Steps to Take When Your Toilet Bowl Is Leaking

You suddenly notice that there is water at the base of your toilet bowl. Perhaps you might think it is nothing serious as it will dry on its own, and you ignore it. The next day you still notice a pool of water around the toilet bowl. This time you should not disregard this as it signifies a leak, and there is a possible danger in ignoring a toilet bowl leak. Here are steps you need to take right away when there is a toilet bowl leak:

 

Stop Using the Toilet

If you notice there is a sign of a toilet bowl leak from the base of your toilet bowl, then the first thing to do is stop using it. The water that has pooled at the base is most likely full of bacteria and settling on the floor. It is also damaging your floor and what lies underneath it. 

 

Check the Source of the Leak

If you find your toilet bowl leaking from the bottom of the tank, you will need to check the source of the leak.

• Tank Lid – First, look at the topmost point of your toilet bowl. Take the tank lid off and see if water is leaking from there. At times, when the toilet bowl is running, it can flow from the sides and collect on the floor. If this is not the case, you need to check the T-bolts.
• T-bolts – These are present on the floor of the toilet bowl’s base, mostly under some plastic covering. These bolts help keep your floor-mounted toilet bowl attached to the floor. At times, the T-bolts can get loose and water may begin leaking out of the toilet bowl.
• Wax Ring – The next thing you need to check is the wax ring. The wax ring helps keep your toilet bowl (either a P-trap or S-trap) sealed to the drain pipes. This may wear off over time and has to be replaced. To check if there is a problem with the wax ring and that is the reason behind the toilet bowl leak, then you will have to remove the toilet bowl and keep it aside. This is difficult and you must hire a professional toilet bowl service for the task.

 

Water Under the Tank

When you find water under your toilet bowl’s tank, it can be coming from the rubber washers under the bolts which help the tank to be attached to the bowl. What you can do is reach under your tank and see if the water is dripping at those points where the bolts are connected. In case you find water there, you can tighten the bolts and stop the toilet bowl leak.

If that is not the case, you can try replacing the washers. There may be condensation dripping off your tank. However, if you notice water sipping through your tank and creating drops in only one area, then your tank may be cracked and you will have to replace your toilet bowl.

 

The Water Around the Bowl

If there is a toilet bowl leak and water collects around the base, then that is surely unpleasant. On the other hand, if you smell sewer gas then the wax ring seal is likely to be broken. When this happens, you will have to move the toilet bowl and replace the wax ring. Ideally, this is something that should be done by a professional. However, if the water seems to be coming from the back of the 2-piece toilet bowl, then your toilet bowl may be cracked. There are clear chances of this when you do not smell anything or your toilet bowl does not rock.

 

Condensation

If your bathroom is humid and warm and the water present in the tank is very cold, then you may experience condensation. In extreme situations, you may find water pooling on the floor, and gradually, your tank. Additionally, the walls can turn black due to mold growth.

 

Internal leaks

If there is a leak and your toilet fill valve cycles on and off or runs continuously, it can be due to a defective flapper or misadjusted float. You can lift the tank and check the water level immediately. You will be able to see if your float requires adjusting – you will notice water moving into the overflow tube. If your flapper is leaking, then you will usually notice a disturbance in your toilet bowl. Although, at times, the leak can be very small. You can add some drops of food coloring in your tank to check this. If the water in the bowl changes to the same color, then your flapper is leaking.

 

Turn Off the Main Power Supply

If you notice the water has been leaking in your bathroom and has caused a good size puddle, then turn off your home’s main water supply right away. This is to avoid more common toilet bowl problems.

 

Minimize the leaks

Release the water pressure in your home’s pipes by completely opening and running your faucet into the bathroom sink. Once the flow of the water dies down and becomes a trickle, you will see that the potential leak must have subsided. You can use a sponge or a towel to absorb the sitting water to prevent further water damage.

 

Open windows and run the air blower

The next step to take when you have different types of toilet bowl leaks is to open the windows of your bathroom. If you can, run your air blower. This will quicken the moisture evaporation process and help control the water damage in that area.

 

Call a professional toilet bowl service

When you find water leaking into the toilet bowl, or you find water pooling at the base of your toilet bowl, you can follow the steps mentioned above to control the situation. However, to solve the problem, you need to hire professional toilet bowl services in Singapore like Toilet Bowl City Singapore. Our experts shall visit your place, check your bathroom, and figure out the reason behind the toilet bowl leak. Once it is identified, we shall fix it right away. Nonetheless, if the issue is beyond repair, then we shall let you know if a toilet bowl replacement is needed. Considering your budget and your requirements, we can suggest the best toilet bowl brand you can replace your current one with and help to replace it for you.

 

Conclusion

If you cannot prevent your toilet bowl from leaking, you must follow the steps mentioned above to resolve your toilet bowl leak. It is recommended to engage professional toilet bowl services to fix your toilet bowl leak as they know how to do the job properly and efficiently. They can also offer other services and recommend the best-selling toilet bowl brands, should you need to replace your toilet bowl with a new one.

 

At Toilet Bowl City Singapore, we understand the need to keep home service expenses within your budget. Hence, we offer honest and reasonable pricing for any of your toilet bowl installation works. Select from our range of toilet bowl brands, browse our past toilet bowl installation projects for inspiration, or read up on toilet bowl-related articles to find out more about toilet bowl installation services. Get in touch with us now via WhatsApp at +65 8241 0032!