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To drain a broken toilet, place towels or plastic sheeting around the base in case of splashing or overflowing. Next, shut off the toilet’s water supply, usually via a valve on the wall behind the toilet. Begin flushing the handle to remove as much water as possible from the tank and the bowl. Don’t flush the toilet if it’s clogged, though. From there, use a large sponge to soak up any remaining water and wring it over a bucket. 

While a leak may seem small, even a gentle trickle of consistent moisture can lead to mold problems in your bathroom. Make sure you know how to check for mold if your toilet has been leaking for a while. Pooling water by your toilet also poses a risk for someone slipping on the slick floor of your bathroom. Finally, a leak of any size can lead to water waste that increases your water bill.

A running toilet is not a plumbing emergency, but you will want to try some DIY fixes or call in a plumber to prevent wasting gallons of water. The three most common causes of a running toilet are a broken or dirty flapper, an incorrectly sized chain between the flush lever and flapper, or a float that is out of position.

When working on your bathroom floor tiling, you should always tile the floor first and then refit the toilet afterward. This has both practical and visual advantages—the tile will have a better seal, and the installation will look cleaner.

On the other hand, when you try to cut the tiles to fit around the toilet, you’re putting yourself at a disadvantage. It’s a lot more work, it’s hard to be precise, and mistakes or miscalculations can lead to future moisture damage to the tiling, grout, and subfloor.