What good is a toilet if it won’t flush? Not much, if you ask us. If you’re faced with a toilet that won’t flush, there are a few actions you can take. First, you can panic, but we recommend avoiding this route (no fun, bad for your health). Second, you can remember this blog post, pull it up, and use it to diagnose and fix your problem. Third, you can just call the pros at Mike Diamond to come and fix the problem for you.
Options two and three are always a good idea. One, not so much. Speaking of option two, here are the most common reasons why toilets won’t flush, and how to fix them.
It’s clogged.
This is probably the most obvious answer on the list, but it still belongs. Never flush anything down your toilet that isn’t waste or toilet paper. If you treat your toilet like a garbage can, you’ll wind up with constant clogs.
If your toilet won’t flush, the first thing you should do is try plunging it. Make sure you use a flange plunger, since the cup will help you create a better seal in the toilet bowl. If plunging doesn’t fix the problem, then consider investing in drain cleaning services. Cleaners can clear out what a simple plunging couldn’t.
The flapper is warped.
A toilet’s flapper opens and closes whenever you flush, allowing water to run from the tank into the bowl. When you depress your toilet’s handle, you’re actually lifting the flapper. Your toilet’s flapper is in contact with moving water all the time. Over time, all that moving water can bend or otherwise warp the flapper.
Open your toilet tank and look for the flapper. It’s the rubber, cup-like fixture located at the bottom of the toilet tank. The flapper covers the flush tube hole that leads from the tank to the bowl. You should be able to tell if the flapper is too warped to properly cover the flush tube hole. If the flapper looks broken or damaged, you’ll have to replace it. You can find flappers at any local hardware store. Drain the toilet tank, remove the chain from the warped flapper and connect the new flapper instead. If you need some help finding the right flapper or completing the installation, give us a call.
There are problems with the chain’s length.
The toilet chain connects the flapper to the toilet handle. When you depress the handle, the chain yanks up the flapper and initiates the toilet’s flush. If the toilet chain is too long, it won’t be able to yank up the flapper. If the flapper doesn’t rise, the toilet doesn’t flush.
On the other hand, if the chain’s too short, then the flapper won’t close properly. When the flapper doesn’t close, the toilet never stops running. You can fix chain problems relatively easily by adjusting the chain’s length. Try to figure out if it’s too long or too short and adjust accordingly. Make sure you don’t “fix” it too far in the opposite direction.
Something is wrong with the overflow tube.
Your toilet’s overflow tube is a part of the tank. You’ll see it near the refill tube. Overflow tubes help empty water directly into the toilet bowl during a flush. These tubes are not infallible, unfortunately. The toilet’s constant pressing can easily crack or otherwise damage them.
If the tube does crack, water will run into it instead of past it. Replacing tthe overflow tube will restore its ability to work. If your overflow tube isn’t working, give us a call and we’ll switch it out right away.
Whatever the reason why your toilet won’t flush, Mike Diamond can fix it. Just give us a call today. We’ll get things flowing as fast as possible, and we’ll smell good doing it!
