Causes of Toilet Leaks

Causes of toilet leaks that you need to know. Leaks result from a number of causes, from faulty parts to wear and tear of seals and cones. Whatever the cause, if you cannot fix it yourself, you may want to call or book us for full time toilet plumber services.

Here is a quick look of leaks that arise from faulty toilet parts.

Flapper – water overflow due to stuck flapper or non working flapper. A working flapper lifts up to let out water from the tank, and comes back to close bottom gasket after flushing. This will seal the tank at the bottom, to enable water to fill up again.  When a flapper fails to get back to position and remains help up, overflow results.

This means the water level will not rise, as all incoming water will drip down into the bowl. As such, the stop valve will remain open, allowing water in. Stop valves operate by water levels, they stop supply when the water is at set levels. A flapper may get stuck due to issues with the flush handle. Furthermore, there can be a built up of minerals from the water, resulting in wear and tear of the part.

Faulty Fill Valve

Similarly, a faulty fill valve or stop valve will result in overflow as well. Over time, this valve losses it’s ability due to wear and tear. If a stop valve fails, water supply to the tank will continue and not stop. This will result in water rising above the set level. There is an opening at the top of the flush pipe that is made to prevent water from flooding the tank. All the excess water above the set level is let out through the opening at the top of this flush pipe, and goes down the bowl.

You will notice water drip into the bowl all day long or hear sounds of water filling the tank all day. Toilet overflow is a costly problem if a solution is not found in good time, as there is a huge water loss. A short term solution is to shut off water at the toilet shut off valve, such as an angle valve. If such a valve is not there, this calls for urgent toilet repair!

The fill valve wears down with time. Built up of mineral deposits also causes the fill valve to be less effective in water supply. It may fail to shut off completely, leading to toilet leaks.

Faulty Float

For toilets having a float hollow ball, if that valve to work it will result in a problem exactly as above. If this ball cracks, it will not be able to rise up and induce a stop at the stop valve. As in the above explanation, if the water supply does not stop, overflow occurs. This is one of the most common causes of toilet overflow.

Toilet Leaking at the Base

This problem only occurs during toilet flushing.  Causes include loose base which requires tightening of bolts

However, if the base has cracked, the bolts will not hold and it is time to replace the bowl. Sometimes, a water leak at the pan connector may also appear to be a leaking base, as such water will settle at the base. The connection between the toilet and the drain pipe, might require a new patch of wax seal.

Toilet connections

Water supply line may leaks due to wear and tear

Waste line may also leak due to wear and tear of inner rubber, or the need to replace wax seal ring

A clogged drain line – also worth mentioning a common toilet issue

Loose or worn seal at base

Pipes damaged by rust over time

Leaking flush pipe seals

Damaged tank