Is your toilet running? Creepy gurgling noise coming from your toilet bowl? From water leaks to peculiar noises, toilets can do all sorts of bizarre things.
Fortunately, with a little troubleshooting, there are numerous toilet issues you can solve yourself. Here, the specialists at The Frazier Company will go over some of the most frequent toilet problems, what they mean and whether it’s something you can fix yourself—or, if it is better to call in an expert.
1. Why Is My Toilet Running?
If your toilet is constantly running, it is something you should repair because it's in all probability also costing you money on your water bill.
A common reason for a running toilet is something incorrect with the overflow tube. Positioned in the tank in the back of your toilet, an overflow tube removes extra water from the tank into your toilet bowl so the water level in your tank doesn't get too high and overflow the top of the tank. Sometimes, the trouble is that the plastic tube connecting your fill valve to your overflow tube has become detached. If that’s the case, you most likely can just reach into the tank and reattach them. It also could be your toilet is running because the overflow tube is isn't tall enough for the water level and needs to be replaced by one that is the correct height.
Another thing that could cause a toilet to run could be the flapper--which functions as a plug in the bottom of your tank—is malfunctioning and no longer forms the tight seal required to hold water in the tank. This causes water to escape out the bottom of your tank into your toilet bowl.
Sometimes a running toilet is caused by something amiss with your toilet float, which is a floating device that determines the water level in your tank. It does this by shutting off your fill valve when the water level raises the float to the appropriate height. If your float is set too high, this lets the water level to rise too high, and the excess water will spill into your overflow tube and down into your toilet bowl.
2. Why Does My Toilet Keep Gurgling?
A gurgling toilet is often caused by a partial obstruction in your toilet, drain lines, mainline or an obstruction in your sewage vent. If the cause of the issue is a clog in your toilet, you can attempt to correct this by using a plunger or drain snake to release the clog. If this doesn’t work, you can examine where your sewage vent exits your home to ensure it is not blocked by debris that would restrict air flow.
If you've confirmed the problem isn't a clog in the toilet or a vent obstruction, you will probably want to call a professional such an expert from The Frazier Company to evaluate the problem. As the experienced plumber in Omaha, The Frazier Company will find out if the issue was caused by a blockage in one of the drain lines directing toilet water out of your home or the mainline that carries waste water away from your home to the municipal water system.
4. Why Won't My Toilet Flush?
If it's difficult to flush your toilet, it's probable that the problem lies the chain, flapper or the handle. That’s because there’s a chain within the toilet tank that is affixed to the back side of the handle. The other end of the chain is attached to the flapper, which acts as a plug in the bottom of your toilet tank.
The easiest way to figure out why your toilet is difficult to flush is to take off the lid, peer inside the tank and investigate.
Here’s how the process ought to work when you flush a toilet: you push down the handle, which pulls up the chain, then the chain pulls the flapper up and that permits the water to drain out of your tank and into your toilet bowl.
Sometimes a toilet doesn't flush because the chain is snagged on something within the tank, which keeps the chain from lifting up the flapper to let out the water. Or, the chain is too long or somehow comes unhooked from either the handle or the flapper. If this happens, unhook the caught chain or reach in and change it to the appropriate length.
At times flappers can get stuck as they age or become worn out. It's also possible there could be something awry with the handle.
5. Why Is There a Leak in My Toilet?
A leaking toilet can be a costly scenario, potentially producing water damage in and around your bathroom. Many times, a leaky toilet is caused by a cracked supply line or a crack in the toilet tank. If your toilet tank is overflowing, it may be a failure in the toilet float.
Cracked gaskets around the connections on the underside of the tank also can permit water to leak out of the toilet, as can a damaged toilet flange or wax ring at the base of the toilet where it attaches to the floor. The majority of these issues are best fixed by a certified plumber.
6. Why Is My Toilet Not Filling with Water?
A toilet that won't fill with water in many cases traces back to a problem with the fill valve, which fills the tank in the back of your toilet with water. If the tube has failed or is plugged by rust, sediment or mineral buildup, it may not be allowing water into the tank.
Another common cause for your toilet not filling with water is something amiss with the float, which is a device that prompts the fill valve to stop allowing water into the tank when the water has gotten to the correct level. The fill valve does this when the water level lifts the float to a predetermined height. It could be that the float/float assembly needs adjustment so that the water can attain the proper level. Or, correcting a toilet not filling with water could require adjusting or replacing the fill valve.
