leaking toilet

baggielad · 24 Sep 2013

Untitled

baggielad
24 Sep 2013
1

I have a problem with a toilet leaking from where the pan connects to the waste pipe. The initial leak appeared to be not from the rubber seal around the ceramic pan pipe, but from the small gap between the plastic ring at the end of the pipe and the rest of the plastic pipe. The ring can be rotated and I assume it’s something to do with the rubber seal inside the plastic pipe. It happened a few weeks ago and after I had unscrewed the toilet from the floor, disconnected the pan from the waste pipe and then put it all back together again it seemed to have cured it.

However, yesterday it began to leak again only the leak seemed to be more pronounced. I’ve disconnected the toilet again and put it back together and it now seems to be leaking from the rubber seal as well. It’s not much water as it’s simply a small quantity of water that pools in a small recess at the end of the plastic pipe everytime the toilet is flushed.

If anybody has any suggestions, other than buying a new pipe, I would be grateful. I’ve attached a picture which hopefully illustrates it better.

Madrab · 24 Sep 2013

The seal fixing ring, the one that moves, should be able to be removed, it should pop off with the aid of a large screwdriver. That will give you access to the seal inside. Mark the bottom of the seal as it sits then pop that out and dry everywhere, where the seal sits and the seal itself, inside and out. Add a bit of silicone around where the seal sits on the lip, in the inside groove of the seal and on the inside surface of the ring, put the seal back in, give it a twist and with the mark you made at the top, snap the ring back on, leave for 15mins before fitting.
Or buy a new access branch for £13

kbdiy · 24 Sep 2013

Was there a reason you didn't use one of these instead? http://www.screwfix.com/p/mcalpine-macfit-90-wc-short-pan-connector/89461

baggielad · 24 Sep 2013

Madrab said:
The seal fixing ring, the one that moves, should be able to be removed, it should pop off with the aid of a large screwdriver. That will give you access to the seal inside. Mark the bottom of the seal as it sits then pop that out and dry everywhere, where the seal sits and the seal itself, inside and out. Add a bit of silicone around where the seal sits on the lip, in the inside groove of the seal and on the inside surface of the ring, put the seal back in, give it a twist and with the mark you made at the top, snap the ring back on, leave for 15mins before fitting.
Or buy a new access branch for £13

Thanks for that. I did try to remove the ring but I was concerned about using too much force in case I broke it. I will give it a try. If it doesn't work I'll have to buy a new one!

baggielad · 24 Sep 2013

kbdiy said:
Was there a reason you didn't use one of these instead? http://www.screwfix.com/p/mcalpine-macfit-90-wc-short-pan-connector/89461[/QUOTE]

I'm not sure as it was fitted by a builder. On the other side there is a sink waste which feeds into the drain so perhaps that may have been the reason.

Charnwood · 24 Sep 2013

Multikwik bent pan connector with boss:

Hmmm, 'fitted by a builder', the phrase that frequently appears when advice is needed.

Madrab · 24 Sep 2013

I take it there's no other pipe running into the top of that then? I thought that was why it had been used, I guess not going by what you say?
Charnwood's suggestion is the way to go IMO, much easier and better looking by all accounts.

baggielad · 25 Sep 2013

Madrab said:
I take it there's no other pipe running into the top of that then? I thought that was why it had been used, I guess not going by what you say?
Charnwood's suggestion is the way to go IMO, much easier and better looking by all accounts.

The top just has a screw lid allowing access to the pipe. As you say the fitting shown by Charnwood is neater, but would it be best to leave an access point just in case there is a blockage?

kbdiy · 25 Sep 2013

... not if you want it to look nice

Tipper · 25 Sep 2013

Surely the point here is that the connector currently used is not designed for fitting to the outlet of a WC? It's designed to connect nice round clean plastic pipes together! The ceramic slip casting of a WC is never true in my experience and you will need a proper pan connector with a more flexible and fuller seal.

I would remove it completely and start again with a proper pan connector.

baggielad · 25 Sep 2013

Tipper said:
Surely the point here is that the connector currently used is not designed for fitting to the outlet of a WC? It's designed to connect nice round clean plastic pipes together! The ceramic slip casting of a WC is never true in my experience and you will need a proper pan connector with a more flexible and fuller seal.

You right about the casting of the ceramic casting as I noticed that when I disconnected the toilet, the plastic pipe outlet was a slight oval shape, which obviously has been caused by the not perfectly circular pan outlet. This would account for the secondary leak I after I had partly rotated the seal.

I would change the fitting to the one shown above but the inlet for the sink waste is too high and I couldn't see one with a side inlet, at least on screwfix's site.

Dean744PiN5 · 25 Sep 2013

Just whack a load of mastic round it....job done

adlplumbing · 25 Sep 2013

dean7445 said:
Just whack a load of mastic round it....job done

I never done that in an emergency, honest

Charnwood · 25 Sep 2013

The reason bosses are fitted to the top is to avoid solid matter getting caught, building up and causing a blockage.

baggielad · 26 Sep 2013

Just to say that I've followed Madrab's instructions and it appears to have cured the leak. I think if it leaks again I will have to find someway to change the fitting to a proper toilet connector.

Thanks for all the advice.

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leaking toilet

Dean744PiN5

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