When a toilet become wobbly or leaks at the bottom, it usually indicates a problem in the connection between the toilet and the closet flange the part that connects the toilet drain to the drain pipe. Alternatives include repairing the toilet or replacing it. Another challenge to a toilet is the need to put in new bathroom flooring. When the floor level is raised an inch or more, it becomes difficult for the toilet to sit squarely on the closet flange, and as a result a toilet leak may develop.

Understanding the parts of the toilet which create a connection between the toilet flange and the toilet outlet, are useful to the homeowner faced with a wobbly toilet or leaking toilet. The word flange is believed to derive from the Old French word flanche or flank or side. A toilet flange is shaped like a ring attached to the top of a hollow metal cylinder piece. The cylindrical walls fit down into the toilet drain pipe, and are bolstered at they fits against the inside of the toilet drain pipe. Because the piece is supported by its contact with the inside of the drain pipe, it is described as a type of flange. The word toilet in the phrase toilet flange comes from the old European word for bathroom the water closet.

In order to insure a tight seal between the closet flange and the toilet outflow horn, plumbers use a wax piece alternatively called a wax ring, or wax seal, a water closet gasket, a gasket or a sealing plastic annular piece. The wax ring can be placed inside the closet flange or over the horn of the toilet outlet. In either case, as the toilet is placed down on the closet flange the weight of the toilet will compress the wax ring and make a tight seal.

These two bolts are alternatively called bolts, toilet bolts, closet bolts or hold-down bolts. As the toilet is being placed squarely on the flange the hold down bolts will come up through holes on either side of the toilet base. The toilet bolts are then held in place with three pieces. A plastic washer fits over the bolt first. A brass washer is placed on top of the plastic washer and a brass nut is carefully screwed on top of the brass washer. The brass nut is tightened sufficiently to hold the toilet in place, but not too tight so as to crack the porcelain toilet. A decorative cap, alternatively called a cap bolt, cap or trim cap is placed on top of the hold down bolts. The weight of the toilet and the bolts plus a layer of plumbers putty places all around the inside of the toilet base, is sufficient to create a good tight toilet deal with the toilet drain pipe.

Fixing a running toilet is one of the basic toilet repair jobs. Often the problem can be diagnosed and even repaired by an amateur plumber. There are a number of good how to articles on the Internet. In this summary article, I have put together the best suggestions from other articles in order to come up with the perfect flow sheet for diagnosing the cause of a running toilet.

1) The first step is inspection. Gently lift the lid of your toilet tank, put it aside and look inside

2) If the tank is full and the flapper is closed and water is running over the top of the overflow tube. Then the flapper is working properly, but the fill valve is working improperly.
a. Turn off the water at the toilet shut off valve
b. Check for a misalignment of the float arm. A misalignment of the float arm allows the water to rise too high and therefore to trickle over into the overflow pipe and continually run into the toilet.
i. Pull up on the float with your hand. If this action stops the flow then adjust the level of the float.
1. If the float is around the valve post, pinch the metal clip and slide the float down the wire.
2. If the float screws in, try unscrewing it a bit and moving it further down the float arm.
3. If there is a ball on an arm, try turning the small screws on top of the valve. Sometimes, you can also bend the arm further down.
4. Make sure the float ball isn’t touching anything else
5. Make sure the float ball isn’t leaking or filling with water.
6. No matter how you adjust the float ball, adjust it so the tank stops filling when the water is about an inch, (2.5cm), below the to;p of the overflow tube.

3) If the flapper won’t close: close the flapper if that stops the leak, consider the following:
a. Is the chain catching on something? dislodged or tangled
b. Is the flapper catching on the chain?
c. Is the float connected too low on a flapper chain (flapper chain float not the ball float) Try raising the float to see if this solves the problem.
d. If none of the above maneuvers solved the problem consider the following:
i. Is the flapper aligned with the opening?
ii. Is the flapper discolored on the bottom, (continuous leak)
iii. Is the flapper simply just old and stiff (and needs replacing)?
iv. If you answered yes to any of these questions, then the problem is an old torn or worn out flapper assembly
v. Replace the flapper

4) If you have a ball seal instead of a flapper, is the wire that lifts the ball straight and does it move freely?

5) Sometimes the leak is the results of sediment and water deposit build-up in the flush valve seat, this can prevent the rubber flapper from dropping into the seat properly, and leads to a leak.
a. Try thoroughly scrubbing and cleaning the valve seat and see if that stops the leak.

6) If the toilet stops filling and then starts again intermittently, you have a slow leak.
a. Place a dye tablet or a few drops of food coloring in the tank if after an hour or two without flushing, you see this dye in the bowl, you have a slow leak
i. The most common cause of slow leaks is a leaky flapper
1. Cleaning may work usually best just to replace the whole flapper
b. Replacing the flapper:
i. To perform the replacement, simply close the valve sticking out of the wall under your toilet tank,
ii. Flush the toilet
iii. Pop the old flapper off its hinges, disconnect it from the chain, and pop the new one into place
iv. Run a finger carefully around the rim where the flapper seats
v. Remove any uneven buildup of minerals that might cause a leak
vi. Use a sponge with bleach to clean the flapper seat.
vii. Open the valve all the way
viii. Try flushing a few times
ix. Trim and adjust the chain by trial and error

7) Occasionally, the valve on the fill tube is low, and close to the water level, the valve may act like siphon and pull water back into the fill tube.
a. Adjust the valve height or tube height up, or adjust the water level down.

Sometimes the valve itself will not stop the water completely
a. If the rubber seals are worn, replace the rubber seals
b. One or more of the non-rubber components may break in the toilet’s water valve mechanism: -
i. Try fixing the broken part with epoxy
c. Replace the whole valve.

The start of mastery of toilet repair is to learn the names of the various parts of the toilet. Some of the parts are known by more than one name, and learning the various slang terms helps to explain their purpose. The parts can be learned in terms of the path water takes when flowing through the toilet.

Three parts of the toilet are made of the familiar porcelain china with which we are familiar. These three parts are the toilet tank, the toilet tank lid and the cistern. Now having got that out of the way, we can follow the path of water through the toilet, and learn the names of the toilet parts.

The water travels through three parts to reach the toilet. It enters via the” line from the main,”, or “water line.” It travels past the “shut-off valve.” And it travels up the “supply line,” or “fill tube.” As the water reaches the toilet, it flow through the regulator fill valve. This valve is variously called, the the “refill valve,” “filler valve,” the float valve,” and the “ballcock valve.” The term float valve is the most generic term and refers across many applications to a valve which is shut off when the water flowing through the valve reaches a certain level. The term ballcock is the most descriptive of the terms and explains how the valve works. The valve consists of a ball and a cock. The ball end of the valve floats on water in the float valve chamber. In this case, the float vlave chamber is the cistern of the toilet, where water is stored. As the water, in the float valve chamber rises, the ball rises. The ball is connected by an arm to the valve. When the ball rises sufficiently, it changes the angle of the connecting arm and cock part of the valve so that the valve works to shut off water flow. The word cock refers to the part of the valve in the end of the supply line which changes position as the ball rises, until it stops off the water flow. The word cock, comes from the the position a rooster makes when it crows, as it tilts its head back slightly in a readying position.

A cock can refer to readying a gun to shoot, or readying a valve. The floating ball is variously referred to as a “float ball,” or a “filler float,”

During filling, the water level in the cistern rises until an inch or two below the top of the “overflow tube.” It is prevented from flowing into the toilet bowl by the “flush valve.” The flush valve consists of a “flapper,” or “flapper ball,” or “tapered float ball,” or “flapper stopper” or “tankball,” which sits in the flush seat, and prevents water from flowing into the toilet bowl. The flapper piece is connected to a chain which is connected to the flush handle by a chain. When the toilet handle is pulled, the chain lifts up and the flapper lifts up and water flows into the bowl.

Newer dual flush toilets, power flush pressure flush and ultra high efficiency flush toilets use additional parts, however the basic fill valve and flush valve mode remains in use.