On being ... insufficiently self-sufficient?

By Ingrid Sapona 

Unexplained water on the floor near one of my toilets has been of concern and puzzlement. About eight months ago I stepped on the bathmat by the toilet and my sock immediately felt wet. When I bent down to feel the memory foam bath mat, I realized it was totally soaked. I dried the floor and tried to figure out where the water came from. I checked all the things one would normally check and I could find no obvious source for water. 

I then laid paper towels around the base of the toilet and continually (ok, maybe obsessively) monitored them for moisture. Three or four days passed and there was no wetness. Strange… The only thing I could think of was perhaps I had knocked over the toilet brush holder and perhaps it had water in it and I didn’t even realize it until the mat had absorbed the spill. Anyway, the floor remained dry and eventually I put the bath mat back and relaxed a bit. 

Because I got a new toilet when I did the en suite renovation in September, I had the plumber move the old toilet into the guest bathroom. (It’s taller than the original one that was in there.) I used the guest bathroom during the en suite renovation and all was well. 

Then, about a month ago I happened to be putting something in the guest bathroom and I noticed that the bath mat near the toilet looked darker than usual. With a bit of trepidation, I stepped onto it and my sock got soaked. Ugh… What now? 

I knew that when the plumber moved the old toilet, he used a new seal gasket, which explains why there wasn’t a visible pool of water. (In fact, he didn’t use a wax one, he used one that’s more durable.) So, as with the incident back in March, it seems there must be a trickle that’s unnoticeable but that the memory foam absorbs over time. 

I called the contractor to give him a heads up that there was maybe something wrong with the toilet that had been moved. He had me check the typical possibilities (condensation, dripping from the water line, etc.) and I assured him there was no obvious moisture. Ironically, he had been here the day before because he was finishing some grouting in the en suite. He said that, in fact, he had poured a bucket of water down that toilet and flushed it and it seemed fine. Though he didn’t think he had spilled any water, at least that was a possible explanation. I said I’d monitor it. After a few days with all the paper towels still dry, I put the bath mat back and (again) breathed a sigh of relief.  

Well, one day this week the bath mat was soaked again. This time the contractor came over to see for himself. I took some solace in watching him checking all the things I had checked and – like me – he was stumped. He didn’t have time or the equipment with him to disconnect the toilet but his best guess is that the water shutoff valve or the hose is the cause of the ever-so-slow dripping. He put down some new paper towels and said we should wait to see. 

I told him I’d just as soon get a new one. I pointed out that it’s happened three times now in two different locations (which is why I don’t think it’s the water shutoff valve) and that I find it worrisome – and stressful – to just wait. He indicated that if he were me, he’d wait because even a new toilet can be defective. I appreciated his looking out for my wallet – not to mention not adding unnecessarily to landfills – but I don’t want to take the chance. He relented, saying he’ll come install it Monday. 

The next day, as I was waiting for Home Depot to deliver the new toilet, I noticed the paper towels were wet! At that point I turned off the water to the toilet, as I don’t need any more proof that there’s a problem. When the contractor comes on Monday, I truly hope that whatever the problem is it will be obvious – but I doubt it will be. 

I have a strong need to feel self-sufficient and this whole toilet thing has really challenged me on that front. Making matters worse is that there are all sorts of YouTube videos – and believe me I’ve watched many – that explain that toilets are so straightforward that only a few things that can cause problems. And of course, they make it look like all you need is a wee bit of strength and nerve and you should be able to tackle the job yourself. 

Though I know that when the contractor comes on Monday, part of me will feel like a wimpy female because maybe a guy would have waited. But I think at the end of the day there are two things that will help me salvage a bit of self-respect: first, I’m mature enough to admit when a task is beyond my ability, and second, I’ve worked hard all these years so at least I’m in the position where I can afford to buy a new toilet and to pay someone to install it. Here’s to a dry bathroom this Christmas! 

Happy Holidays to you and yours… 

© 2024 Ingrid Sapona