When & How Should You Replace Your Toilet Wax Ring?

The wax seal at the base of your toilet serves a very important job. It keeps all the water that passes through contained in your plumbing system. It’s not something you need to worry about year after year, but it does require replacements. Otherwise, wastewater will leak out onto your bathroom floor. J. Blanton is here to help with professional plumbing advice on your toilet’s wax ring replacement.

Signs Your Wax Ring is Bad

The first sign of a failing wax ring is water that seems to be seeping out of the base of your toilet. Other signs to look for include:
- Water stains on the ceiling from the floor below.
- A lingering, unpleasant bathroom odor from escaped sewer gases.
- Wobbling toilet.

You can also test if you’re unsure of where the water is coming from. You can do this by adding food coloring to the tank. If the water below your toilet starts matching, it’s a pretty clear sign of a toilet base leak.

When Does the Wax Ring Need Replacing?

If you want to do this yourself, you will be happy to know that the wax rings themselves are usually pretty cheap at about $10 each. Some are not universal, so you may have to buy a double ring if your toilet flange is below the floor instead of level.

Then Take These Steps:
1. Turn off the water supply. The valve might be a little stuck if you haven’t touched it in a while.
2. Flush your toilet repeatedly until empty.
3. Remove excess water from the bowl and tank. You can do this with a wet/dry vacuum or with whatever towels or buckets you have on hand.
4. Disconnect the water supply line from the base.
5. Remove the bolts on the base.
6. Rock toilet to loosen and remove. Set toilet to the side.
7. Scrape off existing wax with a putty knife or similar tool.
8. Check package for instructions and apply new wax ring.
9. Replace toilet. It helps to sit on the lid and shift around to seal every area.
10. Screw in the bolts, reattach the water lines and turn on the water.
11. Enjoy your porcelain throne! Make sure to test for leaks.

If this sounds like a lot of steps, you should always feel safe to hesitate! You don’t want to end up without a functioning toilet if you get lost in the steps.

If you need a plumber to help you with a wax ring replacement, you can always call the professionals at J. Blanton for assistance. Reach us at (773) 724-9272.