Toilet Problems

Your bathroom’s toilet isn’t a glamorous fixture but you would probably consider it to be the most important one in the room. Even so, you may not even be aware of how it works or how to fix it if you have a problem.

First, let’s look at how it flushes, or empties. When you press the handle down, a rod or chain is lifted that opens up the stopper and allows the water to move from the tank to the bowl. The water enters the bowl through ports all around the periphery of the underside of the rim. Gravity then pulls the water and the bowl's contents through a trap and out the drainpipe.

Now that you’ve emptied it, how does it fill back up? After the water exits, the stopper closes over the seat of the flush valve. The float ball has dropped which opens a valve to refill the tank via the water supply line and tank fill tube. Once the water is at the desired level, the float ball shuts off the valve and the process can repeat.

The most common problem encountered on a toilet is that it simply won’t stop running. Sometimes this is obvious and you can actually hear water running through the valve constantly. Other times the leak is small and won’t give you any outward sign. If you are suspicious, put of few drops of food coloring in your bowl and leave the toilet for an hour or two. If you find colored water in the bowl when you return, you have a leak somewhere.

Sometimes the fix is relatively easy such as the float not rising high enough to shut off the valve. This may be fixed by simply bending the float arm down slightly so it will put more pressure on the valve when it is at its highest position. If this doesn’t work, you’ll have to look elsewhere.

The stopper is another common culprit. Some stoppers become hard with age and no longer seat well. You will need to replace the stopper to fix the problem. In other cases the stopper and/or seat is dirty and just needs a good cleaning.

If you believe the valve itself may be bad then it should be replaced. New valves with floats attached are available for direct replacement. Another alternative are newer assemblies that do away with the arm and float completely. The components are all housed together and the entire assembly is easily adjustable for water level. Best of all, they cost in the neighborhood of ten dollars.

If you’re stumped or feel uncomfortable working on your toilet, give Mies Plumbing a call. We’re always happy to help.