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Toilets typically connect to your main vent stack, a vertical pipe that runs through all finished levels of your home and exits through the roof. It’s located behind the walls, but if you have an unfinished basement or a utility closet, you may find a portion of it running the vertical length of the space. Some basement toilets use an air admittance valve instead, which is a small vent located in the wall directly behind the toilet that extends upward a few feet from the drain.

The Thanksgiving holiday period is one of the busiest times of the year for plumbers. Both Thanksgiving Day and the day after, often called Black Friday or "Brown Friday" by plumbing professionals, see a significant increase in service requests. This is because a house full of guests, large holiday meals, and unfamiliarity with the home's plumbing can lead to clogged drains, garbage disposal issues, and sewer line backups. Outside of the holidays, the busiest weekdays for plumbers are typically Monday and Tuesday, as many people discover plumbing problems over the weekend but wait to call for service. Despite the holiday, you can rest assured that many plumbers work on Thanksgiving and Black Friday to handle the surge in emergency calls.

The toilet should rest 10, 12, or 14 inches from the back wall. As for other clearances, 15 inches is the minimum distance from the flange to any side wall or nearby fixture, including the shower, tub, and sink. Modern codes also require at least 24 inches of clear space in front of the toilet.

Generally, toilet leaking is not an emergency unless the leakage is severe. However, any leakage at the bottom should be addressed as soon as possible because it could lead to water damage to the floors, under the tiles, or into the walls. Leaks at the bottom can also lead to mold growth if unaddressed.