My Toilet Base Is Leaking After Using a Plunger

A leaky toilet will eventually damage the floor.

A plunger is an excellent tool for removing light clogs in a drain pipe, but if you use a plunger on a toilet too vigorously, you run the risk of damaging the toilet. The plunger can cause the toilet to rock back and forth, breaking the wax seal and causing the toilet to leak every time it is flushed. The toilet can even suffer more serious damage, like a broken flange, which you will have to repair. Finally, if the damage is actually a crack in the porcelain, there is no way to repair it; you will have to get a replacement toilet.

Test for the Leak

Before you can create a plan of action, you'll need to determine where the toilet leak is coming from. The most common causes of a toilet leak, especially after a violent plunger session, are a cracked base, a broken wax seal or a broken flange. Place a few drops of dye or food coloring in the tank and the bowl, and let it sit for an hour. After that time, check the bottom of the tank and the bottom of the bowl for the colored water. If the connections under the tank are leaking, you will have to empty the tank and use plumber's putty to seal the connections. If the tank is fine and you can't see any colored water coming out of cracks in the bowl, you'll need to remove the toilet.

Remove the Toilet

Turn off the water supply, located behind the toilet, then flush the toilet. Sponge out the rest of the water from the tank and bowl. Remove the tank by unscrewing it from the bowl, then remove the bowl by unscrewing it from the floor. Turn the toilet bowl over and observe the bottom of it. Scrape away the old wax seal and check for cracks in the porcelain. If there are no cracks, your leaks came from a broken wax seal or a bad toilet flange, which sits on top of the drain pipe just under the toilet.

Fix the Flange and Replace the Wax Seal

Correct a broken flange by installing a reinforcement ring over it. Drill pilot holes into the floor to coincide with the holes in the ring, then install the ring. If the wood around the ring has rotted, you will need to install metal flange supports around the flange. Finally, to fix the last potential cause of a leaky toilet, place a new wax seal on the bottom of the toilet bowl. Press the seal into place so it will stick while you reinstall the toilet.

Replacing the Toilet

Place drinking straws over the two large screws sticking up from the flange. This will help you guide the toilet into place, as you must not put the toilet down on the wax seal underneath. If you put the toilet down on the seal, or line up the toilet incorrectly, you will break the seal and have to start over. Lower the toilet bowl so the straws come up through the bolt holes on the base of the toilet, then push the toilet down. Rock the toilet gently back and forth to ensure that the seal is making a good connection. Once the base is on, reattach the tank and turn the water back on.

References

• The Family Handyman; How to Repair a Leaking Toilet; June 2003
• Toiletology 101: Testing for Leaking Toilets
• DIY Building and Repairs: Toilet Leaking at Base
• This Old House: Easy Fix for a Leaky Toilet; Merle Henkenius