Troubleshooting Toilet Plumbing Problems like a Professional
Usually the toilet is an ingenious device that doesn’t get much thought when it is working properly, yet it can stop flushing, become clogged or begin leaking from the tank or around the bottom. In this article we will address a few of the toilet plumbing problems that commonly happen and attempt to help you diagnose what might be the problem. When it comes to any type of bathroom plumbing problem you can narrow it down to three fixtures within the bathroom and the toilet is the one that gets used the most.
If you are experiencing a toilet plumbing problem and want a local, licensed & experienced plumbing professional to come out to your home, inspect the problem and give you a free estimate, call us today for fast and friendly service. We can fix it!
What can You do About a Toilet That Flushes Slowly? We Can Help!
A toilet that is moving slowly or has become clogged can be caused by several things. Children are very curious and can accidentally flush any number of toys down the toilet. You may have a strict policy of never introducing feminine hygiene products, napkins, moist wipes, or too much toilet paper into your toilet, but what if guests arrive who are less concerned about your plumbing problems? You could have an outdated toilet that no matter what you do will never flush properly once it begins to fail. Perhaps it is none of these things and it may just be that you have not had your drains cleaned in the past.
Below are a few tips to help reduce clogged toilets in your home or business:
- Never flush anything down the toilet except toilet paper (paper towels, cotton swabs, diaper wipes, feminine products, toys, fish, condoms etc.);
- A toilet that is flushing slowly is a warning sign that trouble is brewing; pay attention to your toilet;
- Help to insure your drains are freely moving with routine drain maintenance and common sense preventive techniques.
Toilet Won’t Flush, What Problem is The Toilet Experiencing?
Have you ever reached for the handle on the toilet, pushed it down and had nothing happen? We have all had the embarrassing situation when you flush the toilet and nothing happens and you are visiting a friend or family member. So what causes a toilet to stop flushing and what can you do to get it to flush correctly again?
When was your toilet manufactured? First generation 1.6 gallon toilets manufactured between 1/1/94 – 6/1/97 could stop flushing for absolutely no other reason except that it is an older model and needs updated. Commonly these toilets stop filling properly or refuse to fill the bowl completely.
Another common reason a toilet suddenly refuses to flush is because the lift chain, (attached to the handle inside the tank and connected to a lift arm that operates the valve at the bottom of the toilet tank) breaks free from the handle. If the chain breaks, it is impossible for the toilet to flush because when you push down the handle, there is nothing connected to lift the flapper valve, (the cone-shaped rubber cup that seals the hole between the tank and the bowl).
My Toilet Continues to Run in between Flushes. Can I Fix That?
Did you know a simple toilet leak from the flapper can waste up to 200 gallons a day? This type of leak is considered a “silent leak” because it isn’t as obvious as a broken pipe which can leave a puddle on the floor. Here are two ways to determine what kind of a toilet leak you may be experiencing:
- Toilet bowl leaks: The toilet bowl can leak if it gets a cracked, or around the base. In either case, the floor will be wet. If the toilet is leaking from the base the closet bolts which hold the toilet to a flange located at the entrance to the drain can become rusted and break or the wax ring that seals the toilet to the drain pipe becomes hard and fails.
- Toilet tank leaks: The tank can leak where the supply line enters the tank, or where the bolts attach to the bowl. This will be obvious because the floor will be wet. If the flapper inside the tank fails to seat properly or is old and worn out it will not seal the water in the tank until a flush and the water will seep into the bowl.