Pro Handyman Blog

A toilet wax ring stops waste from leaking out from between the base of the toilet and the flange (although you may notice it on the floor). If your toilet bolts corrode and break, the toilet base will move and can cause a gap that allows waste to leak out. The toilet horn may move enough that the wax ring doesn’t direct the waste into the drain and now you get to replace it.

You may also get a leak if you have changed the flooring in the bathroom. I see this a lot when people will install a ceramic tile floor or other thick flooring material. If you previously had vinyl, and now have added ceramic tile, slate, stone, etc., the toilet base has been effectively raised farther away from the flange that it mounts to. So just installing one wax ring may not be enough. I’ve been on lots of calls where the homeowners have installed a new floor and used just one wax ring to reset the toilet. The leak they have can be fixed by stacking 2 wax rings, one on top of the other. Use the wax rings with the rubber diverter built in. They tend to maintain their shape well and will help in directing the waste down the drain.