When something goes wrong with your toilet, panicking is a perfectly legitimate course of action. However, it is not particularly helpful. Because the toilet performs a pretty important function within the home, it is both a vital fixture, and a somewhat unpleasant one. No one wants to be the guy that has to stick their hands in the tank to fix whatever’s wrong. Still, if something’s wrong, don’t hesitate to call a professional to come and take a look. Here are some common problems that plague household toilets.
If your toilet is misbehaving and you lift the lid on the tank just to discover that the tank will not fill, you have a serious and annoying problem. It means using a bucket to refill the tank every time you have to go to the bathroom, which can be worse if you have kids that are too small to do this themselves. Usually the cause of this problem is a broken toilet fill valve, an inexpensive part that can be picked up at any home improvement store.
Water trickling in the bowl can be annoying at night or when the house is quiet. You might find that the toilet tank is draining, and then the float on the fill valve will turn on and refill the tank. However, the problem only repeats itself ad nauseum. This isn’t just a noise pollution problem, it is a financial and environmental one. Hundreds of wasted gallons of water a year can add up and cost you real money on your water bill. Don’t wait until you cannot stand the trickling sound anymore before you look into the issue. Either it is just the toilet flapper or occasionally it is a faulty flush valve. You can repair this yourself, and the parts don’t cost too much money, though a plumber can also easily do it.
Usually the result of a clog, the toilet refusing to flush can cause you some real problems, particularly if the water is dirty. Do not continue to try to flush the toilet or it could lead to something you regrettably will have to clean up, such as overflow. You will need a plunger or a toilet auger to fix this yourself, although if you want to call in a professional, no one can blame you. This problem really will need a professional if there’s something like a toy blocking the toilet.
The toilet flushing very slowly is another common issue that needs repairing. The water will swirl and swirl, until finally it flushes. Sometimes when the water goes down, it does not take all the “material” with it, particularly if you don’t hold the handle down until the end. This is a frustrating problem because you often have to stand there holding down the handle until everything is gone. No one has time for that. Sometimes this is just a sign that the water level in your tank is adjusted incorrectly. The water inlet holes in the bowl could be clogged, which could be making it harder for water to release from the tank. The toilet itself could also be partially clogged.
Overflowing toilets are an obvious and immediate problem that usually start with gasps of alarm and end with tears. Do not flush the toilet again when the toilet is clogged, as there is a good chance it will overflow. Get out your plunger and get to work to get the toilet unclogged.
There is a valve in your toilet tank that tells the toilet tank to stop filling. When this valve is damaged or worn out, it can cause your toilet to constantly “run.” Simply replacing this valve should fix the problem.
Water leaking from tank, supply, or under the toilet is a huge red flag and sometimes a terrifying problem to deal with. If the water is leaking from where the tank joins the bowl, it could either be the rubber gasket or the bolts that hold the toilet together. Either one is a simple fix. If you have water leaking from the base of the tank be the water supply line, it could indicate a problem with the rubber seal there that needs repairing.
However, if water is leaking from the bottom of the toilet, that is a whole other problem. Make sure that all other leak possibilities are ruled out before you decide this is your issue. Because this problem only shows up when the toilet is flushed it means that dirty water is leaking all over your bathroom floor. There are two fixes for this—either you need to tighten the tee bolts that hold the toilet down, or you must replace the wax seal between the toilet and the flange.
It is also good form to know when a problem can’t be fixed. For instance, if any part of the toilet is cracked or broken, don’t bother trying to epoxy it back into place. You’re better off replacing it. If your toilet is older and uses more water than a modern toilet, it is probably high time to replace it anyway. Modern toilets only use about 1.6 gallons of water per flush, a far cry from the 5-plus gallons from the water-wasting days of yore. Your toilet might get clogged too often, and when that happens, you’ll want to replace it.
You may also want to replace your toilet once it needs too many repairs. Handles, flappers, valves, all of these wear down and break after a while.
Eventually, all toilets will need repairs. The important thing is finding the source of the problem and getting it taken care of right away, before the problem gets any worse. Toilet parts are available at any home improvement or DIY store, and are inexpensive. The costliest part of the whole repair should just be the time spent getting the part and changing it. Once you’ve done that, your toilet should last a good long while without any more issues.
