Fixing up the house

Having a leaky toilet can be a real pain. But how do you fix it without calling a plumber and wasting a bunch of extra money.

If you are a do-it-yourselfer then keep reading and I’ll show you how to fix it yourself.

First off you need to determine what is leaking. There are a few different places that leak on a toilet and each one has different steps to take to fix them.

Does the toilet leak outside onto the floor or just down the drain? Is the leak a toilet that just runs all the time or is it intermittent?

If the toilet is leaking onto the floor is it dripping or gushing? Is it just on the floor or on the rim of the bowl and the floor?

All these questions will help you figure out where the leak is coming from and then once that is known the repair is pretty simple really.

Now to the repair steps. Once you have figured out where the leak is pick one of the following solutions and you can get it fixed pretty fast. Easiest to most involved order follows.

Water dripping in back of toilet but no water on bowl under tank.

Possible reasons are.

Fill valve gaskets are no longer working between valve and tank or between valve and supply line and will need to be replaced. Now determine what gasket is leaking. Take a towel or paper towel and dry it off and watch the fittings to see where the water comes back at. It is important to watch closely so you see it right away. If the water is coming quickly you will see it right away. If slow leak you may have to watch for a couple minutes.

If the leak is coming from the supply line to the fill valve then make sure the fitting is tight before you proceed. Try to tighten it by hand.  If it will tighten by a firm grip and twist you may have just fixed the problem. Dry it off and observe again for leak. If it still leaks the gasket needs replacing. If no leak you are done. Do not try to over tighten it like with a wrench. It is designed to have a light tightening.

If the supply line is a metal one and rigid you probably have a dried out gasket. I would recommend just replacing the whole thing with a new flexible supply line. Shut off the water supply, take the two end connections loose and take the whole thing to the hardware store and get the replacement one with the same end fittings. Ask for help to make sure you get the right end fittings.

Now install the new supply line and lightly snug the fittings down and turn the water back on. Check again for leaks. No leaks and you are done. Remember, don’t try to cinch it down too tight.

Thinking of alternative energy for your home?

Here is a perfect solution for you

Let’s Continue

If the fill valve to tank gasket is leaking. First check to see if the connecting nut is tight. Put a pair of pliers on it and see if it tightens up. If it was loose then check again for leaking.

If it is still leaking turn off water, remove supply line, flush toilet and hold handle down till all possible water flushes out of tank. Get a pan or bucket or big towel and place on floor under the fill valve connection to catch the remaining water from the tank when you take fill valve out.

If this is an old toilet and the valve is old you might just as well replace it at this time. They only cost around 10 bucks and everything you need is in the package. Now remove the nut under the tank that holds the valve in place and take it to the hardware store to get the right replacement. Once again ask for a little help if you aren’t sure you found the right one.

Install the new valve per the instructions in the package.

Toilet tank has a crack in it and will need to be replaced. If the gaskets are fine by following the previous instruction then look aver the tank very closely to see if there is a hairline crack. If so I recommend replacing the whole toilet. You can replace just the tank but if it isn’t a recent model you might have a hard time finding the same tank.

Go to the home improvement store and pick out the new toilet and bring it home. Make sure you get a new supply line and a wax ring. Some toilets have everything in one box and they generally have a wax ring but they are small and might not be enough wax to make a complete seal.

Turn off water to the toilet, flush out all water that you can from the tank, scoop as much water out of the bowl as you can so it doesn’t spill on the floor when you pick the toilet up and carry it away. If reaching into the toilet grosses you out you should wear heavy rubber dish washing gloves to do this so you feel better. It doesn’t hurt to clean the toilet first so you are that much more at ease.

Remove supply line and the nuts on each side of the foot for the tank. Get some help lifting the toilet off if you can’t lift it easily yourself and carry it all the way out of the house so you don’t have to pick it up again to move it again.

Now clean the old wax off the floor flange with a used plastic grocery bag and wrap it up and discard. Install the new wax ring onto the floor flange and make sure it is centered. Ensure the bolts are in place and centered as well and don’t move easily. They usually have a plastic washer that is real tight on them to pinch the bolt against the flange to hold it in place.

Now lower the new bowl down over the flange and line up the centered bolts with both holes in the foot of the bowl directly over both bolts at the same time. This will make sure the drain of the toilet is directly over the hole in the flange and not squish the wax prematurely. Once placed sit on the bowl to squish the wax into place. Do Not Lift The Bowl back up. You will then have to install a new wax ring. Once squished they don’t reuse very well.

Now bolt the base down. Do not over tighten or you could crack the base. Just tighten it snugly so the toilet wont wobble. plastic shimming may be needed if it was there with the old toilet.

Assemble the tank to bowl now. Follow the instructions with the toilet and then hook up the water supply. All done new toilet.

The doughnut gasket between tank and bowl is leaking. Shut off water and drain tank as above,  remove supply line, loosen and remove two or three nuts and bolts that hold tank to bowl, lift tank off and lay on it’s back on the toilet. Take gasket off, clean it and take it to hardware store to get a matching replacement. Might just as well get new bolts too if there is any corrosion on the old ones.

Place the new gasket on the tank fitting so it is snug and even all around. Set tank back in place and use the bolts to pull the tank down to the bowl so it does not rock back and forth but no tighter. You could break it if you went tighter. Hook up the supply and turn it back on. Check for leaks, if no leaks you are done.

Water comes from under toilet when flushing. Wax ring needs replacing. Go get a new one and remove toilet as above and set aside to clean out old wax. Replace toilet as above and reconnect. Test flushing and check for leaks.

I think the hardest part of all this is reading what I wrote here.

Good luck.

One last thing. If there is a lot of condensation on the tank you need a good exhaust fan to take the excess moisture out of the air from showering. Once the condensation is gone then look for leaks.

Lower your home energy bill by creating your own solar and wind power.

Tweet This Post