Depending upon the drain pipe flange height which are sometimes lower
than the floor, doubling up the wax ring is recommended. Installing
first the wax gasket (ring) with the flange or horn as they call it on
the drain flange, then the plain ring without the horn on top of that,
thereby doubling it. I've done that on a few occasions and it helped
guard against leakage.

Over the years I've noted plumbers who actually applied plumbers putty
around the recessed area that's around the hole on the bottom of the
toilet itself, followed by a wax ring on top of the drain flange.


Robert Allison wrote:
Elena Sofia Ricci wrote:

My toilet bowl leaks where the bottom rim connects to the floor. The
bolts that connect the bowl to the floor were fairly loose. It took
several turns to tighten them "snug" without cracking the bowl. I am
waiting to see if this helps.

I read somewhere that if the leak persists, the gasket between the
bowl and the drain pipe probably needs replacing.

Questions: If I don't see a leak, does it mean that the tightening of
the bolts actually seals the connection between the bowl and the drain
pipe? Or could there be a leak nonetheless, and the bowl rim-floor is
so well sealed that no water seeps out?

Thanks.

Elena Sofia Ricci


I would replace the wax bowl ring (the gasket). It is fairly easy to
do, doesn't cost more than 2.00, and is the only way to be sure. I have
never seen a leaking wax ring seal by just tightening the closet bolts.