Large stains suddenly appeared on wall and ceiling below second story bath which is unused. No previous problems in 20 year old house, with upper bath being unused for approx last 7-8 years. Wife flushed toilet yesterday, as she does periodically, and says she thinks she did not see any water in bottom of bowl before flush filled bowl. Stains appeared less than 24 hours later. Prior flushes (weeks or more ago) had no problems. Questions: can wax ring "dry out" and suddenly leak when new water hits it; can PVC pipe joints suddenly develop leaks after long disuse; will a leaking wax ring allow water to leak below the floor or out onto the floor?? Other thoughts on cause of leak stains?
Thanks, Ken
Sudden leak from toilet after years of no problems
toilet
Related Topic
- Plumbing issue throughout house – gurgling coming from shower, bubbling in toilet, standing water in drain of shower
- Mysterious toilet leak
- Question about picking best wax gasket for toilet (specifically Toto)
- Plumbing – Can a clogged toilet drain cause a tank overflow
- Water draining from toilet after flush
- Toilet Leaks – Diagnosing and Fixing Weird Toilet Leaks
- Plumbing Issue – How to Fix a Strange Leak from Toilet Refill Valve
Best Answer
Yes, wax rings can "dry out" when it breaks down causing shrinkage, hardening, and cracking. In your case, an old(er), rarely used toilet with a dried out wax ring might have broken when someone sat on the toilet.
Leakage would also be noted around the base of the toilet though, if it's not a lot of water, may be hidden by the toilet base. If one puts his nose to the toilet base and smells sewer gas...yep...broken ring.
Note: One should periodically run water in all bathroom fixtures to ensure water in P-traps doesn't evaporate.
Removing a toilet is not difficult. Buy a new wax ring and replace the one you have. If water stains continue, move on to some other possibility.
No. There's no characteristic of PVC drain pipe that would lead to leaking after extended disuse. But you state water is run periodically; therefore, there's no real disuse...just not frequent use.