Harvey W. Hottel, Inc.

Since 1945

• Residential Services
• Commercial Services
• Geothermal
• Engineering/Design Build

Resources

Common Causes Behind a Toilet that Leaks at the Base

Have you noticed pools of water forming around the base of your toilet, especially during or immediately following a flush? Moisture around the base of a toilet is a problem that should not be ignored, as it can cause significant damage to your flooring and the ceiling below. If you have noticed pooling water around the base of your toilet, read on for a few common causes behind the water:

• Sweating toilet tank: The pool of water may be the result of a sweating toilet tank that is making it look like a leaking toilet base. Toilet tanks sweat when the humid air causes condensation to form on the tank. You can prevent a sweating toilet tank by insulating the tank itself of lowering the humidity in your bathroom.
• Faulty wax seal: A worn or bad wax seal can be identified by dropping about ten drops of food coloring in the boil, mixing it in the water, and then flushing the toilet and adding another ten drops of the same food coloring. If you see the food coloring leaking around the base of your toilet bowl, you need to replace the wax seal.
• Faulty toilet tank seal: You can test your toilet's tank seal by placing ten drops of food coloring into the toilet bowl tank and letting it sit for a few hours. If the colored water runs down the back and pools at the base of your toilet, you will need to replace the toilet tank seal.

For more information on toilet leaks and other needs for plumbing service, contact Harvey W. Hottel, Inc. A family-owned plumbing and HVAC business headquartered in Gaithersburg, Maryland, Harvey W. Hottel has serviced the entire Baltimore and Washington DC metropolitan area with HVAC, plumbing, duct cleaning, and geothermal services for more than 60 years. Harvey W. Hottel serves such areas as Bethesda, Vienna, Kensington, and Germantown.