Dear Fellow Hosts, I’m reaching out to you because I have no plumbing knowledge. I have my unit in a condo complex; my guest reported a week ago that the bathroom had flooded. I sent a plumber and he explained that there was something broken and I bought a brand new Kohler toilet and had it replaced.
This morning, less than one week after the toilet was replaced, the same guest report a flood in the bathroom. I cannot imagine what’s going on; she claims it must be a problem created by the upstairs neighbors.
I have already scheduled the same plumber to come back and check the toilet – what could be the problem?
Here’s the catch – this same guest was supposed to move to another unit in the same building for a month, but now I’m nervous that she will cause damage to the other unit.
Your feedback is much appreciated, thank you.
Hmmm… it could be there is a blockage in the pipes or it could be the guest is having huge once a week bowel movements !
But no way to know if the guest caused the blockage since its a big building I am guessing.
Ask the plumber what she thinks I guess.
RR
A flooding toilet isn’t the problem of the porcelain toilet. It could be the float and flapper or bladder inside the tank but most likely It’s the plumbing and or vent under the toilet or in the building. It could be your guest, it could be a building problem. You also have a problem with your plumber. He sees you as an easy mark to sell you things you don’t need due to your lack of knowledge.
Thank you for your response; I’m sure my lack of knowledge makes me an easy mark. Management confirmed that none of the apartments above mine (in the same line) have reported problems.
First question is where is the flooding water coming from? Is the bowl overflowing, the tank overflowing, or something else? If it’s the bowl, then the toilet drain is clogged, or possibly even the entire house drain [Edit: Apartment, not house]. If the tank is overflowing, then it’s a problem with tank valve (which seems unlikely if the toilet was just replaced).
Find a new plumber because the one that replaced the toilet isn’t a good one.
I don’t know the plumbing configuration, but this seems unlikely.
Post here before you decide on a solution and we’ll try to help.
The rental is in a condo complex type building with apartment above that also has reported issues.
I’m confused, does @MissMiami have two units (one above the other) and she means none of the apartments above both of of them?
That means that it was not the toilet that was the problem. It is so very rarely the toilet itself. Unless this plumber is going to return for free, I recommend having a different plumber come out this next time.
It’s understandable that you might want to come to that conclusion, but it is highly unlikely that it is this guest. There’s a blockage and you just haven’t found it yet. But…did you ask this guest if they were flushing anything other than toilet paper? That is a fair question and you should ask so that you can solve the problem. However, even if it is that this guest is flushing too many butt wipes or tampons, it still means that there is a blockage somewhere that needs to be fixed.
You know the hose with the shut-off valve that goes to the toilet? The hose could be leaking, or the valve could be leaking.
To clarify, why is the bathroom flooded? Is the toilet overflowing? Or is water just appearing?
Could it be that she’s tossing sanitary napkins in the toilet or make up wipes? Also, does she know how to turn the valve to the off position? Once she notices the flooding, she should turn the valve to the off position to help with the flooding issue while you await for the plumber. Did your plumber use a snake to unclog the pipe?
@Brian_R170 it seems that the water is coming from the bottom of the toilet, not from the top.
She is a heavyset woman but I doubt that is a variable…
OK, that means problem with the seal at the base of the toilet. There still could be a clog, but the seal at the bottom of the toilet is what is letting water through. There’s a possibility that the drain pipe or the flange is damaged, too.
Another possibility. You said the woman is heavy. This might mean the toilet isn’t properly shimmed so it rocks when enough pressure is put on one side. The movement will cause wax ring seals to break loose and fail, assuming a wax ring was used. I would say have a different plumber pull the toilet, look for damage drain/flange, reinstall with proper shims and instead of a wax ring, use a Danco Perfect Seal or similar non-wax seal which are tolerant to some wobble.
Also, ensure that it really is coming from the bottom of the toilet and not from the supply line. This should be obvious since it’s clean vs. dirty water, but you literally can just run your fingers along the shut-off valve and supply line and see they are wet. If your plumber got that wrong, she’s not a real plumber.
As I mentioned, check the hose and valve connections. Or you may need a new valve or new hose.
Apparently, when the new ceramic Kohler commode/toilet was installed, as soon as the plumbers left, she used the toilet. Plumber believe there was no time for the cement/glue to dry and that is why there is water coming from underneath toilet - does it make sense to you?
I’m going with this one.
Or the huge bowel movements. A friend’s son broke 3 toilets (including one worth thousands that was supposed to “rice” the movements - ugh).
Have them check ALL the units in the line.
This.
I have never heard of a toilet installation requireing cement/glue or needing time to dry. The only thing would be the silicon/calk around the outside of the base of the toilet, but that has nothing to do with water leaks, it’s just there to prevent dirt and water from getting under the toilet when you mop.
The only thing that makes sense to me is that either that plumber is an idiot or he is a manipulator who is taking you for a ride.
My money is on the latter.
Get a different plumber.
I would suggest you go online and educate yourself about toilets and toilet problems and repair. It isn’t some complicated electronic device, it isn’t rocket science. Toilets are simple affairs with only a handful of things that can go wrong.
No it makes no sense whatsoever, because toilets are not meant to be glued or cemented to the floor. They are set on a wax or other type of ring which creates a seal between the toilet and the sewage pipe. Then the toilet is bolted down into the floor, compressing the ring so it is waterproof.
And if the ring was not set correctly it would be stinky sewage water leaking, not plain water.
Silicone or caulking is beaded around the base of the toilet for cosmetic reasons and to keep dirt from getting in any gap. It has nothing to do with a toilet leaking water.