I suspect my toilet tank may be leaking for some reason.
I found my bathroom floor (tiles and grout) wet one morning when I got up.
Since then I saw leak twice.
3 professional plumbers checked everything in bath and can find nothing wrong.
They all said "they cannot fix anything unless they actually SEE it.
I don't know how to proceed.
Would a battery operated leak detector help in this situation?
Should I just change the entire toilet and tank?
Please advise if you can.
Thank You for your help.
Mary

Well its not that hard to figure out. A tank can only leak from a few places. It can leak around the bolts that hold the tank to the bowl, It can leak where the flush valve in the tank fits to the bowl. It can leak from the flush handle. It can leak where the fill valve is attached to the tank.It can leak if there is a crack in the tank.
I think you can eliminate a cracked tank. A cracked tank would leak all the time. So would a leak around the bolts that hold the tank to the bowl.

Lay paper towels on the floor under the tank. Place a couple tissue boxes on the paper towel. Then place paper towels on top of the tissue boxes. The purpose of the tissue boxes is to keep second paper towels up off the floor. Place a paper towel under the stop valve. Wrap a paper towel around the supply tube between the stop valve and the tank. Tape a paper towel to the tank under the flush handle.

If the paper towels on top of the tissue boxes gets wet the leak is indeed coming from the tank above. If the paper towels on the floor are wet and the towels on top of the tissue boxes are dry then the leak is coming from underneath the bowl and you need to replace the wax ring. If the paper towel under the stop valve is wet but the one wrapped around the supply tube is dry then the stop valve is leaking or the connection of the supply tube to the stop valve is leaking. If the paper towel wrapped around the supply is wet then the leak is where the supply tube connects to the fill valve or where the fill valve is connected to the tank.
If the paper towel taped to the tank under the flush handle is wet then the over flow tube is higher than the hole for the flush handle and the fill valve is not stopping the incoming water properly. Repair fill valve and cut off over flow tube so that it is lower than the hole for the flush handle.

From you description I suspect that you have a partial blockage in the sewer line and the wax ring is leaking.

Depending on where you live and humidity level it could be condensation from the outside of the tank and cold supply water.

Thanks to hkstroud for the lengthy, detailed answer.
I forgot to explain the first time that I actually "saw" drops of water coming from the bottom front left corner of the tank itself.
That last March, 2013 a Plumber replaced some parts inside the tank and replaced all the bolts with new.
You concluded that it may be the wax ring leaking.
If this were the case then why would I see drops of water on the bottom of the tank as described above?
Since I found the floor wet that morning (Aug 20,2013) - I keep a pan under the spot with paper towels and cotton towels around it.
One morning Sat.Aug. 31st, water had leaked into the pan and splattered around it.
I will also try your remedy.
Thank You again.
Mary
Florida, USA.

Hi Mary, you should have just continual further questions on the original post. As Brian ask, have you eliminated condensation as the problem? Good luck

This morning I noticed drops of water coming from underneath the toilet handle.
I also noticed it from left side underneath tank two weeks ago.
It stops for 10 days or so then I notice it again.
3 Plumbers inspected everything in the past three or four weeks and can't find anything wrong and they leave without fixing anything.
Any suggestions as to why the toilet handle leaks.
The water level inside the tank is where it should be they told me.
Nothing inside the tank is rusty. All bolts etc. were replaced last March.
Please advise.
Thanks.

Top of overflow tube should be below the level of the toilet flush handle. Otherwise you risk the possibility of the fill valve not shutting off properly and water leaking out around the flush leaver.

Apparently your overflow tube is too high and the fill valve is failing intermittently. Cut off overflow tube and repair or replace fill valve.

Harold nailed it. Overflow tube is to high. Should be about 1'' below handle hole.

Chuck

Am writing again for help!
I have had 5 plumbers here since Aug. 20, 2013. The first four could see nothing wrong and so did nothing, except charge me.
Yesterday, the person who came changed the filler valve inside the tank and adjusted the overflow tube as apparently the previous one was too high and allowing drops of water to seep out under the HANDLE.
This morning I noticed the bowl I had placed underneath (just to make sure), was full of water. It had leaked again during the night.
Any suggestions?
I am a senior and this is very stressful.
I have only one bathroom.
Thank You.

Hi forever, when you sit on the toilet do you lean against the back? Sometimes?

Where do you set the bowl? Is it under the hose going into the toilet? Is it under the valve that comes out of the wall?

If you can tell us where we will be able to help you. It may be as simple as tightening a bolt.

Chuck

Can a spray type sealer be used around a toilet handle to prevent leaking?

No.

But why not just replace it? It's not really that difficult to do.

Or lower the water level.

A toilet handle is not water tight, nor is it suppose to be. If water is leaking around toilet handle, the water level in the tank is too high and so is the overflow pipe. Adjust fill valve for proper water level. Top of the overflow pipe should be below the toilet handle. Cut off overflow pipe to 1" below handle hole. Water level should be 1" below top of overflow pipe.

I agree, there should not be water at that level to leak. How or why is water reaching that level ?

Which part of the toilet is the Aerator and what is the function of that part?

Hi FR

An aerator is NOT associated with toilets in any way that I am aware of. Instead, aerators are associated with bathroom and kitchen sink faucets... found at the end of the spout, and actually manipulates the water stream to reduce splashing (creates bubbles in the water via air and aerator parts) and they can be removed and cleaned.

Why are you asking?

Mark

I'm curious. What made you think that a aerator (see image) is part of a toilet fill valve? Back to you, Tom