It’s important for homeowners to know what signs indicate that their toilet may be leaking. If you notice water pooling near your bathroom sink or hear water running in the pipes after you use the toilet, this could mean that there is a leak somewhere in your system. You can also tell if you have a leak by checking the tank level on a regular basis and making sure that there are no drips coming from under the tank lid when not in use.

There are 4 signs to look for that may be telling you that your toilet is leaking.

  • To get the toilet to stop running you have to jiggle the handle.
  • Your toilet is making sounds even when it hasn’t been used in a while.
  • Your toilet tank won’t empty unless you hold the handle down.
  • You hear your toilet flushing all on it’s own – aka phantom flushing or ghost flushing.

For more information on these 4 signs read our article on toilets leaking without you knowing it.

Why Is Water Coming Out From Under My Toilet?

Are you having trouble with water leaking from the base of your toilet? It sounds like either wax or floor flange deterioration has caused this, and the solution may be as simple as replacing either one or both of these toilet elements.

The base of a toilet is usually fastened to the floor with a wax ring over metal or plastic flange. This seal prevents sewer gas odor from leaking out as well and it also waterproofs the connection between them both, making sure that no water can seep in past these seams at all!

You can expect to get at least 20-30 years out of these wax seals.

How Do I Find A Leak In My Toilet

The easiest steps to take to test for a leaky toilet are…

  • Squeeze about 10 drops or so of food coloring into your toilet tank.
  • Wait about 30 minutes
  • Then check your toilet bowl (not the tank – the bowl). If you see the color dye in the bowl – you’ve got a leak.

Toilet Leak Detection Tablets

If you’re concerned about using food coloring you can purchase Toilet Leak Detection Tablets from your hardware store or online from Amazon. These tablets are dropped in your toilet tank and they add a dye to the water.

How To Fix A Silent Toilet Leak

The most common type of toilet leak is the silent one, so it’s important to check your toilet for any signs before getting an unexpected water bill. Leaks can occur when there are problems with flappers or broken fill valves in toilets that do not produce any sound while being used but instead release their liquid into our sewers unnoticed!

The seal between the toilet tank and bowl is loose, allowing water to leak from one into another. The flapper may be defective or deterioration has caused it not work properly which then causes your flush problem!

Other causes of a silent leak may be due to broken fill valves or improperly installed shut-off valves. Water will continue flowing out and into an overflow tube if these problems go unaddressed, resulting in wasted water and a higher water bill.

How To Fix A Leaking Toilet

The fix to a leaking toilet depends completely on what is causing the leak. There are multiple areas of the toilet where the leak could be coming from.

  • The base of the toilet
  • The gaskets between the bowl and the tank
  • The feed line to the toilet
  • The bowl (if there’s a crack in the bowl)

Fixing A Leak From The Base Of The Toilet

Since a leak from the base of a toilet is usually due to a deteriorated wax ring or a problem with the floor flange, the solution is simply to replace these.

  • This requires you to remove the toilet and replace the wax and floor flange. Here are the steps to do this…
  • Turn off the cut-off valve to the toilet.
  • Flush the toilet but hold the handle down until all the water in the tank is drained out.
  • Remove the bolts that fasten the toilet base to the floor located on either side of the toilet base.
  • Prepare an area with plastic or towels or blankets where you will be placing the toilet.
  • Lift the toilet bowl (carefully) and place it on the area you created in Step 4.
  • Scrape off the old wax that you see on the floor flange.
  • Unscrew the flange from the floor.
  • Replace it with the new floor flange and wax ring.
  • Move the toilet bowl back into position. Make sure it’s secure and correctly placed.
  • Screw the bolts back on.
  • Turn the cut-off valve back on.
  • Flush the toilet and check for any leaks.

Fixing A Leak Between The Bowl and the Tank

This problem can be corrected by replacing the gaskets that are found between the toilet bowl and the toilet tank. This requires disconnecting and removing the toilet tank itself so we recommend that you contact a professional plumber to fix this issue.

Fixing The Feed Line To The Toilet

The feed line (aka supply line) connects the base of the toilet tank to the water pipe that is either on the floor or the wall behind the toilet. Simply unscrew this feed line and replace it with a new one.

A Cracked Toilet Bowl

The only solution to fixing a leak from a cracked toilet bowl is to replace the toilet entirely.

If you have any questions about leaking toilets or are having some problems with it, call Atlantis Plumbing today at 770-505-8570. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.