Toilet Maintenance—Failed Wax Seals Can Cost You !!!

While we use them daily, many folks don’t know exactly how a toilet functions, or the components used when one is installed.  We’ll bypass the functioning part, but there is an installation component, which should be changed every so often, that most people are woefully unaware of.  I refer to the wax seal or ring that a toilet sits on top of which seals around the very base of the toilet and the drain line opening directly underneath it.  These components should be changed whenever a toilet is replaced, or pulled up to snake a line, or whenever a toilet has had to have excessive plunging done on it.  They should also be replaced every 5 –10 years due to age and decay.  Failure to do so can result in slow and insidious leaks which can damage the ceiling and walls of the unit below.  Sometimes mold can start.  And the thing is, this component is the responsibility of each owner to maintain and replace.  So if damages to an adjacent unit occur because of a failed wax ring, you will be responsible for the cost of repairs.  We’ve seen a number of such wax ring leaks and associated damages here at West Ocean, so please take heed and take action if warranted.