How to Know when a Wax Ring Is Bad: Advice from a Plumber

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Diagnose issues and replace your toilet’s wax ring with ease
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On every toilet, there’s a wax ring that sits between the drain pipe and the bottom of the toilet. It’s an essential component that prevents water from escaping when you flush. However, because you can’t see the wax ring once the toilet is installed, it can be hard to figure out if you need to replace it. We’re here to help you figure out if your wax ring is bad and how to replace it, with expert advice from professional plumber Dave Jones.

Toilet Wax Ring Leak Symptoms

A bad wax ring will typically cause water to leak out of the base of the toilet when you flush. It can also cause sewage odors, a damp floor, mold, or a rocking toilet that wiggles back and forth when you sit on it.

Section 1 of 3:

Signs of a Bad Wax Ring

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  1. The wax ring is responsible for maintaining a watertight seal between the toilet and the drainpipe in the floor. So, if the ring isn’t seated properly or it’s damaged, water will leak out at the point of failure—the spot where the toilet sits on the floor. [1]
    • This will be most noticeable when you flush. Water should only be flowing down the drainpipe when you flush, so if you don’t use the toilet often, you’ll have to flush it to diagnose the problem.
    • If you’re having trouble telling if you have a leak or not, put a little food dye in the tank. The dyed water will be easier to spot.
    • Can a bad wax ring cause flushing problems? No. The flushing components are all in the tank, and the wax ring is in the floor. If you’re having problems with the toilet flushing incorrectly, the wax ring can’t be to blame.

    Meet the wikiHow Expert

    Dave Jones is a Professional Plumber and the Midwest Regional Vice President at Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup with over 30 years of experience.

  2. 2
    Your bathroom smells like sewage If the wax ring is damaged, the seal at the base of your toilet won’t be airtight, which means air from the inside of your sewage pipes can leak up through the base of your toilet. If your bathroom smells like sewage, it’s a sign that the wax ring could be bad. [2]
    • If you only smell sewage when it’s raining , it’s probably not the wax ring. Your city (or building) likely has a water backup from the rainfall, which pushes the water in the sewer pipes up higher, causing the smell.
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  3. 3
    The floor is damp, spongy, or soft If your wax ring is damaged enough that just a small amount of water is leaking out, you may not even see the water—it could just be soaking into the floor or subfloor slowly over time. If that happens, it can soften the subfloor (or the floor itself if it’s made of wood). If the floor is spongy or soft, you’ve got a leak. [3]
    • Is the back of your toilet wet? Before you blame the wax ring, reach behind the toilet and touch the porcelain in between the base of the tank and the floor. Is it wet? If so, your leak isn’t coming from the wax ring—you need to tighten the bolts on the underside of the toilet tank, or fix the gap between the flapper and the drain pipe.
  4. 4
    There’s mold around your toilet’s base If a prolonged leak goes ignored, it may cause mold to start growing around your toilet. Mold thrives in humid conditions, so a prolonged leak is like throwing gas on the fire. You may see the mold growing right where the toilet meets the floor, or exclusively on the wall behind the toilet where there’s less sun. [4]
    • Mold also tends to have a musty, mildewy smell. If you can’t see any mold but you feel like you can smell it, you might have mold growing in the subfloor that you just can’t see.
  5. 5
    The toilet rocks back and forth when you sit on it This usually won’t be a symptom that appears out of nowhere—it will happen immediately after a failed installation, normally—but a rocking toilet could be an indication that the wax ring is bad. This is caused by a wax ring that isn’t seated on the drain pipe properly. [5]
    • Check the floor bolts first if this isn’t a new installation. The floor bolts are either located on either side of the toilet, beneath the bowl, or on the floor (usually underneath plastic caps). If either of those bolts is loose, that’s likely the cause of the rocking. Try tightening those first.
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Section 2 of 3:

How to Replace a Bad Wax Ring

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  1. 1
    Buy a new wax ring and make sure it’s completely uniform in shape. Wax rings are literally made out of wax, so they’re very malleable. That’s kind of the point! The rings need to be soft enough to fit any-shaped gap between a toilet and a drain pipe. So, if the wax ring isn’t warped, dented, or squeezed, it’s perfectly good to use. [6]
    • Wax rings are pretty universal, so you just need to take two things into consideration:
      • 3-inch or 4-inch: These are the two sizes. Measure your drain pipe diameter and choose the correct size.
      • Standard or extra thick: If the flange is flush with the floor, use a standard ring. If the flange is below the floor, use an extra-thick ring.
    • Why are they made out of wax? Wax is actually water-resistant—it can get wet over and over again and maintain its shape and structure. This is why you use car wax when detailing a car, why cheese wheels have wax rinds, and why you use wax polish to preserve wood. Even the bottom of a wine cork is covered in wax!
  2. 2
    Shut off the water and empty the tank. Close the supply lines that feed into the tank by turning them all the way to the right. Then, flush the toilet to empty it as much as possible. [7] From here, you have two options: either stuff rags inside the tank to soak up the water, or set a bucket down under the tank to catch the excess water when you disconnect the tank.
    • Disconnect the supply line from the toilet by unscrewing the nut holding it in place.
    • You are going to spill a little bit of water somewhere while doing this, so keep some rags and towels nearby.
    • Keep in mind that the water inside the tank is totally clean. It’s not potable, but it’s not full of sewage. Any water inside the bowl has to be cleaned up with bleach and water.
  3. Reach under the tank to see how it’s connected to the bowl. Use a wrench to unscrew the nut and flange locking the toilet in place, and lift it up off the bowl. Set it aside, then unscrew the floor bolts either on the sides of your toilet or the floor. Your toilet should now be completely free. [8]
    • If your toilet tank doesn’t seem to be a separate part, you have a one-piece toilet. The tank won’t come off. You’ll have to remove the entire thing as one piece.
  4. Jones explains that unseating the toilet can require some strength and effort. Wax rings harden over time, so the toilet can feel like it’s sticking to the floor. Once you get it up, set the toilet aside. Then, use a putty knife or a flathead screwdriver to scrape off the old wax ring. Throw everything out. [9]
    • Wear gloves while you do this. The old wax tends to be pretty gnarly. You’ll want to keep it off your hands if possible.
  5. Jones says that the floor must be “relatively clean, free of debris, and stable.” For flange installation, Jones explains that it “has slots that allow you to place the two brass toilet bolt heads (facing down) into the large opening of the slots. Then, slide the bolts around in the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions, one bolt on each side of the flange.” [10]
  6. 6
    Attach the wax ring to the toilet or the flange. The “official” method here is to attach the wax ring to the toilet by just pushing it around the hole before seating the toilet, but this method can be tricky since the wax ring often falls off when you’re trying to seat the toilet. Jones says you can just stick the wax ring on top of the flange on the floor. [11]
  7. Jones explains, “Bring the new, fully assembled toilet (tank attached to bowl) into the bathroom. Carefully lift the toilet over the drain hole while lining up the pair of holes in the toilet's ceramic base with the two brass bolts that are sticking up from the flange. You'll probably need a second person to help you guide the base so that the bolts fit through the holes on the base of the toilet.” [13]
    • Push down on the toilet to seal the wax ring. Jones says that you have to “apply firm downward pressure on the bowl so that the wax ring molds to the base of the toilet to form a good seal and prevent sewer gases from escaping.” [14]
    • If you removed the tank from the toilet bowl, reattach it. Just reverse the process you used earlier. You typically set a washer between the tank and the bowl and then tighten it with a wrench and two bolts.
  8. “Fit the plastic washer over the brass bolts that are sticking up through the base. Next, fit the metal washers over the plastic washers. Thread the nuts over the bolts using your fingers to get them snug against the toilet's base. Use an adjustable wrench to tighten down the nuts, being careful not to over-tighten them and crack the porcelain base. Go back and forth between the two bolts, tightening them in equal measure until the toilet is secure on its flange and isn't rocking or moving,” Jones advises. [15]
    • If you tighten one of the bolts all the way before doing the other one, you may accidentally push one side of the wax ring down and create an uneven seal.
  9. 9
    Cover the bolts and attach the supply lines. Jones explains that the floor bolts typically have plastic covers that keep the bolts from sticking out. Attach those and then connect the supply lines. Use a wrench to connect the supply line. Open the water and test your work! Flush the toilet a few times to confirm you don’t have any leaks. [16]
    • If you do have a leak at…
      • The supply line: Re-connect the nut holding the supply line in place. You may need to add plumber’s tape to the threads to ensure the nut is secure.
      • The base of the toilet: Your wax ring seal is no good. Shut everything off, remove the toilet, and get a new wax ring. Try installing everything again..
      • The back of the tank: The nut between the tank and the bowl is loose. Unscrew then reinstall it to ensure it’s tight and secure.
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Section 3 of 3:

How long do toilet wax rings last?

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  1. With proper installation, a wax ring should last 20-30 years. In a lot of cases, a wax ring will outlive the lifespan of the toilet. It takes a lot of wear and tear to damage a wax ring, so if you’re dealing with a toilet issue and the toilet itself isn’t a few decades old, the wax ring probably isn’t to blame. An unopened wax ring can last up to 5 years. [17] Factors impacting the lifespan of a wax ring include:
    • Water temperature: Large fluctuations in water temperature can wear down a wax ring. If the toilet is mistakenly hooked up to hot water, that can wear the wax ring down, too.
    • Installation method: If the wax ring wasn’t installed cleanly, it will wear down unevenly. This can cause a wax ring to fail prematurely.
    • Frequency of use: The more flushes a toilet sees, the faster the wax ring will wear down.

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  • Question
    Can I replace a wax ring with a neoprene gasket?
    Community Answer
    A gasket might work, but the wax ring is the preferred method.
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  • Question
    What causes my tank to fill periodically?
    Community Answer
    Most likely the flap that lifts when you flush the toilet is slowly leaking causing the valve to drop below the fill level. Sometimes cleaning the flap and the area where it sits will solve the problem, but you may have to replace the flap with a new one.
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  • Question
    What if a leaking wax ring damages cabinetry nearby?
    Community Answer
    You may need it to be replaced if you can't see any visible issues, such as cracks, causing the leakage. If not, it could be due to the leveling of the floor under the toilet.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://infoglue.org/what-are-the-symptoms-of-bad-toilet-flange/
      2. ↑ https://infoglue.org/what-are-the-symptoms-of-bad-toilet-flange/
      3. ↑ https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/PIH/documents/Inspect_Unit-Pt2of4.pdf
      4. ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/mold-health/about/index.html
      5. ↑ https://infoglue.org/what-are-the-symptoms-of-bad-toilet-flange/
      6. ↑ https://www.younghouselove.com/loo-re-do-on-my-to-do/comment-page-4/
      7. ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-replace-wax-ring-on-toilet/
      8. ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-replace-wax-ring-on-toilet/
      9. ↑ Dave Jones. Master Plumber, Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup. Expert Interview
      1. ↑ Dave Jones. Master Plumber, Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup. Expert Interview
      2. ↑ Dave Jones. Master Plumber, Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup. Expert Interview
      3. ↑ Dave Jones. Master Plumber, Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup. Expert Interview
      4. ↑ Dave Jones. Master Plumber, Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup. Expert Interview
      5. ↑ Dave Jones. Master Plumber, Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup. Expert Interview
      6. ↑ Dave Jones. Master Plumber, Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup. Expert Interview
      7. ↑ Dave Jones. Master Plumber, Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup. Expert Interview
      8. ↑ https://images.thdstatic.com/catalog/pdfImages/24/246d50eb-cdb3-4b30-950a-fb0dcbf1b93e.pdf

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