You don’t give a second thought about your plumbing – that is, until something goes wrong. Fortunately, most toilet problems are easier to solve than you think. Before you call a plumber to the rescue, try these troubleshooting tips for some of the most common toilet problems.
Insufficient Flushing Power
First, lift the tank cover and flush the toilet. Check whether the flapper cap lifts up enough. If not, shorten the chain by hooking a lower link onto the flush handle.
Then check the water level in the tank. If it doesn’t fill all the way to the fill line, gently bend the float bulb up a little. Watch whether the tank fills high enough now.
Finally, with the help of a mirror, examine the holes under the toilet bowl rim. This is where water from the tank enters the bowl. If the holes are clogged, clean them with a nail or straightened paper clip.
If these tips don’t work, you may need to hire a plumber to replace the fill valve.
Phantom Flush
When your toilet seems to flush itself, it means the flapper valve is probably worn out. Remove the old flapper, take it with you to purchase the correct replacement, and install the new flapper to fix the toilet problem.
Constantly Running Toilet
First, try jiggling the handle. The chain may simply be caught on something, preventing the flapper valve from closing tightly.
Next, remove the tank lid and have a look inside. The pull chain may be too short or something could be blocking the flapper from closing. Make adjustments until it closes.
Toilet About to Overflow
Prevent an overflow by quickly removing the tank lid and manually lifting the fill valve. This stops the flow of water to the bowl and gives you time to plunge the clog without the mess of soiled water all over the floor.
If your toilet problems are too serious for these troubleshooting tips to work, contact Mowery Heating, Cooling and Plumbing for help from the pros. We have over 40 years of experience serving our Indianapolis customers.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Brownsburg, Indiana and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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