Problems with a leaking toilet!

[The Plumber Guy]

Hi all,

Well, I've come across a toilet that hasn't been playing the plumbing game this afternoon. My customer bought it from Wickes - close-coupled, cheap as chips and with plastic pins that hold the cistern on the pan. I've siliconed these because they connect through holes in the bottom of the cistern and they don't appear to be leaking.

As near as I can tell, the leak is coming from where the doughnut sits on top of the pan and water runs down the left hand pin as you look at the toilet from the front.

Everything is new and the syphon is firmly in place. I've done hundreds of toilets in the past and haven't had any problems. I know I don't have to put silicone anywhere near the doughnut and would prefer to avoid this so can anyone please shed any light on why the thing is still leaking?! Thanks in advance as I'm feeling a bit thick at the moment!

 

[jdstratton@btin]

Try some plumber's mate under the doughnut. Not too much though , just a smear .

Make sure the cistern is pulled to the pan square .

 

[SilentMike]

you say its a closed coupled toilet but has holes in the cistern for fixing?

 

[SimonG]

Much prefer the stainless bolts that fasten to the cistern first and then fix through the holes in the pan. Not keen on the plastic ones that go through cistern and pan in one go. Get another doughnut for it or a squirt of silicone, not ideal but will do the job.

 

[TomLane]

Not ideal, but may eliminate water leaking through holes where plastic bolts go through, is to try sealing the holes off with silicone & plastic plugs & use a WC close coupling kit?!

Alternatively, make sure the doughnut is a rubber one & not a foam one. From experience I have found they seal better than the cheaper foam type.

 

[Paulus]

It is probably just the cheap foam doughnut. When you take it apart you should be able to tell whether the leak is from the cistern coupling nuts or the doughnut. If it is the doughnut just replace with a rubber one as Tom says.