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Drip, drip, drip. Whether you see the leak before you hear it or vice versa, you’re probably not happy about it.
You’re incredulous. “Why is my toilet tank leaking from the bolts?,” you ask.
This is actually a really common problem. There are really just a few things that can cause it, and fixing it requires a little plumbing muscle. Let’s take a look at why you might notice your toilet leaking from the tank bolts and what you can do to stop the leak.
Toilet tank bolts leaking? You should hope it’s because of this.
The first reason your toilet tank might be leaking from the bolts is because the nuts on the bottom of the bolts aren’t tight enough. Does the toilet tank wobble a little bit when you push on it? If so, you need to tighten the nuts onto the bolts.
The nuts need to be just tight enough to hold the toilet tank on, but not too tight. Occasionally, they can loosen up over time – especially if the last plumber who dealt with your toilet under tightened them.
If this is the case, you can probably fix the problem using tools in your toolbox. Get a wrench that fits around the nuts (an adjustable one is fine) and tighten to bolts until the tank stops rocking back and forth when you push it. Be sure not to overtighten the bolts!
If this stops the leak, you’re good to go. If it’s still leaking after you tighten things up, you may have another problem.
Failed bolts, washers, or gaskets
If you have an old toilet, the bolts may be rusty or the washers may be worn out. Sometimes, both problems happen at once.
When this is the case, you’ll need to remove the toilet tank from the toilet and replace those components. Another culprit might be the tank-to-bowl gasket, which sits between (you can probably guess!) the tank and bowl to prevent water from leaking out. If this fails, you’ll have a leak – and you might notice it coming from the bolts.
Most people opt to have a plumber perform this repair. It involves shutting off the water, draining the toilet tank, and removing the tank from the toilet itself. If the nuts and bolts are very rusty, they may not come off very easily or at all. You’ll need to go at them with a hacksaw, which can get pretty gnarly.
After removing the toilet tank, it’s important to replace all the parts that may be contributing to the leak: bolts, nuts, washers, and the tank-to-bowl gasket. The toilet tank goes back onto the bowl using these new parts to prevent another leak.
The extent to which you tighten the bolts is also important. They should be snug, but not too tight. Overtightening them can crack the toilet tank, which would create an even bigger problem (and an even bigger leak).
In most cases, replacing these components will stop the annoying leak and prevent water damage to your bathroom walls or floors.
Now you know why your toilet tank is leaking from the bolts. What comes next?
It’s best not to let this problem fester! A leaky toilet may not seem like a big deal at first, but it can cause water damage that is expensive and difficult to repair – even more difficult than replacing the parts that are causing the leak!
If you live in Metro Atlanta and have this problem or any other issue with your toilet, PV can help! Give us a call at 404-798-9672 today, or fill out the form below to get in touch.
