Does your toilet refuse to stop running? Strange gurgling noise arising from your toilet bowl? From water leaks to unusual noises, toilets can do all sorts of frustrating things.
Thankfully, with a little troubleshooting, there are many toilet problems you can correct yourself. Here, the experts at Polar Air & Mechanical will go over some of the most frequent toilet problems, what they mean and whether it’s a situation 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 won't stop running, it is a situation you should correct because it's in all probability also costing you money on your water bill.
A common culprit that causes a running toilet is something wrong with the overflow tube. Located in the tank in the back of your toilet, an overflow tube allows extra water to drain from the tank into your toilet bowl so the water level in your tank does not get too high and spill over the top of the tank. At times, the trouble is that the plastic tube connecting your fill valve to your overflow tube has become detached. If that’s the case, you can reach into the tank and reattach them. It also may be your toilet is running due to the fact the overflow tube is too short for the water level and needs to be replaced by one that is the correct height.
Another reason for 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 required to hold water in the tank. Not having a good seal allows water to escape out the bottom of your tank into your toilet bowl.
Occasionally a running toilet is caused by something amiss with your toilet float, which is a floating device that controls 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 unwanted water will go in your overflow tube and down into your toilet bowl.
2. Why Is My Toilet Bubbling?
A gurgling toilet is usually caused by a partial clog in your toilet, drain lines, mainline or an obstruction in your sewage vent. If the reason for the noise is a clog in your toilet, you can try to fix this by using a plunger or drain snake to release the clog. If this does not have any effect, you can examine where your sewage vent exits your home to make sure it is not blocked by debris that would restrict air flow.
If these efforts don’t fix your gurgling toilet, it would be a good idea to contact a professional such an expert from Polar Air & Mechanical to evaluate the problem. As the go-to plumber in Myrtle Beach, Polar Air & Mechanical 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 removes waste water away from your home to the municipal water system.
4. Why Is It Hard to Flush My Toilet?
If you can’t flush your toilet, there’s a good chance the problem can be found in the chain, flapper or the handle. That’s because there’s a chain inside your toilet tank that is attached to the back side of the handle. The other end of the chain is connected to the flapper, which functions as a plug in the bottom of your toilet tank.
The easiest way to figure out why your toilet is hard to flush is to remove the lid, look inside the tank and investigate.
Here’s how the process is supposed to work whenever you flush a toilet: you push down the handle, which pulls up the chain, then the chain pulls the flapper up and that allows the water to whoosh out of your tank and into your toilet bowl.
Sometimes a toilet doesn't flush because the chain is caught on something within the tank, which stops the chain from pulling up the flapper to let out the water. Or, the chain is too long or gets disconnected from either the handle or the flapper. If this happens, unhook the caught chain or reach in and change it to the appropriate length.
Occasionally flappers can get stuck when they get old or become worn out. It's also possible there might be something wrong with the handle.
5. Why Is My Toilet Leaking?
A leaking toilet can be a costly situation, potentially leading to water damage in and around your bathroom. Many times, a leaky toilet is due to a cracked supply line or a crack in the toilet tank. If your toilet tank is overflowing, it may be a malfunction 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 weakened toilet flange or wax ring at the base of the toilet where it connects to the floor. Most of these issues are best fixed by a professional plumber.
6. Why Won't My Toilet Fill With Water?
A toilet that isn't filling with water often indicates 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 might 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 bringing water into the tank when the water has gotten to the correct level. The fill valve gives the signal to stop when the water level lifts the float to a predetermined height. It might be that the float/float assembly needs adjustment so that the water rises to the proper level. Or, fixing a toilet not filling with water could require adjusting or exchanging the fill valve.
