Wet floorboards around toilet

[_Jonesy_]

I ve just ripped up our bathroom lino to investigate a damp patch on the kitchen ceiling below. It turns out the floorboards surrounding the toilet are completely sodden - water comes out when I press them with a screwdriver, so assuming this has been happening for a little while.

I don t think the waste is leaking - there s no bad smells or mould. The joint between the cistern and the toilet supply is very slightly leaky but it doesn t seem to be causing the damage which is further forward and separated by the panel that conceals the toilet. I m at a bit of a loss where the water is coming from - any suggestions gratefully received!

[crossie]

we've had 2 cracked toilets

Looked perfectly normal but would drip a little every now and again

[MG-Steve]

If there's a leaky joint that is probably the cause.. Fix the leak and see if it solves the issue?

[jimothyc]

Stand closer to the toilet when you’re using it 🤣

[wolfracesonic]

Aim better! Or buy some drain dye, put some in the bowl, flush and see if anything shows up; if not try some in the cistern and see if the problem is there.

[Bill]

You'll be amazed how far it tracks. We had a leaking bog and the the water had got under the engineered floor 1m into the next room.

[allegro]

depends on your loo but I did one recently that had been leaking for 15 years. installer had nicked the flexy hose and it leaked with every flush
floor boards were like tissue paper and the top inch of the joist was the same.
good job the owner was 7 stone!

[Huzzah]

crossie said:

we've had 2 cracked toilets

Looked perfectly normal but would drip a little every now and again

I've had this too.

[Cold]

Out there suggestion - if the flush valve is leaking, the water in the tank is constantly topped up and therefore never gets up to room temperature meaning condensation can form on the outside.

[Little Lofty]

I’d fix the leak you already know about first, it’s amazing how water travels, especially trapped under lino. If that doesn't cure it I would be checking the pan connector next.

[Russet Grange]

I'd be very confident that the pan connector is the problem.

[Beetnik]

Russet Grange said:

I'd be very confident that the pan connector is the problem.

This

[miroku1]

It’ll be something to do with the flush pipe from the cistern , always is , they a terrible design, wouldn’t have that garbage In a house, cheap tat

[Baldchap]

Beetnik said:

Russet Grange said:

I'd be very confident that the pan connector is the problem.

This

[ric19]

I had something similar on my previous house, what it turned out to be, was that the steam from the shower in the same room was condensing on the toilet tank that was in a boxed off section like yours, and then the beads of water were falling off the tank onto the floor.I ended up putting some sheets of polystyrene around the tank to isolate it and it worked..

[Xcore]

Flush cone probably. Whip the panel with the button on and have a look/feel.

[alangla]

Beetnik said:

Russet Grange said:

I'd be very confident that the pan connector is the problem.

This

Yep, this. I managed to cause an identical small leak with a similar result of sodden floorboards by replacing a knackered syphon and managing to disturb the cistern to pan coupling at the pan end. Tiny amount leaked per flush, but it built up under the floor in a similar fitted bathroom to yours.

[_Jonesy_]

Thanks everyone for some really helpful replies. I ended up stripping the whole unit out and the leak was worse than I realised.

Xcore said:

Flush cone probably. Whip the panel with the button on and have a look/feel.

This was right! Thanks. Ended up replacing the whole cistern and all the seals as it had clearly been bodged over the years with various sealants (and a load of paper shoved under the back panel. No leaks now, will let the floorboards dry out and see what happens!

[Hoofy]

Yeah, that doughnut might need replacing. Hidden cisterns look great but late leak detection puts me off them, having had a cistern leak in different places (1 doughtnut, 1 inlet pipe joint). If I had it hidden away, it would have taken longer with a bigger pool of water to discover much later... as you have found!