My Westport Toilet Leaks at the Seal Replacement

Westport Toilets

• The brand of your toilet most likely has little to no effect on a leaking seal, especially a replacement seal. This holds true for Westport because Westport only produces toilet seats. Therefore, while Wesport manufactured your toilet seats, another company manufactured your toilet. The condition of your Westport toilet seat in no way relates to the leak. If you need information on your specific toilet model, find out which company produced your toilet and contact that company.

Toilet Seals

• Toilet seals sit underneath the body of the toilet, where the toilet horn meets your plumbing system at the floor of your bathroom. The toilet horn is the part of the toilet that carries water and waste from the toilet bowl to the plumbing system. Manufacturers almost always make these seals from wax. While wax is effective in preventing leaks, the material eventually breaks down and requires replacing. Replacing a seal may require replacing the entire assembly, not just the seal.

Replacing Seals

• A toilet seal is part of a larger assembly, or unit, composed of numerous parts, and properly replacing a toilet seal may require replacing the entire assembly. This process begins with removing your toilet and all the parts of the existing seal assembly, including bolts, caulk, flange and the the seal itself. Even if the existing flange remains undamaged, you need to remove all parts of the existing gasket and any caulk. The flange is the plastic ring on which the seal sits. Once you remove all existing parts, install a new flange if necessary, and apply caulk to the flange. Place your new seal on top of the caulk and reinstall the bolts.

Leaking Replacement

• A replacement seal for your toilet can leak for a number of reasons. For instance, if your flange breaks or wears out along with your seal and you replace only the seal, water may leak through gaps between the flange and seal created by breaks in the flange. Forgetting to apply new caulk before installing your new seal may allow leaks. Also, your replacement seal itself may prove faulty and wear out very quickly. Movement or impact on a toilet can also move or damage a seal. For instance, if you fall in your bathroom and catch yourself on the toilet, the impact of your weight on the toilet can damage the seal or move it out of place. Contact a plumber if you can't determine why leaking occurs around your replacement seal.