Toilet Problem, need help

[lowcountrygamecock]

I have an issue with a toilet in my house and I need some help. House is 8 years old and we had never had this issue until recently. About 6 months ago I started noticing the grout around the toilet would be wet a little. I attributed it to my 5 year old twin boys having bad aim to begin with but then it started getting worse. I pulled the toilet up and noticed the wax ring was still completely in tact like it wasn't sealing good. So I put down the extra tall wax ring and still the same thing. So I went to one of the box stores and they suggested the extension to raise up the plastic flashing since I had tile floor. Now I haven't pulled the toilet back up to check the wax ring since I did that but the toilet is still leaking. There are no signs of water on the sub floor so that's good but it's like the grout is wicking the moisture away from the toilet. It happens when we flush the toilet. I watched the grout get wet one time when we flushed so I know it's still happening. I've had the toilet turned off while we try to figure out what to do. So that's my question. What do I do? This never happened for the first 7 years so it makes me thing the toilet is cracked but wending see a crack anywhere. Of course it could be hairline. Is that a possibility? Or is it likely something in that extension and wax ring? I'm no plumber obviously but we need to get it fixed and I always like to try everything I can before I call somebody. I just hate to buy a new toilet without knowing that will fix it. Any ideas?

 

[Matt M PA]

Good question. If the wax ring is sealing...and the soil pipe isn't cracked..perhaps where the flange connects....I can't imagine anything other than the tiolet being somehow cracked. Or, could it be condensation?

When I pulled one of ours out,I had to shorten the soil pipe and reattach the flange. It's PVC so I was very cautious to make sure I had a good bond between the flange and pipe.

 

[FrankieD]

I think you've eliminated the wax ring as the problem.Maybe where the tank connects to the base is leaking?My brother just stacks two wax rings when the floor has been raised with a second layer of tile.I prefer the one with the plastic spout so I'm sure the water is guided into the pipe.

 

[signcrafter]

There is only a few ways a toilet can leak. First, the supply line can leak and run down the toilet, have you ruled this out yet? Then the drain, if the was ring isn't sealing right it can leak. Does your toilet rock when you push side to side? If the tile wasn't laid perfect or the tile is out of level and not shimed perfect it can rock and create a bad seal. Toilets can condensate in the hot months and have water run down them, but since you say you have watched the grout get wet when you flush I don't think that is your issue. The last is a cracked toilet, I've never had a cracked toilet but I would think if you can watch the grout get wet when you flush it then you would have a pretty big crack and be able to see it. It would have to be the last little section after the built in trap in the toilet if it only happens when you flush. If it was anywhere else then it would be leaking all the time.

 

[Matt M PA]

Very good point about where the tank and bowl connect. And...you'd think I'd remember after just dealing with exactly that issue.

But...I'm not sure that would cause a leak during a flush...I'd think it would leak all the time.

 

[FrankieD]

Thats exactly when it would leak.The connection between the two is after the flapper.

 

[signcrafter]

Very good point about where the tank and bowl connect. And...you'd think I'd remember after just dealing with exactly that issue.

But...I'm not sure that would cause a leak during a flush...I'd think it would leak all the time.

Thats exactly when it would leak.The connection between the two is after the flapper.

It depends exactly where the leak is. If it is one of the bolts holding the tank on or the supply line connection then it would leak all the time. If it's something to do with the seal that the flapper is on that seals the tank to the bowl then it could only happen when flushed.

I was just throwing possibilities out there.

 

[jhelrey]

I say tank to bowl connection

 

[sillwic9]

We had a similar issue and couldnt find the leak. My wife the put one of the blue cleaner tabs in the tank and there was now a blue hair-line crack on the front of the bowl. Toilet has now been replaced...along with the floor.

 

[Zeke]

This ^^^ I just replaced a toilet that had a hairline crack below the water line. Couldn't see it until the bowl was out in the sun. The symptom is the water gets low on its own over a day or so. If you see that, you may have the crack.

 

[lowcountrygamecock]

Wow that's a lot to take in at one time. I'm planning on tearing into it again one night this week. I'll look over all this again in detail and welcome any other suggestions. Like I said I'm a lot of things but plumber isn't one of them.

 

[HeelSpur]

A pencil will help you find the tiniest crack and may take about 10 minutes to cover the entire bowl. Just go back and forth with the lead end, if you start to see a dark spot you may be on to a crack, keep going all around if you see a line where the lead has filled in, bingo. If you don't find a crack on the outside turn it over and do the underneath. you'll be surprised where there may be a tiny crack.

 

[darkk]

I just had the same problem with a newly added bathroom and new toilet, went thru 3 rings. I finally installed a new wax ring, then siliconed around the ring right on the toilet and around the wax ring at the very outer edge. Dropped that sucker in, waited an hour, no more water.

 

[dumper]

add blue food coloring to the bowl. Look for signs of leak. If no blue stains found, flush toilet, then add dye to tank. Repeat step 1.

 

[2Big2Ride]

I have also had a tank develop a hairline crack and leak on to the floor. If it is a builder grade toilet you already got your money's worth...

 

[Greatbear]

I would rule out the wax seal. The tank-to-bowl seal at the flush valve would be my next guess, as would be the tank bolt gaskets and the seal at the water inlet and fill valve.