One of the most annoying situations we all want to avoid is having the toilet clogged. Do you know there’s something worse than that? We dread the moment when we try to flush the toilet after using it, and it won’t!
Such situations can be valid reasons to trigger anxiety and other unpleasant emotions. However, you can avoid them from happening once you understand what’s really going on. Your toilet is composed of many parts and has its functions. Understanding the parts and their functions is important for you to safely intervene and solve the problems.
Figuring out the root cause of why your toilet isn’t flushing properly is imperative so you’ll know what to do. Some of these fixes are easy and quick. Let’s get started.
1. You Have a Clogged Toilet
Too much toilet paper can cause clogging of your toilet. You’ll have several attempts of flushing before everything goes down the pipe. You can use a plunger if necessary. This one’s easy.
The circumstance you should be worried about is when other materials other than toilet paper is forced into the drain. The common culprits are sanitary napkins, small plastic containers, small toys, and sachets.
Stubborn clogs may need more than a plunger to resolve. You can use an auger to poke and get things separated and moving. You can also use other techniques to loosen the clog. If worse comes to worst, you may have to call a plumber to remove the clog.
2. Your Tank’s Water Level is Too Low
Water is very important in order to create a strong force to flush the toilet. If you observe the force of your flushing is too weak, check the water level in the toilet tank. The water level should be an inch below the overflow tube.
The solution may be simple like just twisting the flush valve to increase the intake of water. In other cases, the float ball might need repositioning. The ball should be high enough to allow more water to come in.
The worst-case scenario for this type of problem is when there are pipe leaks or water pressure problems. You may need to call for a professional plumber’s help.
3. You Have a Flapper or Valve Problem
One common reason why your toilet is not flushing properly is when you have a flapper or fill valve problem. A sign of a flapper or valve problem that you should look for is when right after you flush the toilet, the water won’t stop running.
You have to remove the tank lid and inspect the flapper. This structure is made of rubber and designed to release water when flushing and close the water intake hole once the proper water level is achieved.
A non-functional flapper will appear to be warped, bent, or show signs of deterioration. You have to replace the old flapper with a new one. Flappers are quite inexpensive and are readily available at your local hardware store.
4. The Inlet Holes are Blocked
It is through the inlet holes where water from the tank passes through when you flush the toilet. These holes are located under the lip of the toilet bowl. There are times when these holes get clogged causing less water to flow and prevents proper flushing.
You can check if these inlet holes are functional by using a mirror and observe the flow of water passing through the inlets. If you see that there is less water flowing and the flow is straight rather than diagonal, then the inlets are clogged.
There’s a DIY method you can perform to solve this issue. Pour some hot vinegar down the overflow tube. Leave it for a few hours. Use a piece of wire to remove the blockage. Check if your toilet is now flushing properly.
5. The Lift Chain is Unable to Lift the Flapper
The lift chain attaches the flapper to the flushing handle which is located outside the toilet system. There may be instances wherein the chain will tighten up and prevent the handle from raising the flapper. This will also prevent the toilet from flushing.
You can resolve this by adjusting the length of the chain. Shorten it so that its pull will be sufficient enough to raise the flapper. Your toilet should flush properly after the adjustment.
Final Thoughts
We hope that we have helped you in solving your toilet flushing problems. If ever the toilet problems are too tough for you to handle, just call your local professional plumbers to help you.