After being flushed, the toilet leaks from the bottom as the tank tries to refill the bowl. Anyone have any idea why this is happening every time? Can I fix this myself? I want to avoid having to hire someone unless its completely necessary. Help pls
This sounds like the gasket between the tank and the toilet. When you flush, you open a flapper assembly in the tank to allow water to flow into the bowl. This drops the water level in the tank, which moves the ballcock float down, allowing the fill valve to open. There's usually a small hose (like a flexible straw) that goes from the fill valve to your drain assembly that releases some water into the bowl as well to bring it up to level.
A leak between the tank and bowl would run down the side of the bowl and to the bottom (where it's more noticeable). This would explain a leak that only happens during a bowl filling.
There's a couple of ways to play this. Both involve removing the tank from the bowl (and the fill line as well)
Toilets use a wax ring for sealing the toilet to the drain pipe.
Usually a simple repair, shut off the water, flush and drain/wipe water from the bowl, and undo the two/four bolts/nuts holding the toilet to the floor.
Remove the toilet and replace the wax ring.
Check for it leaking anywhere else, tank joint, pipe connection, or cracks in bowl or tank(this is toilet replacement problem).
Most leaks from other places, fill line, gasket joint between toilet and tank, should run along the outside of the bowl.
Make sure the outside of the bowl tank is dry, flush and with a dry hand or paper towel check all around the toilet bowl, especially the back hard to reach places. Should locate where the leak is coming from, a joint gasket or worst case a crack. If bowl stays dry,then the wax gasket needs to be checked and replaced. Wax gaskets are one use only.
