, it's essential to locate the original source of the problem as quickly as possible. Even if a leak doesn't seem significant, it can result in costly damage and hefty water bills.