My toilet leaks when i drain my bathtub...

[canyouhelp]

This had happened several times but not every time... when I drain the tub I'll see a pool of water around the toilet on the floor. The only time it happens is when I drain the tub...

Any ideas?

Thank you so much for any help or advice! I don't want to stop taking baths, lol

 

[Twowaxhack]

Your main drain may be partially clogged and the wax seal is not intact under the toilet.
So when you drain the tub or run the shower the pipe eventually fills up and backs out of the lowest point which could be a bad wax seal under the toilet.

After you drain the tub, flush the toilet a few times and see what happens. Have some towels or a shop vac close.

 

[canyouhelp]

Your main drain may be partially clogged and the wax seal is not intact under the toilet.
So when you drain the tub or run the shower the pipe eventually fills up and backs out of the lowest point which could be a bad wax seal under the toilet.

After you drain the tub, flush the toilet a few times and see what happens. Have some towels or a shop vac close.

Ok, thank you!
So the solution would then be to snake the tub drain?

 

[Twowaxhack]

Ok, thank you!
So the solution would then be to snake the tub drain?

No, the main drain that the toilet uses.

Did you do the test I suggested ?

 

[canyouhelp]

Ok, thank you!
So the solution would then be to snake the tub drain?

The other thing is that it never happens during or after a shower... only when draining the tub and not every time, weirdly ...

 

[Twowaxhack]

While you’re draining the tub, flush the toilet a few times.

Then let me know what happens.

 

[canyouhelp]

No, the main drain that the toilet uses.

Did you do the test I suggested ?

I didn't yet... it's my roommate's house and she gets upset when things are broken or expensive to fix... we both work at home and I don't want to fill the tub up right now because I haven't told her it happened again. I'll try your experiment later this week.

 

[canyouhelp]

We did finally have a plumber come and he thought it was the bad wax seal on the toilet... he resealed it BUT... that wasn't the problem after all... now the water comes from where the wall and floor meet, behind the toilet... I actually put dry paper all along it so I could see what was happening... and yes... it's seeping out from the wall... what could this be from...?

The house was built in the 1960's and is on a concrete slab. This only happens when I take a bath, which I really no longer take... could it be something with the overflow in the tub...? I did do the suggestions before about filling the tub and flushing the toilet but nothing happens when i do that.

I know we need to call another plumber or get that one back. But it's hard to get a plumber right now in my area and we're hoping to have an idea of what could be causing this...

 

[Twowaxhack]

Sounds like you have a leaking tub drain under the slab. Once the area gets saturated the water will push up from under the slab through cracks as it pressurizes.

 

[canyouhelp]

Thank you for your response!

and oy... how expensive do you think it will be to fix?
Does the tub need to be pulled out? All tiles need to be pulled up?

Does that explain why it doesn't happen when I take a shower in there?
If this has been going on for years, do you think there will be mold?

Thank you thank you for any light you can shed or ideas you have.

 

[Twowaxhack]

Your problem is too complex to diagnose on the internet.

I’m giving possibilities that may or may not apply.

If it’s tub water then at some point the tub or the drain is leaking. You’ll need to access the back of the tub to check the waste and overflow and the ptrap.

I’d advise you to get a professional plumber to investigate further.

 

[canyouhelp]

Thank you so much for your help