Leaks from the bottom (not condensation, verified), and frequently slow to flush. Wax ring replaced, then heavy duty wax ring, then double wax rings, flange (I think he said) repaired, new bolts installed. All in 2 years.
It’s in a rental; tenant is an old old lady who weighs maybe 90 lbs. She is infirm, but can walk, and there is a floor mounted “booster” seat thing on it. She has different caretakers who come in.
In the most recent plumber visit (3rd plumber, 2 home repairs and another plumber no longer in business), this guy’s second visit, he says he thinks the problem is in the main line, that it’s partially clogged, perhaps roots, and it needs a camera run thru as a blockage is possibly is building up pressure and putting same on the wax ring, causing the failures.
BF is a commercial contractor, and he says he doubts that’s the issue. I have inexpensive access to a camera, and probably someone to scope it out. What are your thoughts? Duplex, built in the 60’s, purchased by me 7 years ago. City sewers, 1 meter.
Have you confirmed that the toilet is not cracked? Likewise the closet flange, although you say that was repaired. Not sure how one of those would be repaired. - usually if one of those breaks, you replace it, which is somewhere between a pain in the ass and a cast-iron bitch of a job.
As for slow flushing, have you tried dumping a couple gallons of water into the bowl to see if that flushes quickly? Good flushing with a bucket probably means the flush valve up in the tank isn’t working right. Otherwise, the sewer vent may be clogged, or something may be partially clogging the toilet itself.
Have you verified that it isn’t leaking from where the water enters the tank? My toilet does this occasionally. The water doesn’t run down the water line, it drips from the nut, so until I actually touched the nut, everything on the toilet seemed dry. Took me a little while to figure out where the water was coming from.
To me the problem appears in the fact that the wax ring was replaced then doubled up. Any plumber should know better. Although it might work you do not double up on a wax ring. Why do they do it? Because the flange is not level with the surface of the floor.
I would check the wax ring first. Remove the toilet. Clean off all residue wax ring debris. Put a level or straight edge across the floor over the flange. The flange must be not more than 1/8 to 1/4 inch below the surface of the floor. If it is, get flange adjusting ring to raise the flange so its flush with floor (their cheap and available at most home improvement stores). Then get a new wax ring with the rubber tube in the middle to direct waste and water to the drain. Then set toilet on flange with wax ring and give a slight twist to seat the toilet. Get someone who is a bit heavier than the 90 pound tenant to sit on it and “seat or force it down” onto the flange. Tighten floor bots snuggly. If no leaks, about a day later re-check bolts and tighten firmly but do not over tighten as to bend flange or break toilet.