Start the water slowly and watch every connection closely for drips or weeping before you ever sit on the toilet.

After installing the toilet, close the tank fill valve and add water to the bowl and tank manually if needed so you can control pressure and observe connections. Connect the supply line finger tight first, then tighten one quarter to one half turn with a wrench while holding the fitting steady to avoid stressing the tailpiece. Open the shutoff valve very slowly over a full minute so the tank fills gradually and you can see any small weeps at the supply coupling and at the base wax seal. Flush the toilet two or three times while watching the tank bolts, the tank to bowl gasket area, and the floor flange for any signs of moisture. Use a dry paper towel or tissue to run along each joint and around the base after each fill to detect even tiny leaks that might not produce visible drips. If you see weeping at the base, do not use the toilet; tighten the closet bolts a quarter turn at a time and retest, and if that does not stop the leak remove the fixture and replace the wax ring with the correct thickness for your flange height.

Common mistakes include opening the supply valve too quickly which hides slow weeps because pressure forces water past seals before you catch it, so always open slowly and inspect. Over tightening the supply nut can crack fittings or distort seals, so tighten snug then back off a small amount and retest. Ignoring small amounts of moisture at the base is risky because hairline leaks can spread under flooring, so always dry the area, test again after twenty four hours, and remove the toilet to reseat or replace the seal if moisture returns.

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