hi i have drip leak from my toilet pvc pipe to the wall
can put sealent or putty over it
see images
Hello @workman
I'm afraid at this point in time, I suggest engaging the services of a registered plumber. Using a wax sealer isn't going to be enough to stop the leak. Generally speaking, the toilet pan must be removed in order to swap out the broken rubber seal with a new one.
If you need further assistance, please let us know.
Eric
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's marvellous to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about fixing a toilet leak.
There are two parts that have possibly failed in the plumbing. One is called the Holman 100mm DWV Rubber Pan Collar and the second part is called the collar pan locking ring. The locking ring is part of the Holman 100mm DWV PVC Standard Pan Collar that holds the rubber in place.
To repair the leak its best to replace the rubber seal, but if you are after a temporary fix, I suggest using Selleys 310g Translucent Roof And Gutter Silicone Sealant. If you apply this silicone sealant it's best to let it cure first before you attempt to use the toilet again. Please keep in mind that this is a temporary seal and there is no telling how long it will last.
I also recommend having a look at this discussion - Can a vario pan collar seal be replaced with a standard Holman pan collar seal. This discussion will give you a very good idea of how the pan collar is repaired.
However, if the repair becomes too difficult, I suggest engaging the services of a registered plumber.
If you need further assistance, please let me know.
cheers but i think this is a wax seal
Hi @workman
Unfortunately, the only wax seal that the store has is the Fluidmaster Universal Wax Pan Seal and it does not look the same as the one on your photo. I suggest double checking before purchasing any spare parts.
Hello @workman your toilet design looks similar to ours which developed an ever so slight drip leak, on disassembly it was found the rubber seal couldn't be removed with any finagling because the outlet pipe was too far inserted into the toilet pan (note the uneven gap around the seal), as I didn't want to either remove the pan itself OR replace the PVC outlet pipe I went with plan B
Thoroughly cleaned all porcelain & PVC surfaces completely removing all seal debris, rotated the seal 180° to place the most pristine section of the seal at the base of the joint and then proceeded to reinforce the seal and outer coupling cover with a bead of Monarch's finest silicone sealant (using thier mini caulking gun)... no leaks since.
Whilst you may have more success replacing the seal, if unable to source an appropriate wax seal a mini caulking gun & silicone would help you re-seal that coupling.
cheers yes i am going to use silicone it looks to hard for me to fix & plumbers don't want to do it
Please keep us updated with your progress, we look forward to seeing your pan collar fixed.
hi cheers for your advice on my photo it shows an orange colour
is that wax did you have to scrape that out
Let me tag @DIYGnome to make them aware of your question. If I recall they only mentioned that the porcelain and PVC pipes were thoroughly cleaned before the silicone was applied. There was no mention of the seal being removed. I only suggest that once the area is totally clean make sure that it is dry before you apply the silicone seal.
Hello @workman, yes I completely disassembled the PVC coupling (mine had been previously sealed with silicone) as I had every intention of replacing the rubber seal, the outer PVC coupling ring is an interference fit and will require twisting/pulling force to release, picking away at that hardened wax seal will reduce effort required, it was only on disassembly I discovered the outlet pipe was too far recessed into the Porcelain outlet recess that I changed tact. If you can remove & replace the seal that would be best practice, negating that rotate the seal 180° so as to place the most pristine section of the seal at the base of the joint. The Porcelain & PVC joint will require all debris to be completely removed or the silicone will be compromised and likely leak again.BTW it's worth emptying the cistern and shutting off the refill tap to avoid a potential accidental flush.
hi cheers for your advice can you give me some tips i have to turn it
to the wall to open it what about the clips i don't want to break them hows it done
did you get advice from a video or internet
Hello @workman I am not aware of any specific online guide although I didn't search, necessity is the mother of innovation and finding solutions moving forward is how I approached this project, after clearing away the wax seal as best as is practicable twist the outer ring coupler, I turned it anti-clockwise but as I said previously it's an interference fit so direction should have no bearing (just convenience).
I used bare hand strength but in hindsight a strap wrench would have been just as suitable (nothing abrasive), as the outer ring coupler dislodges keep removing old seal as it becomes accessible, now you can commence wriggling or working the coupler ring back along the PVC pipe... all whilst clearing away the seal.
cheers
here is another way of getting a new seal to stay on by using a hose clamp to hold the rubber seal, this can be tightened enough to stop any leak, it might not look good, but it works.
hi cheers for advice what is the rubber used under the clamp
hi can the plastic pan collar locking ring be tightened to stop the leak towards me
This is the seal between the toilet outlet and sewer pipe
The plastic pan collar locking ring is a fixed size and can't be reduced or altered.
hi i was told you can tap the locking ring forward gently is this true
also i am getting good advice from you & others i want to do a temporary fix not silicone because its hard & might be difficultto remove laterdoes bunnings have a putty that doesn't harden i don't need much to put in that gapcheers
Yes, you can gently tap the locking ring forward to prevent splitting it. However, there is no guarantee that the locking ring will come off in one piece. There is a plumber's putty called Bostik Sealant 250g Plumbers Putty, but I recommend letting it cure properly before you start using your toilet. I'm sorry but I'm not aware of a soft putty that seals leaks.
Hello @workman I've been thinking about this issue again recently and am of the opinion that despite your reservations regarding silicone, it's not difficult to remove, clean up or apply, equally I am unaware of how hard those Plumber's putties cure (or how difficult they are to remove). For a temporary solution (that will likely last years) a continuous bead of silicone on the front and back of the locking ring should see you right.
hi how did you get the pan seal on to the pipe to clamp it
Hi Eric i made a mistake i put silicone left but its not coming from there itscoming from the back right see pixcan i use Fluidmaster Universal Wax Pan Seal to stuff it in there or is it this one see pixotherwise its going to take heaps of silicone to plug itwhat do you think
Hello @workman I am sorry I wasn't clearer, applying silicone to just one side of the coupler ring is only doing half the job, a seal can only be achieved with 100% coverage.
hi Eric you wanted an update silicone applied to both sides seems to be working
That's great to hear @workman. Well done on finding a solution.
Many thanks for the update.
Mitchell
