Leaky Pipe Flange, Toilet Time-Out
Aug. 23rd, 2025 04:53 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
canyonwalkerA few days ago I wrote about discovering a bulge in the ceiling paint that indicated a leak inside the walls. It was right below the toilet in one of our upstairs bathrooms, so we figured the leak was on the drain pipe. On Thursday afternoon a plumber came out to take a look.
The plumber cut away a section of the ceiling in our pantry. The hole is about 18"x24". Sure enough, the leak was coming from the toilet drain pipe. The plumber triple-checked it by asking us to flush the toilet while he observed the pipe. New water leaked out of it.
I was kind of happy the problem was just the toilet. This drain is easy to reach compared to the sink drain or shower drain in the bathroom. It'll be an easier/cheaper repair with less wall/ceiling/floor to rip out and replace.
More specifically than just "leaky pipe" the problem here is that the flange on the drain pipe isn't level. That means that the toilet's drain doesn't seal firmly on it. The plumber will put a new flange on the pipe and then re-seat the toilet on it. Of course, that all takes parts and labor that will have to be scheduled— and will have to be planned for after we return from our 9-day trip to Canada.
Meanwhile our dining room is a bit of a wreck....
We had to clear out the pantry, including disassembling the shelving, for the plumbing work. The contents of the pantry are now all over the dining room, covering the table.
And the toilet atop the bad pipe flange?
That toilet's on time-out.
The plumber cut away a section of the ceiling in our pantry. The hole is about 18"x24". Sure enough, the leak was coming from the toilet drain pipe. The plumber triple-checked it by asking us to flush the toilet while he observed the pipe. New water leaked out of it.
I was kind of happy the problem was just the toilet. This drain is easy to reach compared to the sink drain or shower drain in the bathroom. It'll be an easier/cheaper repair with less wall/ceiling/floor to rip out and replace.
More specifically than just "leaky pipe" the problem here is that the flange on the drain pipe isn't level. That means that the toilet's drain doesn't seal firmly on it. The plumber will put a new flange on the pipe and then re-seat the toilet on it. Of course, that all takes parts and labor that will have to be scheduled— and will have to be planned for after we return from our 9-day trip to Canada.
Meanwhile our dining room is a bit of a wreck....
We had to clear out the pantry, including disassembling the shelving, for the plumbing work. The contents of the pantry are now all over the dining room, covering the table.
And the toilet atop the bad pipe flange?
That toilet's on time-out.
