One of the most overlooked maintenance issues in plumbing is the condition of the wax ring that your toilet sits on. The wax ring creates a seal between the toilet bowl and the flange in the floor. This seal keeps water from seeping onto your bathroom floor.
Some common reasons for the wax ring to fail are an improper installation from using either too large or too small of a wax ring. Or doubling up two small wax rings to make up the distance between the flange and the bowl. It is better to raise the flange with an additional ring and use a single wax ring to create the seal. Too much wax or too little wax will ultimately result in a leak. Another common reason for a wax ring to fail is a shifting foundation causing the seal to break slowly over time. Shifting soils in Medford Oregon and the surrounding Rogue Valley happen quite often between the wet and dry seasons.
Some signs that you have a problem with your wax ring are small drips of water showing up around the toilet bowl on the floor or in extreme cases buckling, cupped or cracked flooring that is damp and musty smelling around the toilet.
If you encounter any of these signs or your toilets have been sitting for a long time it is highly recommended that you hire a plumbing professional to pull your toilet and replace the wax ring.
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