There are so many things that can go wrong with your toilet and there are an equal number of easy methods to fix them. Although you may think it is much easier to call a plumber and get the job done with, why not give it a try yourself and see how much time and money you will be able to save. This article will tell you how to fix a toilet in simple steps.
Clogged toilet
You must, at some point or the other, have dealt with a clogged toilet. However, there is an easy way to fix this problem. You will need some things such as baking soda, plunger, wire hanger and warm soapy water. Now, follow these steps:
- Hold the plunger tightly and immerse it in the toilet bowl slowly, while making sure not to splosh the water inside the bowl. Put the rubber part of the plunger on the exit hole and push it down hardly. You will see some ripples in the water and if the toilet gets de-clogged you will notice he water start to flow down. If not, keep trying and see if the clog is removed or else try the next step.
- Take a coat hanger and cut it at the base and bend it to make it so long that it reaches the S-bend of the toilet. Poke the wire in the exit hole and wriggle it to shift the clog away.
- If using the hanger does not work, then take some baking soda and sprinkle it in the toilet bowl and see if the clog goes away. If it works the water will start flowing down.
- Pour some warm soapy water down the toilet. If you see the water move, it means the clog is unclogging. Use any of these four methods to de-clog your toilet.
Overflowing toilet
The problem of an overflowing toilet arises if your drain is clogged or the floater has been set to allow a lot of water to enter the flush tank. Follow these steps to prevent this problem:
- The first thing to do is to turn off the valve that supplies water to the toilet tank.
- Clear the drainage pipe using a plunger; make sure you do this before flushing.
- You can also use an auger to loosen any clogged items in the drainage and see if the overflow problem stops. If it does not, it means the problem is with the floater.
- Take off the lid of the toilet flush tank and locate the floater. The floater is the large rubber ball at the end of a plastic stick.
- Now, find a small clip or switch, which controls the height of the floater and set it in such a way that the floater sets at a lower water level in the tank.
- Flush the toilet now and you will find that the overflow problem has been fixed.
Leaking toilet
If you have a leaking toilet in your house, then follow these simple steps to fix the problem:
- First, find out the origin of the leak. You can do this by using a towel or rag to wipe the toilet and find the area of leakage. Most common areas of leakage are the base of the toilet, base of toilet tank and the point where the flush tank meets the toilet.
- If your leak is in the toilet tank, observe all the mechanical parts in the tank and find out if the faulty part is visible or not. Ensure that the trip lever and handle are not caught up on anything as it may cause other parts to malfunction. Most of the times, the leakage can be stopped by adjusting the chain linkage.
- If the problem is in the flush valve, it will allow the water to keep on running in the flush tank, without stopping at all. There could be a bad seal at the base of the flush valve, which could be the cause of the leak. In this case, you will have to tighten the nut that secures the flush valve and the tank together.
- The leak could also be from the two bolts that connect the toilet and the tank. The top of the bolts are visible from inside the tank. They have rubber washers around them to prevent the water from coming out of the tank. Use a screwdriver to tighten the nuts, and if this does not help you, then replace the washers.
No or incomplete flush
You will need a few things from the hardware store for this such as a toilet handle, plunger and flapper. Now follow these steps:
- First make sure the toilet is not clogged and that the water is working. In most cases, the toilet will not flush or give an incomplete flush due to water problem.
- Check the chain inside the tank; if it broken it means the stopper is stuck, which is why the toilet is not flushing. You can fix this problem by replacing the chain.
- Next, check the toilet handle to see if it is broken. If it is, you need to simply replace it from a hardware store.
- Now, check the rubber flapper. You can replace this also, in case it is broken, and your problem will be fixed.
Tips & Warnings
- Always turn the water off before you start to repair your toilet.
- Flushing the toilet when you are looking inside the tank will help you locate the source of the problem better.
- Rusting, breaking or bending of chains can also lead to many toilet problems. Therefore, make sure that you replace chains once in 2 or 3 years.
- Don’t allow your pets to drink water from the toilet as the hair and debris from the pets will collect at the bottom of the toilet bowl and cause clogs.
- If you are still unable to fix the problems in your toilet on your own, then it is best to call the plumber.
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