It is Time to Replace a Toilet Wax Ring

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Your toilet’s wax ring creates an airtight seal to prevent water and sewer gas from escaping. When the thick wax ring goes bad, you need to replace it right away to prevent leaks. Knowing the signs of wax ring failure helps you spot an issue early to prevent major plumbing repairs.

Water Around the Toilet Base

The first sign of a bad toilet ring is water forming around the base of the toilet. To test that a bad seal is the problem, grab a couple of towels and wipe up the water. Go on with your day, checking periodically to see if the water has returned. If the floor is still dry, chances are that the water wasn’t coming from the toilet’s base. Maybe someone spilled water or water sloshed out from the shower or bathtub. However, if the water is back, call a plumber for further inspection.

Bad Odors Coming from the Toilet

If you have water at the base of the toilet and there’s a bad odor in the bathroom, take this situation seriously. It’s likely that what you’re smelling is sewer gas that’s made it past the wax ring. Don’t mess around with this type of situation. Sewer gases are harmful. Not only do they make people sick, but if there is an open flame, the gases could cause an explosion. It’s important to note that sometimes the bad smell exists even when there isn’t any water around the base. Still, you should take this seriously and call a plumber to check out the situation.

Ceiling or Floor Damage

Have you noticed mold or other signs of disrepair to the ceiling in the home where there is a bathroom directly above the damage? Sometimes, if a plumber caulked around the toilet during installation, water won’t seep from the base when the wax ring goes bad. In cases like this, homeowners often notice damage to the ceiling or the flooring around the toilet. Just because you can’t see the water doesn’t mean that it isn’t doing a lot of damage. In fact, toilet leaks that get into the floor or ceiling cause serious damage that could end up with the toilet falling through the floor. Yes, this does happen. Call a plumber right away if you notice any floor or ceiling damage.

Non-Wax Related Toilet Leaks

Sometimes a toilet leaks around the base and it has nothing to do with the wax ring. For example, sometimes the bolts that attach the toilet to the floor cause water to leak out from base. Tightening or replacing these bolts should solve the problem.

Another issue that leads to water around the toilet base is a leaky supply line. The water pipe that runs from the back of the toilet to the wall might have come loose and needs to be fixed. Or, it’s possible the pipe is corroded and has developed a small leak.

Call for Toilet Repairs Right Away

The moment you notice water leaking from a toilet in your home, contact The Pink Plumber for fast and affordable wax toilet ring replacement.