Don Vandervort, Head Homeboy, has written more than 30 DIY home improvement books, been a segment host on HGTV, served as MSN.com's home improvement expert and written countless magazine articles.
If your tank is leaking, the problem is usually a failed wax ring between the toilet's base and the closet bend (waste pipe). Replacing this ring involves pulling the toilet, so be sure the water is not coming from a leaking tank or supply connection.
First check for condensation on the surface (sweating). Then use a rag to dry the floor around the toilet's base. Lay a newspaper beneath the toilet's tank, wait a few minutes, and check it for drips. If there is no sign of leaking but the water reappears around the base, the wax ring is probably guilty. Before you start this repair, buy a new wax ring (the type with a rubber collar offers more secure drainage).
1) Turn off the water supply valve behind the base of the toilet. 2) Flush the toilet and drain as much water from the tank as possible. Then sponge out the rest. 3) Pop the plastic covers off of the closet flange nuts that mount the toilet to the floor on both sides (you may have to pry them off with a screwdriver). 4) Using a wrench, remove the nuts from the bolts, turning them counterclockwise. 5) Gently loosen the toilet from the floor, rocking it back and forth. It's heavy, so watch your back and don't let it topple over. Lay it down on its side.
6) Stuff a rag into the mouth of the drain opening. 7) Wearing rubber gloves, use a putty knife to scrape and peel the old wax off of the bottom of the toilet and the top of the floor flange. 8) Press the new wax ring onto the base of the toilet, with the collar pointing down. 9) Lift the toilet up and set it back onto the flange, with the bolts through the mounting holes. This is a little bit tricky—you don't want to miss when placing the bowl onto the floor flange because this could damage the wax ring—so have someone help you line it up before you seat it on the flange. A plumber's trick is to push a couple of large drinking straws onto the mounting bolts first slip these through the holes in the toilet's base and just slide the bowl down into place.
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