If tightening the bolts doesn't help, you'll have to remove the toilet and replace the wax gasket. Be careful not to apply too much pressure you can crack the toilet's base.

Then use a wrench to alternately tighten each bolt, a little at a time. Use a putty knife or slotted screwdriver to pry off the caps that are covering the bolts.

If water is leaking from beneath the toilet, you might be able to stop it by simply tightening the closet bolts that secure the toilet to the floor. Wait until a new puddle appears on the floor, then check to make sure the water is seeping out from under the toilet and not coming from a loose supply tube, faulty shutoff valve, cracked tank or sweaty bowl. Soak up the water from the floor with a sponge and dry off the toilet with a towel. But in some cases the problem lies elsewhere. Water pooling around the base of the toilet is a good indication that the wax seal has failed. Below you’ll learn how to install a new wax gasket to create a watertight seal between the toilet and the closet flange and install a new flexible water-supply tube. The leak is usually caused when the seal under the toilet fails.

Install toilet tank bolts