Plumbing Tips
The toilet leak trick everyone in a DC row house misses
By All Purpose Anytime Services LLC
A puddle by the toilet isn't always a leak. On a humid DC summer day, the tank sweats and drips. But in a row house, where the bathroom sits over the kitchen, guessing wrong means a stain on the ceiling below. Here's how to tell in one flush.
The trick
Dry the floor completely. Lay a paper towel around the base and one under the tank. Flush once. Wet under the base right after the flush means the seal under the toilet has failed. Wet under the tank but not the base, with no flush, means it's sweating.
The mistake everyone makes next
Tightening the bolts. It feels like a fix, but it can crack the porcelain and won't reseat a failed seal. The toilet has to come up and the wax ring gets replaced.
Other places the water comes from
- The supply line or shutoff valve behind the toilet
- A toilet that rocks, which means loose bolts or a damaged flange
- A hairline crack in the bowl
Why not to wait
A slow leak softens the floor for months before you see it from below. Running toilet instead? See 5 easy fixes.
Water around the toilet?
Tell us whether the water shows up at the base or on the ceiling below. In a row house the room under the bathroom often tells the story first.