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How to Fix a Leaking Toilet

What is a leaking toilet? How do you know if it is leaking and how to stop the leak? When your toilet starts leaking do you call Plumbers in Lewisville TX or do you try and fix the problem yourself? If you choose to fix the problem yourself, chances are you will need some basic tools and skills.

Why a Toilet Leak is so Bad – A potential loss of up to 22 gallons of water a day can be wasted on a leaking toilet. Even more disturbing is the potential for larger leaks which cause major damage to your floor and walls. A leaking toilet is essentially money down the drain. A leaking toilet bowl is also very unsanitary. Any standing water present in a leaking toilet bowl can lead to unpleasant odors ranging from bad to worse.

How to Stop the leaks – There are several different ways to address the issue of a leaking toilet. The most obvious is to replace the bowl and refill it with new material. This is not usually necessary since most hardware stores carry replacement bowls in stock. Hardware stores typically have a wide variety of sizes to accommodate different-sized toilets. If the problem appears to be on the flange then a toothed auger might help.

Repairing Flush Problems – Hardware stores typically carry toilet tools that can be used to repair a leaking toilet. The first step is to turn off the water supply to the toilet and remove the clog with a plunger or an auger. If these methods don’t work you should open the toilet door and locate the flapper. If the flapper is stuck either on the stem side or in the bowl itself a quick snip of the pliers can dislodge it. You may need to use pliers and a screwdriver in order to gain access to the other side of the flapper.

Preventing a Leak – The next step to preventing a leaky toilet is to make sure that the floor is dry and free of debris before putting the bowl back in place. It may sound self-evident but it is surprising how many people overlook this very simple precaution. Most leaky toilets form a pool of moisture near the bottom of the bowl. When the leak starts occurring water will often get trapped in the bowl and expand to the level of the overflow. A dry floor is essential in preventing this from happening.

Removing the Spilled Bottled Water – As discussed previously, if you detect a leak while you are running the toilet is important to stop the wastewater before it starts to damage your floors or belongings. This is also a good time to check the seal between the tank and the piping. If the seal is starting to deteriorate then it may be time to replace the entire tank assembly. The same goes for the piping, if it’s becoming brittle and leaking, or has cracks then you should probably assume the tank is about to burst.

Repairing the Leaking Tee Bolts – As discussed previously, one of the simplest methods of repairing a leaking toilet is to make sure that the joint between the tank and piping is well lubricated. One of the easiest and least expensive ways to do this is to simply use a spray bottle of penetrating oil and apply it to the tee bolts that are creating the leak. Once the bolts are well lubricated you can slide them off and replace them with new ones. Be careful when doing this so as not to cause any additional damage to the joint.

Toilet leaks can be very frustrating and it is always recommended to seek professional help when they occur. If you are a DIY type, however, there are some things you can do to prevent toilet leaks. First of all, if you find that the bowl of your toilet is leaking make sure you don’t add any water to it. Add water only slightly, you don’t want to fill up the entire bowl to the point where the water may actually expand, which will make the seal between the bowl and tube come apart.