Tracking Down a Toilet Leak in This 5-Year-Old Townhouse
In this 2020-built townhouse, a leak below the second-floor bathroom signalled trouble.
When our Red Seal Licensed Orleans Plumber removed the toilet, the cause was clear: a toilet flange extension had lifted away from the original ABS flange beneath it, breaking the seal.
The flange connects the toilet to the drainpipe and secures it to the subfloor. With the toilet already pulled, we ran a camera down the open drain to check for any other issues.
What Our Camera Inspection Found
The camera revealed three defects unrelated to the toilet leak, but each one pointed to inevitable trouble ahead.
1. Drain Pipe Lacking Proper Slope
Camera footage showed water pooling in the horizontal 3-inch drain between the toilet and the vertical stack. Without a proper slope, waste wasn’t clearing the pipe completely after each flush.
2. Abandoned Pipes Inside the Main Drain
This discovery required careful inspection. We found two former furnace drain pipes protruding into the 4-inch main drain.
A half-inch drain pipe extended halfway across the interior through the cleanout cover. A second three-quarter-inch pipe penetrated the drain at floor level. Both created obstructions where debris would accumulate over time.
3. Pipe Not Fully Seated in Fitting
The trickiest find came at the basement ceiling.
Where the main bathroom and master bathroom drains join at a 3-inch ABS Y-fitting, one pipe sat approximately half an inch short of full insertion. This gap created a ledge inside the drain where blockages would inevitably start.
How We Repaired the Toilet & Drainage System
For the toilet flange, we installed a new extension secured with multiple screws through both the ABS flange and subfloor. Silicone sealed the connection between flanges, with a wax seal completing the watertight assembly. Three plastic shims stabilized the bowl on the uneven tile floor before we fastened and sealed the base.
For the abandoned pipe penetrations, we replaced the 4-inch cleanout cover and press-fitted a brass cap into the floor-level hole, confirming it was sealed with a flashlight test.
The basement drain correction required cutting out the improperly seated section at the Y-fitting. We removed one and one-quarter inches from the vertical stack to achieve proper slope, then installed a new 3-inch ABS pipe section.
No More Leaks for Richard’s Townhouse
The toilet leak is fixed, drainage now flows with proper slope, and the Y-fitting gap was corrected before it could cause a backup.
What started as a single leak repair became a proactive drainage system correction, all completed in one visit.
Get Toilet Repairs & Drain Inspection in Ottawa Today
Stubborn leaks and hidden drainage defects can exist, even in newer homes.
Plumbing Now’s Licensed Plumbers provide bathroom fixture repairs and detailed camera inspections to diagnose challenging leaks throughout Ottawa communities like Blackburn Hamlet, Gloucester, Cumberland, and surrounding areas. We’re also pet-friendly!
Call us at 613-212-4857.