How to Fix a Leaky Toilet?
How to Fix a Leaky Toilet?
Checkout my video this is a summarized version of our in-depth article below.
We know that it can be a hassle if you don’t know how to fix a leaky toilet. But, leaky toilets are more than eyesores as they waste water, resulting in higher water bills. So if you hear that unmistakable sound of a running toilet, that’s a sign of a leak that needs to be fixed right away. The best part is that diagnosing and fixing the toilet leaky problem can often be an easy and inexpensive process.
So, what makes a toilet leak?
If your toilet keeps running after you flush, it’s possible that your flapper is broken or needs to be replaced. If your flapper is worn out, water will leak into your toilet bowl regularly. A faulty fill valve is another common cause of a leaking toilet. Even if you haven’t flushed in a long time, these problems can cause your toilet to run continuously.
Another issue that may be causing your leaky toilet is damage to the wax seal at the base of your toilet. If your leaks are coming from the ground, the wax seal can be worn out or have a hole in it. Your toilet, like any other plumbing fixture, has several connectors to prevent water leaks. However, water can end up on your bathroom tile if any of these connections fail to seal.
What Are The Signs That My Toilet is Leaking?
One of the most popular sources of water waste is toilet leaks because these are less visible compared to the faucet leaks. The following are clear signs of a toilet leaking:
- Water trickles down the sides of the toilet bowl after it has been flushed.
- Just to stop the toilet from running, you need to jiggle the flush handle.
- Sounds coming from an unused bathroom.
- You have to empty the tank by holding the handle down.
- Phantom flushing occurs. This is when a toilet flushes on its own without anyone flushing it.
How to Find Toilet Leaks With Dye Test?
- Food coloring should be poured into the toilet tank of 10 or 15 drops. FLUSHING IS NOT ADVISED. Then, allow ten minutes to pass.
- You have a leak when you see colored water in the toilet bowl.
- In most cases, the leak could be on or near the flapper valve or with the plunger ball at the tank’s bottom.
So, how to fix a leaky toilet would be the following procedures.
- Remove the lid from your toilet tank and examine the area around the flapper valve. If it happens to be wearing down or bent along the edges, it’s time to replace it.
- To drain all of the water from the tank, turn off the water supply and flush the toilet. Disconnect the two ears of the worn-out flapper’s chain from the flush valve. Then, loop the new flapper’s ears over the flush valve and reattach the chain.
- If your flapper seems to be in good working order, make sure the chain connecting it to the toilet handle isn’t too short. Change the chain so that the flapper can sit all the way down on the valve and check if there isn’t enough slack.
- Turn the water supply back on and flush the toilet a couple of times to make sure the chain isn’t too loose.
There are also other ways on how to fix a leaky toilet, especially if you have identified the part of the toilet where the leak comes from.
How to Fix Leak From Toilet Tank?
When you flush the toilet, the water in the tank rushes down through an opening in the tank’s bottom and into the pipe, driving waste out of the bowl until it goes into the drain and sewer pipes. But by removing and replacing the flush valve, you’ll be able to know how to fix leak from toilet tank.
How to Replace a Flush Valve:
- Switch off the toilet’s water supply and flush the toilet to empty the entire contents of the tank. If you can’t flush the toilet for any reason, you can drain the water from the back of the tank with a cup or a hose.
- Remove the nuts that connect the supply tube to the toilet bowl and the toilet bowl to the supply tube. The supply tube connects the tank to the wall, and two bolts underneath the tank connect it to the toilet bowl. To empty the tank, loosen and remove these nuts using an adjustable wrench.
- If the nuts were loose, lift the tank off of the bowl and place some towels on the floor and place the tank on top of these towels.
- Remove the valve by unscrewing the locknut on the bottom of the tank. The flush valve is held in place by this big nut in the middle of the tank. Simply press on the flush valve to pop it out after unscrewing the locknut.
- Place the new flush valve in the same location as the old one. Install the new flush valve by pressing it against the tank opening. Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines to guarantee a proper installation of the new valve.
- To finish the installation, use a monkey wrench to tighten the locknut. Any portions of the flush valve that were disconnected when replacing the old one should be reconnected. Make sure the gasket over the locknut is also replaced.
- Finally, tighten the bolts and replace the tank on the toilet. Tighten the nuts that are attached to the tank and the supply tube and replace the toilet bowl. You can turn the water supply back on and refill the tank until the tank has been reattached.
Knowing How to Fix a Fill Valve Leak
Let us proceed on how to fix leak from toilet tank if the issue is fixing a fill valve leak.
- Flush the water from the tank and turn off the toilet’s water supply. To switch off the water supply, turn the water supply valve in the back of the toilet all the way clockwise. When the water has been switched off, flush the toilet to remove the water from the tank.
- Remove the water supply tube from behind the tank and disconnect it. This is the conduit that runs directly under the fill valve right on the tank’s bottom. To detach this tube, turn it counterclockwise with a wrench.
- Remove the locknut from the fill valve at the bottom of the tank. The fill valve is held in place by this nut, which is located underneath the tank. To loosen and detach the locknut, use a small wrench or pliers.
- At the tank’s top, uninstall the old fill valve. If you haven’t already, remove the top of the tank’s lid. To remove the old valve from the tank, simply pull it straight up.
- Install the new fill valve in the tank according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Place the new fill valve in the spot where the old one was removed, and tighten the locknut on the bottom of it. You have to ensure that the refill tube is attached to the side of the fill valve and is positioned over the tank’s overflow tube.
- Reconnect the water supply tube behind the tank and turn the water back on. Flush the toilet after the water supply has been restored to test the new fill valve. It’s set if it fills correctly and doesn’t overflow.
Leaky Gasket Tightening Techniques
Another way to answer the question on how to fix a leaky toilet is by learning how to tighten leaky gaskets.
- Switch off the water and drain the tank of any remaining water. To switch off the water supply, turn the water supply valve behind the toilet clockwise. To empty the tank, flush the toilet after the water supply has been turned off.
- In the tank, look for the bolts that connect the tank to the bowl. These are the two or three bolt heads that cover the flapper in the tank’s rim. The rubber washers underneath the bolts will help you identify them.
- Tighten the bolts with an adjustable wrench and a screwdriver. Using a flathead screwdriver, secure the bolts in place. Then, with the adjustable wrench, tighten the bolts beneath the tank by turning them clockwise.
- Check for leaks coming from the bolts after refilling the tank. To allow the tank to refill, turn on the water supply again. Wait a few minutes before checking under the tank to see if it’s still leaking. The gasket has been repaired if there is no longer any leak.
How to Fix a Leak Between Toilet Tank and Bowl?
Now, the question is how to fix a leak between the toilet tank and bowl?
The dye test would be highly beneficial to you! For the tank to bowl bolts, if water seems to be leaking from the middle of the tank to the bowl, then you’ll need a new tank to bowl gasket.
To confirm and repair a leak, you’ll need to detach the toilet tank from the toilet bowl and change the sponge gaskets and/or washers as needed. This method and the parts used can vary depending on your toilet model.
If you performed the dye test and discovered water leakage between the tank and the bowl, here’s how to fix a leaky toilet.
- Switch off the water supply to your toilet. Then flush the tank while keeping the lever pressed down to drain the water.
- To collect any excess water, place a bucket below your toilet tank.
- Your water supply line should be disconnected. Both old nuts, bolts, and washers should be removed from the toilet tank.
- Remove the old tank-to-bowl sponge gasket by carefully lifting the tank from the bowl.
- Place the tank on top of the bowl with care. Fix the tank to the bowl with the bolts, rubber washers, washers, and hex nuts. Apply downward pressure to hold the tank level while alternately tightening the nuts until the tank is stable.
- Do not over-tighten the nuts. Otherwise, the porcelain can crack.
- Connect the water supply line again.
- Complete the installation by turning on the water supply. You just did the process on how to fix a leak between toilet tank and bowl!
How to Fix a Dripping Toilet Tank?
Let’s move on to the process of how to fix a dripping toilet tank. If there is no apparent water outside your toilet, the dripping sound is almost certainly coming from inside the tank. Check out this simple test:
Switch off the water supply to the tank and keep the flush lever pressed down until the tank is fully drained. Keep an ear out for a drip.
Water may only drip out of a tank in one of two ways: around the flapper valve or through the overflow vent. Take off the tank’s lid and check those two things when it’s empty. Water can leak into the bowl if the tube has a crack that reaches below the tank’s fill line (the label on the tank that shows what the water level should be when the tank is full).
A dripping sound in a toilet tank indicates that water is being wasted, which can of course have a great impact on your water bill. This sound also indicates that a minor repair, such as realigning the fill tube or replacing the flapper, is needed, both of which are inexpensive to purchase. And now that we know how to replace the flapper, what’s the other procedure on how to fix a dripping toilet tank?
Siphoning Should Be Stopped
If the fill tube — a flexible hose that leads into the tank’s vertical overflow valve — extends too far down into the overflow valve, it will siphon water. Look for a clip that clamps the fill tube onto the overflow valve, then clip the two components together so that the fill tube will shoot water into the tube without being stuck. This method can eliminate the problem of siphoning. If no clip is present, you can also get one from a new toilet repair kit.
Conclusion:
We can conclude that you are now knowledgeable on how to fix a leaky toilet, how to fix a leak from toilet tank, how to fix a leak between toilet tank and bowl, and how to fix a dripping toilet tank.
Feel free to try the mentioned steps here. Remember that even a tiny amount of leaking can lead to dangerous mold formation, just as leaking water can destroy the foundation of your house. Mold will grow undetected if your toilet leaks creep into your walls or floor which can pose a health risk to you and your family. That’s why it’s important to know how to fix a leaky toilet.
