Toilet Repair Tips

Toilet problems can be very expensive. Water damage to your house is a horrible thing, and if your toilet is not operating properly, an increased water bill is definitely something you want to avoid.

Call us to schedule an appointment, or ask questions at 301-881-8660 or use our Online Service Request Form

If you see water on the floor:

A lot of times it will be the supply line, which supplies the toilet with water. You may have an old supply line which needs to be replaced. They can crimp and break – they should never be reused. Once they’ve been bent a couple of times, the hose not only transmits water very well because it’s been pinched off, but the water will spray out. You can identify by just looking along there and feeling if the moisture’s coming from there.

Moisture may be coming up from under the tank

In which case you want to get under there and determine if it’s coming from where the supply line meets the toilet or is it from further over where the tank bolts hold the tank to the base of the toilet. If that’s the case, shut the water off and replace the tank bolts by removing the tank

The Toilet seems to be constantly running, or the Toilet only runs every now and then and you hear a slight trickle between runs

If it is truly constantly running and never shutting off, the likely problem is the fill valve is not set at the right height. In fact, it’s set at such a tall height that the water level never fully shuts off because it’s going through the overflow tube and therefore, this float never goes up and shuts it off. A float ball that has become waterlogged, a tank stopper that doesn’t sit in the valve properly, or an inlet valve that doesn’t shut off. So if that’s the case, you need to either adjust or replace your fill valve. Possibly, you need a new flapper. The flapper, of course, shuts off the flow of water and allows the tank to refill. And if it’s corroded or if possibly the chain is even trapped under the flapper, then it’s not making a tight seal. And the water will shut off for a while, but then once enough water trickles past the flapper, the water level goes down, and then the fill valve engages again.

Toilet Overflows

An overflow is caused by blockages in the drain, which usually can be cleared out with a plunger or toilet auger.

Additional Problems

Some toilets fill with a noisy high-pitched whine or whistle. This could result from a defective inlet-valve assembly or water restricted by a shutoff valve that has been partly closed.

An inadequate flush can be caused by a broken link between the handle and trip lever or a tank stopper that closes before the tank empties.

Finally, tank sweating in the summer can encourage mildew, and can rot subflooring. Tank water that’s cooler than the ambient air causes moisture to condense and the tank to sweat. Tanks can be easily insulated with a lining of foam rubber or polystyrene.

Toilet Repair Tips