November 11, 2020

Common Toilet Problems and What to Do About Them

By Asher B In blog No comments

We all have at least one in our home. Some of us have two or maybe more? We use them every day and several times a day. We are grateful they’re there when we need them. But when they stop working for whatever reason, many of us are at a loss. We don’t know what to do? They are our toilets, and at Boss Plumbing, we know a thing or two about how to care for them. We know how they work and how to fix them.

What Are The Parts Of My Toilet?

Your toilet comprises two primary parts: the bowl that rests on the floor and the upper tank or cistern that holds the water and is released each time you flush the toilet. The bowl is usually made of porcelain and has no moving parts. There usually aren’t repairs that involve the bowl. This is compared to the tank where two critical valves and the handle that initiates the flush action are located. The tank is where most of the toilet repairs occur.

How Does My Toilet Work?

The toilet’s tank’s job is to hold a quantity of water until you flush the toilet. At that point, the water moves through an opening in the bottom of the tank and into the bowl. That action forces waste out of the bowl into the home’s drain and down the sewer lines. Two significant components in the tank enable this to happen, the flush valve and the fill valve.

When the water level falls in the tank during a flush, it is the fill valve’s job to automatically open the water supply valve. The fill valve will then automatically shut off when the water level rises to a specific tank level. There are several different designs of fill valves. They’re operated either by a float cup or, more commonly, by a floating ball. Both move up and down with the water level in the tank. There are floatless fill valves that operate by sensing water pressure at the bottom of the tank. These are less common and a more expensive option.

What Are The Most Common Toilet Problems?

1. Leaky Toilet

A little “sweating” or condensation of your toilet during the warmer and humid months of the summer is expected. However, if you discover an actual puddle of water at the base of your toilet, that indicates a real problem. The cause is usually the wax ring that seals the toilet base to the drain opening set into the floor. To fix this, you’ll have to remove the toilet to replace the wax ring. Though it sounds like a major project, it’s actually not all that hard.

2. Clogged Toilet

A clogged toilet is probably one of the most common plumbing problems you’ll encounter. It certainly has been for us at Boss Plumbing! Usually, it’s a problem you can solve yourself. Using a plunger with an internal cup will handle most clogs. Particularly stubborn blockages may require a unique drain snake tool.

3. Toilet not Flushing

There are three different questions we ask ourselves when faced with a toilet, not flushing.

Is the water level too low in your toilet cistern?

When you flush your toilet, you’re actually releasing water from the cistern into the bowl. When there isn’t enough water in the cistern, you’ll likely get a weak flush, or your toilet may not flush at all. The solution is to put a bucket of water down the toilet to force it to flush.

If this isn’t the case, ask yourself if the flapper in your toilet is damaged?

This piece of equipment can be found at the bottom of the toilet and flaps open to release water from the cistern when the toilet is flushed. If the flapper is damaged, it won’t allow the toilet to hold water within the cistern. This prevents the cistern from releasing the volume of water needed to generate a flush. The solution is to replace the damaged flapper. They are inexpensive and relatively straightforward to replace.

A third and final reason for your toilet not flushing, may be a blockage?

This could be caused by flushing too much toilet paper at once or flushing unsuitable items, including sanitary products or diapers. The solution is a plunger that can push the blockage back up the pipe. If that doesn’t work, then you may want to consider a drain snake, also known as a toilet auger.

4. A Loose Toilet Handle

An easy problem to fix is when the flush handle becomes loose or disconnected from the rest of the tank. This usually requires one of two solutions:

You can reconnect the lift wire or lift chain that connects the lift arm from the flapper.
Adjust the handle mounting nut inside the tank. It has reverse threads that require counterclockwise rotation to tighten.

5. Bowl Empties slowly

If you find that your toilet bowl drains properly but rather slowly, then the problem may be found in the jet holes that surround the rim of the bowl. A build-up of sediments and minerals along the side of these holes can slowly reduce the water pressure released with each flush. The solution usually involves using a mineral remover product applying it to each of the jet holes around the rim. Then using a screwdriver, physically pick the mineral build-up out of every hole.

6. Your toilet Won’t Stop Running.

It might be that you think you’ve been hearing things. Your water might always be running or cycling on and off. You’re not imagining things; it’s your toilet. It’s a tremendously annoying sound, not to mention the fact that you’re wasting water and your money. The problem occurs because the flapper is not correctly sitting over the opening of the flush valve. Or if the tank water level is too high, it will allow water to flow over the top of the overflow tube and down into the tank. Regardless of whether it’s either problem, the solution is simple. You will need to replace your flapper or adjust your refill valves. These parts are all available at your local hardware store.

Let Toilet Problems Be a Thing of the Past

These are just a few of the most common problems we’ve encountered over our 31-year history as plumbers in the Los Angeles area. It’s important to remember just because we offer solutions to these problems doesn’t mean you have to fix your toilet yourself. Never hesitate to pick up the phone and call us at Boss Plumbing. There is no job too big or too small. We are a family-owned and operated company that stands by our work.

We look forward to hearing from you!