Does your toilet leak the water around the base? If so, your toilet wax ring may be worn out. When it works well, the wax ring makes a watertight seal between the toilet base and the drain pipe. Unfortunately, the wax will fail over time, which can lead to water leaking into the ground. The great news is that popping up in an alternative wax ring will resolve this problem.

How to Replace the Wax Ring on Your Toilet 

Step 1: Drain, Dry, and Disconnect

Switch off the water supply line, which leads from the wall to the toilet. The water supply valve is placed behind the toilet. You can easily twist the valve by hand, but if it is not moved in many years, it might be sticky. 

Flush the toilet to drain as much water as possible from the bowl and tub. If you have a dry vacuum, you can also use it to absorb the remaining water. Otherwise, to dry the bowl and tub completely, you will need to use a combo of plunging, hand warming, or sucking with towels.

After this process, disconnect the water supply line from the toilet tank’s bottom. 

Step 2: Prepare the Base for Removal 

Once you have reached this stage in the process of replacing the wax ring, be prepared to intensify things. If you’re not comfortable with the idea of moving the toilet, you can call a professional plumber. 

First, remove the protective caps, which are covered by the bolts at the base of the toilet. Using an adjustable wrench, remove both washers and bolts. Now you’re ready to remove the toilet. 

Step 3: Scrape it Away 

Using a putty knife, remove the old wax ring from the toilet’s bottom and from the floor-mounted plumbing, known as the toilet flange. Before you install the new wax ring, clean and dry the flange thoroughly. 

Step 4: Place the Toilet Wax Ring

At this stage, all you have to do is affix your new wax ring to the toilet’s bottom. You can connect it to the flange’s top. Some wax rings are self-adhesive and have some differences in design, so you must refer to the instruction manual. 

Focus on the wax ring and carefully reduce the flange of the toilet, ensure the bolt holes in the bottom of the toilet area with the holes in the flange. 

Finally, lift the toilet again to align. Your new wax ring should be comfortable to “smooth” between the two objects.

Step 5: Take a Seat

Now you well deserve the rest! It’s time to take a seat. Close the toilet lid and sit down on the toilet. Compress the wax ring with your body weight and push the toilet into place. Move your weight around a number of times to fulfill this process. 

Step 6: Give a Good Flush 

This is the last step. Once you complete this process, simply replace the bolt covers, and mounting bolts, attach the water supply line and switch on the water supply line valve. Give a couple of test flushes to the toilet while carefully checking for any signs of leakage.

If you don’t see any moisture come from the toilet’s bottom, it is good to go.