Steps in Troubleshooting your Toilet

There are several problems that can happen with a toilet and there are simple yet easy ways to fix them depending on it’s severity.

Slow flush or blocked toilet.

The most common problem would be a slow flushing toilet that takes forever to drain. This can either have a partial blockage that can be cleared with a suction cup or pump to clear the problem. After pumping the toilet, flush to see if you have removed the obstruction. If it still manifests the same problem get hold of your auger and push it into the drain opening. This can dislodge the debris that has blocked the opening of the toilet allowing normal operation to return. Flush again to check your success.

Toilets that overflow or don’t flush well.

These problems have to do with either too much water or too less that is entering the reservoir or tank at the back of the toilet. Remove the cover and see if it is full of water and overflowing. To check an overflowing toilet, simply adjust the water level lever at the base of the ball float and set it to a lower level. Most toilets have a mark that indicated the correct water fill line so adjust as necessary to reach this level. The toilet should flush effectively with the said amount of water which is dependent on the design. If there is not enough water, the toilet would tend to flush incompletely so adjust to reach the proper water level.

Toilets that pass water continuously.

These can be causes by one of many problems, so again, take off the cover to see the problem. If you see that the ball float is filled with debris usually on the underside, clean and adjust. The extra weight is pulling it down preventing proper shut-off of the supply. If the water level exceeds the overflow level of the tank, lower the float valve to a lower position to eliminate the problem. Check the flapper valve at the bottom o\f the tank for it might be cracked or worn out. Replacement parts are available or better yet bring the old one with you just to be sure. Check the chain for excess amounts may be caught on the flapper preventing it from closing properly. The lever or handle might also be stuck so check and re-adjust as necessary with a few twists of the adjustable pliers. If still unsuccessful, one has to change the entire flush mechanism for the gasket inside the float valve may be worn or broken beyond repair.   

Toilets that won’t flush.

These problems are most often caused by a broken or lost chain that pulls the flapper valve and is connected to the handle. Chains usually last for only a year or two for they tend to corrode faster due to the chemicals that are adder to water. Some avoid this problem altogether with plastic ropes instead of chains that are used to pull the flapper valve up to flush the toilet properly.