Having grown up in the 50’s, I’m a rock and roll fan, but not when I’m in the bathroom. An unstable toilet that moves when you sit on it is irritating. Not only is this uncomfortable, it can also rock enough to eventually break the bowl. The problem can usually be corrected without calling a plumber, but you need to be careful not to break the toilet bowl when trying to fix it. Never forget that porcelain is porcelain. On either side of the toilet bowl at the base you will find lids that cover a bolt and a nut. If you move the toilet bowl (the toilet bowl is best handled with nitrile or latex gloves) and you can see that the bolts are not tight, the best thing to do is to tighten them, but carefully and little by little until the bowl rest firmly. on the floor. If the bolts are tight but the bowl still rocks, take a close look at how the base adheres to the floor. Are there gaps? Is the floor uneven against the bowl? You can buy small plastic wedges designed to fix this or make your own out of hardwood. Plastic ones won’t need to be replaced, but they can be hard to find. I looked them up on the Home Depot site and they show DANCO plastic toilet shims in a pack of four. Be careful not to break the bowl by forcing the wedge too far in. It’s easier to break a toilet bowl or tank than you think. Almost everyone in the plumbing trade breaks some in the learning process. If you have any questions, it is best to call a plumber.
The other problems that are common in toilet problems are: phantom flush, a tank not filling, a tank not flushing, a bowl that drains slowly, and the constant sound of running water. The easiest to handle is the full tank that does not drain. This usually happens when the chain that connects from the tank lever (most people think of this as the handle) inside the tank to the fin. A flap is a piece of flexible material that blocks the hole in the flush valve that water exits when flushing the toilet. Turning the lever on the tank pulls the chain and the flap goes up allowing the water to begin to flow down through the flush valve. The flush valve is the plastic part that attaches to the toilet tank (the part where the water is contained to flush the toilet); it often looks like a chimney with a large opening at the bottom and two hooks where the fin connects. If the handle turns but nothing happens, put the chain back on the fin, but leave some slack in the chain. If you tighten it too much, water may continually seep out of the tank because the fin will not seat properly. Test flushing by operating the handle and observing that the flap rises, hangs back as the water escapes, and then seats firmly back on the flush valve.
When you hear your toilet flush in the middle of the night, it happens at other times, but the hustle and bustle of our daily life drowns it out, it’s not a ghost in the bathroom. Phantom discharge is caused by a water leak from the tank into the container. When the water level in the tank drops to a certain level, the fill valve (also called a tap) turns on and adds water to the tank. The fill valve is the device that fills your tank. The problem is not with the fill valve; the problem is with the flapper or the discharge valve. Old flappers lose their shape and warp. When deformed, water can flow through them slowly and the tank will go down slowly until the fill valve opens and add water to the tank. The first step is to remove the fin, take it to the plumbing outlet, and replace it with an equivalent fin. Remember to place the chain as in the previous paragraph and test to make sure the tank is working properly. If that doesn’t fix the problem, you probably need a new flush valve. Dump valves have a rounded edge that sits against the flap. If this seat develops an opening for water to pass through, then it is leaking. It is highly unlikely, but you could also have a leak in your tank; it happens, but rarely. Replacing a flush valve can be tricky, not because the process is technically difficult, but because of corrosion. The first thing to do is make sure the valve on the wall, called the angle stop, works; you don’t want a flood in your bathroom. Now examine your toilet. A two-piece toilet is bolted on. Usually this is with two bolts that go between the tank and the bowl, but sometimes there are three; These can corrode and be difficult to turn. This is where newbies break a lot of toilets. I’ve had to use a saw to cut these screws more times than I want to remember; the bolts were frozen. When in doubt, cut them with a saw or call a plumber. One-piece toilets cannot be disassembled and replacing the flush valve can be easy or difficult depending on the make and model of the toilet. When in doubt, call a plumber. Most flush valves are connected to the toilet tank with a nut that screws into the bottom of the flush valve and presses against the bottom of the tank. I recommend taking a picture of your relief valve before attempting any type of repair and checking with your local plumbing store to see if it is a common replacement part.
A tank that doesn’t fill is commonly caused by a faulty fill valve. If you flush the tank and you can’t hear water running, the faucet is the culprit unless the toilet valve on the wall is closed or the water in the house is turned off. Take a photo with your phone, if possible, and follow up with the local plumbing store to get an idea of how easy it can be to remove and how much it costs. Most fill valves connect to the tank like the dump valve with a single nut and washer and then connect to the wall water supply with a flexible connector. Before considering doing that job yourself, make sure the wall valve turns off the water. These wall valves are used infrequently and often fail. It’s no fun unplugging the flexible toilet line and having a flood in your bathroom that you can only stop by turning off the water in the main pipe! Do not overtighten the fill valve nut when connecting it to the tank or the tank may break.
A tank reservoir that is never completely filled or the sound of water running constantly is usually caused by the flap or dump valve that allows the water to drain out of the tank. Start by replacing the fin. This is the same problem that causes the phantom download and see the previous section. The sound of constantly running water could also be a leaking fill valve. If the fill valve is leaking, the water in the tank will reach the top line of the discharge valve, the top of the tube. You will see water running down the tube. A faulty fill valve needs to be replaced.
A container that drains slowly can be caused by two things: a partially clogged drain line or clogged water jets. This often happens in our newer low flush toilets, there is not enough water going down the drain in one flush to adequately move the solids down the line. If paper and other solids accumulate, the size of the drain is effectively reduced and the water will not go down the drain as quickly as it should and the container will not drain properly. If the clog is in the line near the toilet, the best tool to use is a flip-top cabinet auger. This tool is a drain snake specifically designed for a toilet. The best cabinet bits extend up to 6 feet. The other possible problem could be the clogged jets. Inside the toilet bowl there are holes located inside the top edge. These holes, or jets, become clogged over time with deposits of calcium and other minerals. The jets are designed to help the water flow out of the bowl. Unclogging them requires the use of a dangerous solvent such as Calci-Solve or another brand of hydrochloric acid. Acids like these must be applied by a plumber trained in their use. Hydrochloric acid is heated in water. It can be so hot that it will cause the toilet bowl to explode and I have heard of this. If the jets are clogged, I recommend replacing the toilet or calling a licensed plumber to resolve the problem.
