Warning: Don't waste money on those rubber gaskets for toilet tank bolts

I spent $12 on a 4 pack of those rubber gaskets that go between the tank and the bowl. Thought they'd stop a slow leak I had. After 3 hours of draining and refilling, the leak got worse. Turns out the old wax ring was just loose, cost me $4 to fix and 20 minutes. Anyone else fall for a cheap fix that backfired?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_mary16d agoTop Commenter

Wait hold on actually those rubber gaskets you mentioned aren't really the same thing as a wax ring at all, they go between the tank bolts and the tank itself to stop leaks around the bolt holes not where the tank meets the bowl. The wax ring is for the bowl to the floor flange connection so if your leak was coming from between the tank and bowl you'd need new tank to bowl gaskets not the bolt gaskets. I made that same mistake once buying the wrong size gasket for my toilet and ended up with water all over the floor, it's super easy to mix up the parts when you're just trying to fix a leak fast.

carter.laura15d ago

Guess that means I should've checked my work before my bathroom turned into a slip'n'slide.

reese12415d ago

@the_mary I get what you're saying but honestly I think you might be overcomplicating it a bit. When people say wax ring they usually mean the whole toilet seal setup including the tank to bowl gasket thing, it's just easier to call it all the same thing when you're panicking over a leak. Yeah technically you're right about the bolt gaskets vs the actual wax ring but in practice most folks just grab the kit that comes with everything and call it a day. I've messed up the sizes too though so I feel your pain on that one, those little differences can screw you over fast.

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