Question about wax ring

[LBrandt]

Hello,

I haven't posted on this forum in quite a while, but back when I did, I got very helpful replies, so if you guys don't mind, I have what is probably a very basic question.

I installed a Cadet 3 toilet about 3 years ago, and it's been working fine. I used a extra thick wax ring when I installed it, and I know that I did a good job with the installation.

Now, I'm seeing water seeping around the base of the bowl. I don't think that it's leaking at the place where the tank is bolted to the bowl, because the bolts and rubber washers appear to be ok, but I suppose that anything is possible.

And neither my wife nor I are heavy enough to have rocked the toilet to break the wax ring.

So my question is, what's the most likely cause of the leak? I just bought a new wax ring, but I don't want to go to the trouble of installing it if that's not the problem.

Thanks,
Louis

[jadnashua]

Many floors aren't perfectly level, and many toilets aren't perfectly flat on their bottom (AS stuff, particularly). So, you don't have to be heavy at all if the toilet doesn't sit level, just the bolts will NOT prevent it from rocking and ANY rocking will break the seal. Wax gets squished, but it doesn't spring back if the toilet can move leaving a gap that can leak.

Remove the toilet, clean the wax off, set it in place without wax, verify that it doesn't rock, and if it does, add shims to make sure it can't, then set it down with the wax and you should be golden.

A toilet can leak from only a few places: around the flange, from a loose hose or connection to or in the tank, between the tank and the bowl, or from a defect (crack, hole, etc.).

[wptski]

Hello,

I haven't posted on this forum in quite a while, but back when I did, I got very helpful replies, so if you guys don't mind, I have what is probably a very basic question.

I installed a Cadet 3 toilet about 3 years ago, and it's been working fine. I used a extra thick wax ring when I installed it, and I know that I did a good job with the installation.

Now, I'm seeing water seeping around the base of the bowl. I don't think that it's leaking at the place where the tank is bolted to the bowl, because the bolts and rubber washers appear to be ok, but I suppose that anything is possible.

And neither my wife nor I are heavy enough to have rocked the toilet to break the wax ring.

So my question is, what's the most likely cause of the leak? I just bought a new wax ring, but I don't want to go to the trouble of installing it if that's not the problem.

Thanks,
Louis

You can poke some rolled up paper toweling or toilet paper in the space between the tank and bowl to see if it's leaking there. I just installed a new Cadet 3 and had a leak right there at the flush valve seal. I've read of other Cadet 3 having to purchase a Fluidmaster 540AKR because a new flush valve seal couldn't be purchased alone. I myself swapped the seal from a 540AKR because I think it has a better design.