How to Repair a Leaky Toilet Tank
Have you noticed water on the floor around your toilet tank? If so, it generally means one of two things. You either have a toilet tank condensation problem or a toilet tank leak. Either one may be corrected fairly easily. One way to determine where the water is coming from is to color the water inside your tank and wait. If you find that the water on your bathroom floor matches the color of the water in your toilet tank, you can pretty much rule out toilet tank condensation as the culprit. If it does turn out to be a leaky toilet tank, here are a few suggestions on how to fix it:
Check for Cracks
I’d suggest that you start by turning off your toilet’s water supply and draining your toilet tank. Afterward, inspect the inside of your toilet tank for cracks and chips in the finish. They could be contributing to your leaky toilet issues. If you find cracks and chips, you have three options.
First, you could attempt to patch the cracks in the porcelain. Based on my experience, home improvement and plumbing stores sell kits that may be used to repair chips and refinish toilet tanks. The kits are often suitable for use on toilet tanks that are made from either porcelain, ceramic, fiberglass or metal. The repair kits tend to range in price from $5 to $47 each depending on your needs. Many of the repair and refinishing kits are made by Homax. I have found that if applied correctly, the patches will hold up for awhile under normal use.
Second, if you have a two piece toilet, you could opt to replace the toilet tank. Replacement toilet tanks tend to be available for purchase through home improvement stores for $48. The hardest part of the whole endeavor is going to be locating a tank that will fit your toilet. You’ll need to purchase a toilet tank that is identical to the broken one. Otherwise it won’t sit right and you’ll have all sorts of additional problems.
Third, you could opt to replace the entire toilet. Depending on your personal preferences, a replacement toilet could cost you anywhere from $85 to $850. Of course that’s not counting the purchase of a wax donut, hardware, hoses and other items that you may need for the install. You can generally purchase a toilet install kit for $20 through most major home improvement stores.
Tighten the Toilet Tank Bolts
If your toilet tank appears undamaged, the leak could be due to a loose or stripped tank bolt. In my experience, a toilet tank has two bolts, one on each underside of the tank. In most instances, they may be tightened with a few twists of a socket wrench. Just be careful not to over tighten the bolts. Otherwise you could end up accidently cracking the toilet tank.
If the toilet tank bolts are stripped, you may want to consider purchasing a set of replacement toilet tank bolts. I have found that a package of replacement toilet tank bolts tends to sell for $5 to $8 each. You can generally purchase them through plumbing, hardware or home improvement stores.
Replace the Washers and Gaskets
If tightening the bolts doesn’t correct your toilet tank’s leak, the problem could be caused by a worn washer or an ill-fitting gasket. In most instances, a toilet has rubber washers connected to the toilet tank bolts. In addition, there is often a spud washer located between the toilet tank’s valve seat shaft and the lock nut. Two piece toilets are also likely to have a tank cushion and a tank-to-bowl gasket located between the toilet tank and the toilet bowl.
To get at all of those items, you’ll need to unscrew the tank bolts and remove the toilet tank. Once you have the toilet tank free from the toilet bowl, you can inspect the washers and gaskets. If they appear worn, replace them. There are kits available through home improvement stores that contain all the gaskets and washers that are needed for certain makes and models of toilets. They are most often referred to as tank-to-bowl kits. Prices for tank-to-bowl kits tend to start at $6. Just make sure that you purchase a tank-to-bowl kit that is specifically designed for your toilet. Otherwise, the toilet tank is apt to leak more, not less.
Source: Personal Experience
Killeen Gonzalez has a history of completing DIY home improvement projects with her family.
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