Toilet pipe leaking - DIY or call a plumber?

E.T.

I noticed a bad smell in my ensuite for the last week, had a look at the pipe coming out of the toilet and the rubber connector between the toilet pipe and the pipe going into the wall (sorry I'm not sure of the right terminology for any of this!) is misshapen and when I flush the toilet water is dripping out from the bottom of the seal. It's the side of the connector where the pipe from the toilet is going in that's leaking.

I googled the problem and DIY and found a video which just said to use some 'plumber's mate' to seal it up. http://www.lets-do-diy.com/Video/Bathroom/Fixing-a-leak-around-a-toilet-soil-pipe.aspx

Is this a good enough solution or should I be calling in a plumber to replaced the seal altogether? The house is about 12 years old and I've never had any problem like this with any of the toilets before.

sullzz

hi, sounds like your talking about the multiwik , i wouldnt bother trying to seal it up with anything , i have been to many jobs where people tried to repair similar leaks with silicone and other types of sealents , it may fix it for a short while but it will leak again , and when it does it makes it harder for the plumber to repair as the silicone etc. will be after going hard. the best thing you can do is just replace the multiwik. if you are not confident in doing it yourself get a plumber to do it , its not a major job.

E.T.

Thanks sullz any idea of what a plumber would charge to fix it?

Joey the lips

Hi ET

This is a funny problem. Its not something I would professionally rec you attemt to seal but as a diyer i would and something like tec7 would be fine.

The reason I rec you attempt it is the toilets do not come out easy and the bowls usually break. This usually ends up costing you a new toilet.

However a plumber should be able to advise you.

If you use clear tec 7 at the back you should not notice it. I one seen someone use bosswhite mixed with toilet roll and allowed to set... It looked awful but worked and as no one could see it... Who cares.

sullzz

Joey the lips wrote: »

Hi ET

This is a funny problem. Its not something I would professionally rec you attemt to seal but as a diyer i would and something like tec7 would be fine.

The reason I rec you attempt it is the toilets do not come out easy and the bowls usually break. This usually ends up costing you a new toilet.

However a plumber should be able to advise you.

If you use clear tec 7 at the back you should not notice it. I one seen someone use bosswhite mixed with toilet roll and allowed to set... It looked awful but worked and as no one could see it... Who cares.

dont use tec 7 to fix a leak, tec7 turns almost solid when it sets , if you use this and the leak does not stop you will never get a new multiwik to seal .
i honestly dont think that your toilet is going to break when taking it out , its only fitted 12 years its not as if its fitted into a cast iron pipe ,
as i said already its not a major job to do right , for the sake of about 10 euro for a new multiwik and about 60 for a plumber to do it , the job will be done right , rather than a tube of tec 7 ( about 15 euro) and then getting a plumber out after to spend even longer to put it right .

kaizer13

sullzz wrote: »

dont use tec 7 to fix a leak, tec7 turns almost solid when it sets , if you use this and the leak does not stop you will never get a new multiwik to seal .
i honestly dont think that your toilet is going to break when taking it out , its only fitted 12 years its not as if its fitted into a cast iron pipe ,
as i said already its not a major job to do right , for the sake of about 10 euro for a new multiwik and about 60 for a plumber to do it , the job will be done right , rather than a tube of tec 7 ( about 15 euro) and then getting a plumber out after to spend even longer to put it right .

I agree.

Do the job the correct way as bodges can come back to bite you.

You have been offered the opportunity to further develop your diy skills, take it!

Should you get stuck, there is a wealth of freely available experience within these forums.

Go for it!

Joey the lips

sullzz wrote: »

dont use tec 7 to fix a leak, tec7 turns almost solid when it sets , if you use this and the leak does not stop you will never get a new multiwik to seal .
i honestly dont think that your toilet is going to break when taking it out , its only fitted 12 years its not as if its fitted into a cast iron pipe ,
as i said already its not a major job to do right , for the sake of about 10 euro for a new multiwik and about 60 for a plumber to do it , the job will be done right , rather than a tube of tec 7 ( about 15 euro) and then getting a plumber out after to spend even longer to put it right .

I dont agree but i did say that there is 2 ways.... I dont believe this toilet will come out ok. But sure its up to the op.

kaizer13 wrote: »

I agree.

Do the job the correct way as bodges can come back to bite you.

You have been offered the opportunity to further develop your diy skills, take it!

Should you get stuck, there is a wealth of freely available experience within these forums.

Go for it!

I never said "bodge" I said DIY and professional. I also rec what to do as a pro. For the record I never suggest bodge jobs. I have a reputaion outside boards.

LookBehindYou

Dont try seal it with anything, the rubber lips do the sealing. The toilet bowl may have moved a little, so try move the connector around a bit and it may seal proper again. Failing that, just go buy a flexible connector in B+Q or any other place, and replace it in place.(depending on the space)
Its a diy job, not rocket science.

items

Must be the multi wick. I've found the collar that keeps the rubber ring in place popping off a number of times causing leaks. Another one is the rubber ring becomes brittle over time. A loose pan normally creates the leaking problem in both cases.

Provided the leak is only slight as in a weep its no problem to use tech 7 to wipe over sealing a weep. Once the multi is not blocked etc their is no water pressure inside so tech 7 is acceptable.

In the ideal world taking out pan and fitting a new multi is best but depending on type of leak taking out pan may only cause more hassel.
Fixing screws tend to be almost unusable, both inside cistern and fixing pan. Sometimes the multiwick is fixed inpositon, either by tiles or some kind of old clay to pipe new conversion.

So a choice of risking damage to cisten, pan and tile / floor or wiping over a slight weep with tech 7, I'd go for tech 7 but all depends on how bad leak is and most importantly, how deep wallet is.

Davy

I would go with replacing the multi wick personally once the pan is going to come out ok. If the pan was tiled around, rather then underneath, then i wouldn't be taking it out.