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Just like most items, a toilet degrades with time. Then, the owners experience leakage, wobbling, cracking, flushing difficulties, and other malfunctions. Ignoring a loose toilet gradually leads to significant wax seal damage, water leaks and shortens its lifespan.
It also becomes uncomfortable to use. Luckily, taking help from plumbers is not necessary all the time. You can do it yourself with a few tools. Are you wondering how? Find out the reasons behind your rocking toilet and take action accordingly. Let us explain to you in detail.
#1. Loose or damaged flange bolts
Flange bolts play an important role in a toilet’s functionalities. They connect the base to the flange and keep the toilet stable. A toilet won’t stay in place if they get broken or loose.
Solution: Examine the closet bolts on both sides. If they look loose, tighten them using a wrench and pliers. Avoid over-tightening because it can break the porcelain layers of your toilet. Sometimes, the bolts won’t rotate easily. In that case, applying a few drops of oil will help you.
However, you can’t do it with rusted or broken bolts. Replace with new ones instead. Make sure to choose the right-sized bolts, which will fit the toilet properly.
#2. Flange issues
A flange is a plastic or metallic product that joins a toilet drain to the main pipe. Seals between washroom tiles and toilets do not last long without it. The same thing is applicable for a broken, warped, or misplaced flange.
Solution: It requires more work than the first one. You have to lift the toilet first. Wear hand gloves. Place clothes or newspaper around it to keep your floor safe from dirt. Use a wrench to take out the flange bolts. Put the toilet on cardboard.
A repair kit is enough to mend the minimal degradation. If the damage is severe, changing is the only option. Pay full attention while removing the old one with a pry bar. It should not scratch the drainpipe. Set everything in the right place after repairing or changing.
Now you can install your toilet. Attach the bolts and apply a small layer of caulk around the base. Do not use the toilet until it dries completely.
#3. Malfunctioning wax seal or wax ring
A wax ring stays between the toilet’s base and flange. It prevents water from leaking during flushing. Besides, it restricts the sewer gas odors from coming out. 20 years is the average lifespan of a standard wax ring. However, it can deteriorate before that.
Sometimes, the ring remains intact, but the seal around it does not. Discoloration near the rim and water leaking from the base are clear signs of a problematic wax seal or ring. The toilet starts shaking as a consequence.
Solution: Again, detach your toilet from its base. Wet seal patches indicate that you need to apply new seals. Then, scrape off the dry sections and remove the wax ring. Get rid of the remnants. Bring a new wax ring if you think the problem is in the ring.
Apply sufficient wax seal on top of the drain pipe. Position the wax ring on it and clean up the stains. Finally, you can set the toilet bowl back in its place.
#4. Unsmooth surface
If the toilet wobbles after taking care of the first three things, there is another culprit. It can be the condition of floorings. Many of us are unaware of the impact of detergents, water, cleansers on particular surfaces like wood. They can deteriorate or break around the toilet. Then, a gap generates between the toilet base and the bathroom floor. As a result, instability and leakage problems appear.
Solution: The best thing is to install new tiles. We know it takes time and a good amount of money. Therefore, we came up with an easier choice, which is inserting shims. These thin pieces can lift up the drooping side successfully.
Locate the gaps and push them inside. Keep changing their locations until your toilet stops moving. Cut off the excess parts with a sharp knife. Finally, secure the base by applying caulk.
That’s it for today. We hope our instructions help you to repair the rocking toilet.
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