Does your toilet refuse to stop running? Creepy gurgling noise arising from your toilet bowl? From water leakage to unusual noises, toilets can do all sorts of bizarre things.
Thankfully, with a little troubleshooting, there are numerous toilet dilemmas you can correct yourself. Here, the specialists at Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating will go over some of the most frequent toilet problems, what they mean and whether it’s a plumbing issue you can fix yourself—or, if it is better to call in an expert.
1. Why Won't My Toilet Stop Running?
If your toilet keeps running all the time, it is an issue you should correct because it's in all probability also costing you money on your water bill.
A frequent reason for a running toilet is something wrong with the overflow tube. Located 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 won't get too high and spill over the top of the tank. Occasionally, the issue is that the plastic tube connecting your fill valve to your overflow tube is detached. If that’s the situation, you can reach into the tank and reattach them. It also might be your toilet is running due to the fact the overflow tube is isn't tall enough for the water level and needs to be replaced by one that is the appropriate 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 damaged and no longer forms the tight seal necessary to hold water in the tank. This enables water to seep through or around the damaged flapper and escape out the bottom of your tank into your toilet bowl.
Sometimes a running toilet is caused by something awry with your toilet float, which is a floating device that maintains the water level in your tank. It accomplishes 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 permits the water level to rise too high, and the extra water will spill into your overflow tube and down into your toilet bowl.
2. Why Is My Toilet Bubbling?
A gurgling toilet is commonly caused by a partial obstruction in your toilet, drain lines, mainline or a blockage in your sewage vent. If the problem is a clog in your toilet, you can attempt to correct this by using a plunger or drain snake to loosen the clog. If this rectify the issue, you can check where your sewage vent exits your home to ensure it is not blocked by debris that would prevent air flow.
If you've confirmed the problem isn't a clog in the toilet or a vent obstruction, it would be a good idea to phone a professional such an expert from Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating to evaluate the problem. As the go-to plumber in Pella, Van Haaften Plumbing & Heating will investigate whether the noise is caused by a blockage in one of the drain lines directing toilet water out of your home or the mainline that takes 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, there’s a good chance the problem is with the chain, flapper or the handle. That’s because there’s a chain inside a toilet tank that is hooked to the back side of the handle. The other end of the chain is linked to the flapper, which functions as a plug in the bottom of your toilet tank.
The quickest way to get to the bottom of why your toilet is challenging to flush is to take off the lid, look inside the tank and investigate.
Here’s how the process ought to work anytime 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 whoosh out of your tank and into your toilet bowl.
Sometimes a toilet doesn't flush because the chain is stuck on something in the tank, which prevents the chain from pulling up the flapper to let out the water. Or, the chain is too long or becomes detached from either the handle or the flapper. If this happens, free the caught chain or reach in and change it to the appropriate length.
Sometimes flappers can get stuck when they get old or become worn out. Or, there may be something awry with the handle.
5. What Is Causing My Toilet To Leak?
A dripping toilet can be a costly scenario, potentially causing 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 could be something wrong with the toilet float.
Cracked gaskets around the connections on the underside of the tank also can allow water to leak out of the toilet, as can a damaged toilet flange or wax ring at the base of the toilet where it sits on the floor. Often, these issues are best fixed by a certified plumber.
6. Why Is My Toilet Not Filling with Water?
A toilet not filling with water often suggests a problem with the fill valve, which is what fills your toilet tank with water. If the tube is damaged or is clogged by rust, sediment or mineral buildup, it potentially could not be allowing water into the tank.
Another likely cause for your toilet not filling with water is something amiss with the float, which is a device that signals the fill valve to stop allowing water into the tank when the water has risen to the correct level. The fill valve does this when the water level lifts the float to a set height. It could be that the float/float assembly needs adjustment so that the water is allowed to reach the proper level. Or, repairing a toilet not filling with water may require adjusting or exchanging the fill valve.
