Leaky toilet! Plumbing help needed. Maybe.

Everything in this house leaked when we moved in, toilets included. In the upstairs bathroom the kids use, the toilet had a wet spot about 3" in front of the toilet along the grout line.

I replaced the toilet, used one of those fancy gaskets with the silicone rubber around it to make it easier, since I suspected sealing was going to be an issue. Everything was dry. For a few weeks.

Fast forward, and I finally get around to doing it again, bought another super-duper gasket, different brand this time, and did the job again (same toilet though) and everything was dry. For a few weeks.

The piping is PVC, the floor is tile, the flange is below the level of the tile, yes I followed the instructions both times on configuring the super gasket for below grade installations. The toilet is the Ferguson Kohler copy.

Ideas?

100% sure it's not the bowl/tank sweating? The toilets at my cottage need a mixing valve flowing into them because the ground water is cold enough that if two or three kids in a row flush, the toilet becomes a beer can on a hot day and the floor gets wet enough that it's a problem.
Probably not the issue, but worth checking?

I've heard of people using 2 wax rings on a toilet in this situation.

That's all I got

mazdeuce wrote: 100% sure it's not the bowl/tank sweating? The toilets at my cottage need a mixing valve flowing into them because the ground water is cold enough that if two or three kids in a row flush, the toilet becomes a beer can on a hot day and the floor gets wet enough that it's a problem. Probably not the issue, but worth checking?

Yes sure, but thanks for the idea.

jamscal wrote: I've heard of people using 2 wax rings on a toilet in this situation. That's all I got

I have also, but it sounds less likely to work than the super duper gasket deals. Maybe I'll do it next.

Stupid things, it takes like 10 minutes to do the job and an hour to clean the floor after the water splashes everywhere.

There are times that the "super duper" gaskets are not as good as a wax ring. I'd get a tall wax ring and give it a shot. Neoprene and silicone are not as good at conforming to irregularities as wax.

I had a toilet that was doing that. I needed to use two of the super dooper gasket thingys to make it seal. The flange was just a tiny bit too far below the floor level for one to seal it up.

They make flange extensions, but my go to is the jumbo reinforced wax ring. I have one of the fancy foam/silicone ones in my house as a test but for customers I've never gone wrong with good old fashioned wax. Who knows how many toilets I've installed but I'm not about to chance someone else's home to newfangled stuff to replace a product that was perfect to begin with

Are you absolutely positive it's water?

Boys, I mean...

I have always had good luck with the wax rings that have the built in funnel thing. That design makes more sense to me than just the wax.

Does the floor move? can seem like a dumb question but that will make just about any toilet seal fail over time.

Also, is the toilet leaking internally? are you sure the water is coming from the seal? Maybe the tank to toilet junction is leaking and water runs down the back and under the toilet or something.

SVreX wrote: Are you absolutely positive it's water? Boys, I mean...

Yeah I am... it's dry for a few weeks and then creeps back on the same grout line.

Robbie wrote: Does the floor move? can seem like a dumb question but that will make just about any toilet seal fail over time. Also, is the toilet leaking internally? are you sure the water is coming from the seal? Maybe the tank to toilet junction is leaking and water runs down the back and under the toilet or something.

It did this with both old and new toilets, and the leak is in the front anyway.

I bought two plain wax rings, I'll do it Grandpa style (that's what he always did)

Is it the toilet? Perhaps water getting on the floor from the tub?

trucke wrote: Is it the toilet? Perhaps water getting on the floor from the tub?

no, and no. It's two seperate toilets, and the tub splashes have been dried for a long time in all cases.

My toilet will leak a little, but only if there is a clog on the far side of the ring keeping "fluid" against the ring for a while. This is why we have a standing rule about making sure the toilet flushes all the way, and if it doesn't let Daddy know.

If you look around, you can find the wax ring with the plastic funnel built into it.

Wax rings for the win in this application, I think.

You are sure there isn't a blockage just down stream? The seal only has to hold fluid during the flush. Once the poos have gone, there is nothing left there to leak.

In reply to tuna55:

Brother, sounds like you are repeatedly doing the same thing and expecting a different result.

I know its a pain, but it might be time to fix the actual problem, namely that you're toilet flange is below grade.

Pick up one of the extension flanges that screw into the subfloor. It will raise the mounting surface to where it should be, and then install a wax ring without that useless black funnel in it. Ideally the flange sits on top of the flooring. It is suppose to go on at the finish after the tile has been installed. This leaves you with a very small gap between flange and toilet bottom. Double check tank to bowl gaskets while flushing. Check the bottom of the new toilet as well. There is usually a casting tube that gets siliconed in after the toilet is made. I've seen several of them leak, but the only way of knowing is to run water thru it while you are looking under it. If I suspect this, I put them on the tailgate of my truck and run a hose into them. While someone is balancing the toilet as it hangs off the edge, I can look under and see if any water is leaking out where it shouldn't.

I noticed that the toilet rocked a bit, so I first tried tightening it. That was a bad plan.

So I used one of the one-piece stainless rings and two wax rings, a la Gramps, and we'll see if it dries up.

Although, looking at the first picture, it doesn't look like it was leaking.

One last note, it wasn't me who cut those awful gnarly holes in the tile.

Rocking toilets need plastic shims. Neither the toilet nor the floor is going to flex when you tighten it down! :)

dculberson wrote: Rocking toilets need plastic shims. Neither the toilet nor the floor is going to flex when you tighten it down! :)

It doesn't rock now. I think it was legit loose, and I just overtightened. Either that or the flange had already cracked and I just finished it off.

I had a rocking toilet once due to looseness. I attempted to tighten it and the rusty bolt snapped off.

That'll piss you off.

I feel your pain.

You have to watch out for toilets that rock on tile. I've seen two toilets crack because they were rocking on a tile edge. All that force on a singular spot can be just like a rock hitting a window. One just cracked. The other failed spectacularly under the girth of a very large house guest. Always wondered who was more embarrassed, the home owner, the fat guy, or the doctor in the emergency room that had to pick pieces of porcelain out of that guys ass.