Very Strange condensation on side of toilet

[WallyBell]

Hi Folks...I have an interesting little issue with a new Jucuzzi brand toilet I just installed. I noticed a small amount of water pooling on the floor base on one side. I just figured it was the tank bolts and gave them a little more careful snugging. It is still doing it so today I got a little better look...yep the good old reading glasses and head lamp better good look.

Well it doesn't appear to be anything to do with the tank. It appears that water is weeping through the ceramic. Has anybody ever seen pinholes in the porcelin or glazing on a toilet?

 

[Redwood]

I would say it is one of 2 possibilities...

1 the toilet has a leaking flapper or, improperly set or, defective fill valve allowing water to run through to the bowl resulting in a very cold water temp. in the tank causing condensation...

or,

2 The tank is defective and leaking... Bear in mind these Chinese toilets made for Jaccuzzi are not the highest quality toilets out there... Anything for corporate profits seems to be the rule these days. Names seldom mean much of anything these days...

May I suggest a nice new Toto Toilet?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Terry]

I've seen weeping bowls and tanks, right through the porcelain.
Pretty much, you can find it in many of the brands.
Can you say "Quality Control"?

Just replace the bowl.

Just one of the reasons, that quality control is high on my list.
I don't like wasting time, trying differnent bowls and tanks, to see if I can get one to work.
People always ask, why my favorites are different than those of Consumers Report,
It's all about Quality Control.
I guess my time is worth more.

 

[WallyBell]

Amen to QC guys. I thought about a hot cold temp differential causing condensation both from flowing water (shut off supply, tank full, wait) and also crawl space temps (another toilet other side of comman wall). Pretty much isolated it to either an actual pin hole in the clay that opened during firing or a pin hole or thin spot in the glaze.

Seems like it weeps in the middle of the S Shaped siphon section so all indications are pointing to poor QC and a bowl replacement. Just that was a new one on me so wondering if anybody else had come across that defect.

This is in my wife's little 50 year old beach house and it is a never ending project. The washing machine drain that was added 30 years ago is unvented...next project.
Thanks Terry and Redwood.

 

[plumbtired]

A quality control issue, for certain: been there, done that

As Terry stated, it's a quality control issue. Improper/incomplete glazing of the bowl's porcelain will allow water to seep through the ceramic, in time, and create a nice little pool of water at the base of the toilet. I had that happen with one, yep, Champion (American Standard, the "bad boy" of this forum!) toilet I installed. It took about a month before I noted moisture along the side of the bowl and a small pool of water on the floor next to the bowl's base. In carefully looking at the inside of the bowl, I could actually see what appeared to be a vertical darker-colored line approximately 5 inches long. The spousal unit took one look at it and announced that this was a thinly glazed or unglazed area, which was allowing water to weep/seep through the ceramic bowl. Since the toilet was under warranty and still fairly new, we returned it to the vendor (HD, of course) with the report that the bowl was defective. We exchanged it for a replacement (new) bowl...and no more problems. Well, almost "no more problems": I won't "go there" per the lousy piston-style flush valve that continually leaked , because it's since been successfully replaced with the new-and-improved flapper-style flush valve.

 

[Redwood]

If you look in the tank of that Jacuzzi toilet then go over to the cheapest toiets like the Glacier Bay or, All in One you will see that same fill valve, flush valve, & zinc plated steel tank to bowl bolts. By having Jacuzzi's name on it the consumers are thinking they are getting a better product but it is only an illusion.