A cracked toilet can be a simple and yet potentially serious situation. Sometimes this emergency plumbing problem is easy to repair (or ignore, if it’s small), but more often than not it requires a professional’s attention.
Where Is the Crack?
If there’s a puddle forming around the base of your toilet, you obviously know there’s a leak somewhere, and it’s important to track it down to the source. Possible locations:
- Inlet pipe
- Toilet tank
- Toilet bowl
- Outlet drain
If the leak is from the inlet pipe, you may just need to replace the o-ring or washer, while a leaking outlet drain could need the joint to be caulked.
A cracked toilet tank or bowl is a more serious matter as it may require replacement of parts in the toilet system or the entire toilet. Very small cracks may have been present when the ceramic parts were manufactured, or developed because of age or extremes of temperature. They may begin as hairline cracks that are almost impossible to see and which have grown and deepened.
Options for Repair
If the crack in your toilet tank is above the water line, it’s best to keep a close eye on it – mark the tank or photograph it – to make sure that it’s not spreading downward.
If the crack is below the water level, it may be possible to repair it with epoxy. This involves draining out the water, thoroughly drying the tank, applying the epoxy, and leaving it to dry before using the tank again.
A cracked toilet bowl is much harder to diagnose because of the shape of the bowl and its proximity to the floor. Usually a cracked toilet bowl will mean that the toilet has to be replaced.
Call in the Plumber
Replacing a toilet bowl or tank is not a simple matter as everything has to be perfectly lined up and set correctly. Even the smallest error will result in leaks and malfunctioning of the toilet system.
The best option if you live in the Indianapolis area and believe that you have a cracked toilet tank or bowl is to contact us at Mowery Heating, Cooling and Plumbing for advice.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Brownsburg, Indiana and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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