Leaky toilet? Water on the floor next to the toilet bowl can mean a damaged gasket seal. This DIY video shows how to shut off the water; drain and move the toilet, and replace the seal to fix the leak.
Thank u thank u thank u. I just fixed my leaky toilet myself for under $20. It took 4 hours but that's nothing compared to waiting and paying a professional. Your tutorial took me step by step . -shonda
Looks like an old video but hopefully it'll help me fix my own problem since the landlord doesn't help much. Still nervous but this video calmed me some. Thanks for posting! 👍🏻🙏🏻
This video was super helpful for me and my husband today. We'd never done anything like this before and it was really great to see what the bottom of the toilet and the waste pipe was going to look like. Thank you so much for posting it and giving the walk through!
Thank you! This was very helpful. My husband and I fixed the toilet for $10 on a Sunday versus having a plumber do it for much more. Two things - the woman at the hardware store said to be sure to use a soft seal around the toilet as it is more flexible than the kind of plumbers' putty that hardens. Also, she said to leave a portion unsealed in the back of the toilet so if the toilet leaks, you will be aware of it instead of it being sealed under the toilet and rotting out your flooring. Thanks again!
Had this exact problem. Video was very helpful for explaining the steps needed for correcting the problem, with slight variations. Thanks for posting this.
Great video. I used a "Bucket Head" shop vac from Home Depot ($19.99 + bucket) to get the water out, and didn't remove the tank, but I did the whole thing in less than 5 minutes. I added the step of using a spatula to scrape all of the nasty wax off of both the bowl and pipe. Won't be using that one for slipping burgers any more. Thanks for the great video!!
I agree with Part1sh42, I wouldn't use putty. If water is leaking out around your toilet flange, you need to fix it. You don't want water collecting under the toilet which will eventually ruin your foor leak down to your lower floors. You should gently mash the wax ring onto the toilet flange before mounting the toilet with the ring onto the mount.
The other little snag you may come across is the seals on the water tank when you remove it. If they've been sitting around for years, especially in harder water areas, they become more brittle and may not reseal. you may have to purchase new ones from a hardware store, since as you try and reattach the water tank, you may find the old seals now leak. Be careful not to overtighten with the old seals trying to compensate for the leaking...you'll crack the bloody thing.
Thanks to both of the above comments re: not taking off the tank & leaving off the plumbers putty! Made our install much quicker & mo bettah in the long run!
Regarding the putty under the tank - it's not caulk. Plumber's putty isn't used to seal the toilet here, it's used to insure the bowl sits firmly on the ground (often uneven - especially in basements) and since over time it hardens to near solidity - it will protect the wax seal from breaking due to movement of the bowl on the ground. Unless you have a perfectly level floor for the bowl to rest on, don't skip this step.
Very good video. Removing the tank makes this a much easier lift and is safer. I would recommend that you replace bolts if you suspect a leak there or at the tank/bowl juncture. If you do separate the tank and bowl, REPLACE the bolts with a new set, and rubber washers both inside and outside of the tank. Don't omit the rubber washers and DONT OVERTIGHTEN, you will crack your tank or bowl.
The Wax Ring should attach to the toilet first (not the floor) per manufacturer instructions - then line up the bolts with the toilet base holes - this allows for proper alignmnet.
Question: can one remove the toilet, oh, a week or so after replacing the wax seal, or does a person (me for instance) have to buy another brand new seal?? Here's why ... *STUPID BOLTS!* Almost every time I have to take my toilet off, or replace it, I have trouble with those "floor bolts" or "mounting bolts". The first time I attacked my toilet I was standing in a confined space with this dang toilet in my hands as the mounting bolts kept swaying back and forth, never both wanting to go through their holes in the toilet at the same time. Today, well, I just lost one. When I went to reinstall the toilet the left hand one had dropped right down. It's a Sunday in a small town. Everything is closed now. (Hey, it's after 5 pm.) Good enough for now. (Just don't tell the wife.) Another job for another day ... *EDIT:* I just stepped on it in the pantry. Grr. Too late.
Some new seals for the close coupling methinks. Try not to take the cistern off! Can you remake with rusted nuts or screws? Try using a toilet that's been in place for 25 years! If only the real world was as perfect as this video portrays.
Why couldn't you just line the bottom of the toilet with putty to seal the toilet? I am renting at the moment but I plan to buy so this is good to learn how to do it.
some things u forgot to say. 1. put a towel on the pipe to prevent sewer gases. 2.plumbers putty is great and all but put silicon ust in case 3. put a towel on the floor for the toilet to sit on to prevent dirtyness on your floor. 4. do not overtighten the bolts or you will crack the ceramic or whatever toilets are made out of.
Heya guy's! Great video,would it be ok to use in a video for training,right's reserved to you,it's for customer who want's to train plumbing. I am doing this video totally free,its non profitable
THEORETICAL QUESTION.....If one was very careful, and after draining the bowl....instead of removing the toilet and replacing the wax seal, could one (carefully) HEAT the toilet base with a mild flame blowtorch thus softening the wax and letting it reseal itself??? Several tries may be needed.....if this fails to fix it..THEN by all means this is a good video and I would recommend it..... woo hoo !!
no joke....me thinks that heating the toilet (at the base) just enough to cause the wax to soften and maybe seal better is worth a try...NOT super hot...just VERY warm with a flame-type heater....(not an acetylene torch for cripes sake),,,lol
J.R. Zippie me thinks this is such a stupid idea that everyone assumed it was a joke. It's still funny, intended or not, I love hearing idiotic ideas like this - especially if the author is still convinced it's a good idea - makes it even funnier
Orange ----Well....it is not a joke...It is deductive reasoning...and I believe it is possible and was hoping for some positive responses...not a jackass like you....
I turned the valve and it disintegrated in my hand. All my DIY attempts are the same. Step 1, check. Step 2, hit a brick wall. Step 3, call a professional.
We just replaced the flush pipe cone that connects cistern to WC. If you have clean water on the floor I understand that the most likely cause is the rubber cone that prevents the flush water from leaking has failed and needs replacing. We did have a professional plumber confirm this, but did the repair ourselves.
Here in Australia, I'm advised that our toilets don't even have wax rings at all - nor is there a simple bolt for me to undo it and have a look (I seem to have a rust-ridden Phillips head). Can anyone confirm, this and all American videos on this topic are absolutely useless to > 25 million Aussies ?
Critical Mass also they forgot to check if it's level and if it rocks. May have to shim it. Stupid video that didn't cover all areas of the shitter installation process.
Very good video but the only thing that was kind a not cool is not wearing gloves cleaning the bowl bottom connection with hand no gloves not a good idea Other wise good video
Don't bother taking the tank off, its a waste of time and you will have to replace the bolts and rubbers seal. Just take the whole toilet off and leave the tank attached unless its mounted.
Most of the time the nuts wont come off the bolts been on for so long you don't talk on that?? 2nd most people have a small bathroom - you have a lot room too move around. so it looks easy. 3rd a lot of times you turn the water off the valve will start leaking or the waterline take off. You take a toilet that has been there for 15 years. Looks like you have a new setup so makes it looks easy as pie. Try a 15 year old toilet/
This is adding work & could require other materials. You do not have to remove the tank just to change a wax seal. I disagree with this video & would not recommend this one.
Nothing like another do-it-yourself video telling you the incorrect way to do it. You need not remove the tank, and you do not seal around the base of the toilet. This will make it impossible to tell if the wax seal is leaking until you have serious water damage to the floor aroound the flange. You want water to leak out around the base if the wax ring is bad.
I agree with you about the seal at the bottom. The only reason to take off the back is to make it lighter for us guys with injured back and legs. Otherwise just keep it together.
im a girl. my toliet is leaking. my dad isnt here to fix it. i dont have the money for a plumber. either i learn how to remove a toliet and fix it....or i piss in a jar
We used the bucket method at my place. The smell was incredible. Best tip, put some water in the bucket first. The toilet worked fine, but the bathroom had a severe mold infestation. We didn't even brush our teeth in their anymore.
