This might sound like a niche problem, right? As long as your toilet flushes, doesn’t leak, and just works in general, then who cares if it’s securely bolted to the floor? We understand this sentiment, and we don’t want to tell any homeowners how they should live their lives.
However, an unbolted or unsecured toilet can not only be a safety hazard, but it could potentially lead to leaks and other issues down the line. There’s a good reason why every home inspection when purchasing a new house includes checking the toilet’s seal on the floor. This is a vital part of your bathroom, and we urge homeowners not to forget about it.
If you’ve recently noticed that your toilet is starting to wobble, or that the seal is starting to wear down, then don’t hesitate to call our team for toilet plumbing in Strongsville, OH. We’ve got your back!
A Bolted Down Toilet Is Safer
If you’ve got young kids in the house, or perhaps you’re taking care of an elderly family member, you’re going to need your toilet bolted down or at least secured to the floor. A secure toilet makes it easier to avoid hazardous situations, like tripping or falling, since a toilet is a heavy object which is difficult to move.
This doesn’t just happen to elderly people and kids: it happens to everyone! Toilets can rock back and forth, and when you’re putting all of your weight on a fixture you’re supposed to sit on, it can cause you to fall over if it’s not secured like any type of furniture.
Keep this in mind when you’re trying to think about whether professional toilet repair services are worth the cost.
The Floor Seal Is Important to Prevent Leaks
Underneath your toilet is a plumbing system that both provides the toilet system with water and also drains the waste out of it. When the wax seal is broken, and when the toilet rocks back and forth, this can ruin the integrity of your plumbing system, causing certain pipes or water lines to deteriorate, bend, and eventually break.
You’re much more likely to have a toilet leak when the system isn’t bolted down properly, than when you’ve got a secured toilet.
The Wax Seal Could Be Broken
There should be a secure wax seal between your toilet system and the floor. This makes it easy for when you need to mop the floor, or when your toilet overflows, so that no contaminated water leaks underneath the toilet and causes mold to grow, or your home to deteriorate.
If your toilet isn’t securely bolted to the floor, you could rip open that wax seal accidentally and cause some major problems in the future. It’s important to think about the long-term of your toilet system, and not just about problems that might affect you and your family immediately. This is one of those issues that might not show its worst signs until much later.