Yet another Toilet Flange / Wax Seal Question

Greetings,

I've read through most of the posts regarding replacing a toilet but I'm still running into problems. Quick history: Toilet started to leak from the bottom, tore up the floor down to the subfloor and replaced the damaged area, re-tiled and ensured the flange was at the correct height. Replaced the wax ring and re set the toilet only to have it still leak.



It is an iron flange but in good shape and the toilet is not that old. I have tried 1 wax ring with the plastic guide. 2 wax rings, one with the plastic and the other without stacked on top. no luck.

I am sure the flange is at the proper level:



Here is what the bottom of the toilet looked like after that last attempt


I am a little off center with the placement and wanted to know if that is the reason or if there could be another one? Leak in the actual bowl? How would I check for that?

Thanks in advance!

ReCheck the condition of the pipe where the flange is attached.

With regards to the flange height, there is no reason to add a second wax gasket. you are where it needs to be.
Double check that the bolts at the tank are not leaking. A slow leak at those bolts could be misdiagnosed as a flange leak,

And double check that the bowl doesn't have a hairline crack (assuming the toilet has been installed for a few years without any problems). If its a fairly new toilet, a pin hole in the bowl that hasn't been noticed before might be the culprit as well.

Avoid using the rings with the funnel. If you are offcenter, it can collapse and give you grief.

Thanks for the quick responses,

I have inspected the toilet and it looks fine to my untrained eye. Can I prop the toilet in such a way that I can see the bottom and then fill the bowl and tank with water? Is this even worth the effort? What should looks for in the pipe where the flange is attached to ensure it is not damaged?

Thanks again for the help.

Brad

A good place to start
Any hairline cracks around the flange and where it attaches to the pipe below it.

Check the tank by propping up the toilet flat on the floor and fill the tank with a pail of water (don't spill any water around the bowl)...... and then wait, Check the bolts that attach the tank to the bowl by running your dry fingers around every crease. Once you are satified that the botls are dry, flush it and check around the bolts again to see if the gasket is leaking.

Unless you can see it exiting on the finished side, you wouldn't be able to tell.From what I could see, it doesn't look cracked, but it looks like a poor casting. If this is a cause of a leak, you need to determine where it is exiting. By removing the tank off the bowl, you won't be able to test that portion until it is put back together again.

When I suggested to check the bolts and tank to bowl gasket, it was to check for them leaking

Ok last question before I call a professional. I replaced the gaskets from the tank to the bowl and as suggested, filled tank with water. No leaks. Flushed the toilet, no leaks. I am sure there are no leaks from the tank to the bowl.

Now I have the toilet sitting on top of one of those large contractors buckets so when I flushed, the water had some place to go. After the flush was complete there is still a drip, about once per second. Because the toilet is propped up on the bucket I cannot see where this drip is coming from but I assume it is out the same hole the toilet is flushed from. It is normal for the toilet continue to slowly drip after the flush is complete?

In case it makes a difference, there is currently water in the bowl (around the normal amount) but no water in the tank (because I flushed it to check the tank to bowl for leaks).

InTheNavy said:

. It is normal for the toilet continue to slowly drip after the flush is complete?

In case it makes a difference, there is currently water in the bowl (around the normal amount) but no water in the tank (because I flushed it to check the tank to bowl for leaks).

Click to expand...

The drip you are seeing could be a little bit of water just at the outlet of the toilet trap.

So now that you are satisfied that the bowl and tank are not leaking, try reinstalling and use only 1 gasket with or without the funnel. (I never have a problem with either one). You may want to try without the funnel first