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 Toilet Seal Leak Detection, Diagnosis, & Repair Guide
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InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.
Toilet wax rings & seals - leak repair guide: Here we explain how to detect and repair loose, leaky toilet base seals - why the wax ring seal is critical for sanitary toilet function and how to spot and fix a leak. We explain how to diagnose and repair problems with toilets, leaks, flushes, odors, noises, running and wasted water. Our page top photo shows ugly staining in a toilet bowl - strong evidence that this toilet has been running, wasting water, possibly flooding the septic system, and sometimes giving bad flush performance as well. Details are below.This article series TOILET REPAIR GUIDE discusses the cause, diagnosis, and repair of toilet problems (water closet problems) such as a toilet that does not flush well, clogged toilets, slow-filling toilets, running toilets, loose wobbly toilets, and odors at leaky toilets.
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Odors in Bathrooms Traced to Leaky Toilet Seals or Loose Toilets
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Readers should also see TOILET TYPES This article describes and illustrate the different types of toilets found in buildings. Citation of this article by reference to this website and brief quotation for the sole purpose of review are permitted. Use of this information at other websites, in books or pamphlets for sale is reserved to the author. Also see WHAT CAN GO INTO TOILETS & DRAINS?.
Clogged, partly clogged, slow drains or a partly-blocked, failing drainfield can also cause odors when
the surge of water from the washer causes a gas backup in the system. We discuss how to track down the source of sewer gas or septic odors atSEWER GAS ODORS and SEWER GAS ODORS in COLD WEATHER. Also see Diagnosing Clogged Drains for more detailed
advice along that problem path.
But often we have traced a sewer gas odor in a building to two types of toilet drain connection and leak problems
- Loose toilets - if your toilet wobbles on the floor it is unsafe and unsanitary.
The wobbling has compressed the wax ring intended to seal the toilet to the waste pipe, permitting sewer gases to enter the building at the toilet base, and risking leaks of sewage and water into the structure.
We have even found termite damage and rot at floors where loose toilets went un-repaired for too long.
- Check for leaks at the toilet base - you may see stains on the floor at the base of the toilet (photo at left), or in severe cases the floor may be wet or the tile or flooring may be damaged.
- Don't forget to check for leak stains in the ceilings of rooms located below the toilet as well.
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 Secure toilets with leaky wax ring seal - even if the toilet does not wobble on the floor, its wax ring may be inadequately sealing the toilet to the main drain waste pipe flange in the floor. Perhaps the wax ring was not installed properly, misaligned, or even omitted.
Or the toilet sealing wax ring may have been previously compressed by a loose wobbly toilet that was "repaired" simply by tightening the bolts securing the toilet to the floor, leaving the squashed old wax ring in place.- Septic additives like Rid-x™ won't fix a problem with building vents nor sewer odors,
and are generally not recommended anyway - see Additives & Chemicals for septic system maintenance. Are septic products needed? Are septic treatments legal?
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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Technical Reviewers & References
Related Topics, found near the top of this page suggest articles closely related to this one.
- Carson, Dunlop & Associates Ltd., 120 Carlton Street Suite 407, Toronto ON M5A 4K2. (416) 964-9415 1-800-268-7070 info@carsondunlop.com. Thanks to Alan Carson and Bob Dunlop, for permission to use illustrations from their publication, The Illustrated Home which illustrates construction details and building components. Carson Dunlop provides home inspection education including the ASHI-adopted a Home Inspection Home Study Course, and publications such as the Home Reference Book, the Home Reference eBook, and report writing materials including the Horizon report writer, and home inspection services. Alan Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors.
- [2] 1991 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, U.S. Department of Justice, 28 CFR Part 36, Revised as of July 1, 1994, excerpts; web search 5/10/12, original source: http://www.ada.gov/stdspdf.htm [copy on file as ADA_Standards_1994.pdf]
- [3] Alliance for Water Efficiency, 300 W Adams Street, Suite 601
Chicago, Illinois 60606, Tel: 866-730-A4WE, Website: http://www.allianceforwaterefficiency.org/ Quoting:
The Alliance for Water Efficiency is a stakeholder-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the efficient and sustainable use of water. Located in Chicago, the Alliance serves as a North American advocate for water efficient products and programs, and provides information and assistance on water conservation efforts.
- [4] OSHA toilet standards: OSHA's sanitation standard for general industry, 29 CFR 1910.141(c)(l)(i), specifies taht employers shall provide toilet facilities for their employees. Web-search 5/10/12, original source:
http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_id
=22932&p_table=INTERPRETATIONS
- Backups and Clogged Drains diagnosing septic backups and septic system failures versus clogged drains - key step in septic repair
- Sewage Odors in Wet or Cold Weather - Septic Odors or Sewage Odor Diagnosis & Repair Guide for diagnosing and eliminating cold weather sewer gas odors
- Sewage Levels in Septic Tanks - what are normal and abnormal sewage levels in septic tanks and what do they mean about tank condition, leaks, etc.
- Sewer Gas Odors diagnosing, finding, and curing septic tank and sewer line smells
- Sewer Gas - Methane and other septic system gas explosion or asphyxiation hazards such as hydrogen sulfide
- The Septic System Information Website home page for this topic
- Septic Systems Inspection, Testing, & Maintenance- online textbook. Detailed how to inspect, maintain, repair information
- The Home Buyer's Guide to Septic Systems
- Ten Steps to Keeping a Septic System Working, suggestions from the U.S. EPA, edits and additions by DJF
- What is a Septic System An Engineer's View & Septic System FAQ's
- Pennsylvania State Fact Sheets relating to domestic wastewater treatment systems include
- Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-161, Septic System Failure: Diagnosis and Treatment
- Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-162, The Soil Media and the Percolation Test
- Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-l64, Mound Systems for Wastewater Treatment
- Pennsylvania State Wastewater Treatment Fact Sheet SW-165, Septic Tank-Soil Absorption Systems
- Document Sources used for this web page include but are not limited to: Agricultural Fact Sheet #SW-161 "Septic Tank Pumping," by Paul D. Robillard and
Kelli S. Martin. Penn State College of Agriculture - Cooperative Extension, edited and annotated by
Dan Friedman (Thanks: to Bob Mackey for proofreading the original source material.)
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Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair
 The Home Reference Book - the Encyclopedia of Homes, Carson Dunlop & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, 25th Ed., 2012, is a bound volume of more than 450 illustrated pages that assist home inspectors and home owners in the inspection and detection of problems on buildings. The text is intended as a reference guide to help building owners operate and maintain their home effectively. Field inspection worksheets are included at the back of the volume. Special Offer: For a 10% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference Book purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.
Or choose the The Home Reference eBook for PCs, Macs, Kindle, iPad, iPhone, or Android Smart Phones. Special Offer: For a 5% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference eBook purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAEHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space.
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