A common problem that’s pretty gross is when you go to flush your toilet and it won’t flush or it flushes and backs up, which leaves you with a mess all over your floor. If the later happens, it’s important you plunge your toilet before you attempt to flush it again.
If you go to flush your toilet only to realize it won’t flush, you may need to complete minor repairs. Before we discuss how to check for these repairs, you need to know how a toilet works.
Toilet – How does it work?
Your toilet has two main parts to it, the part where you sit down (base) and the (back) where all the water and pipes are. When you push the handle to flush, the handle lifts a flapper that’s located in the back of the toilet. You can find this flapper by lifting the toilet lid and grabbing the chain that has a big ball on it.
The flapper covers the flush valve which is where water enters. Once the water has entered the back of the toilet and the flapper has closed, the water will then go through the fill valve which in turn fills the tank back up.
Common reasons your toilet won’t flush and how to repair
Water won’t stop running
If your toilet water won’t stop running your toilet is likely wasting gallons of water every day. That water costs you money and is bad for the environment so it’s important you contact a toilet repair company as soon as this problem arises.
How to repair: check the flapper in the back of the toilet and see if it’s caught and needs adjusting. You can check it by wiggling on the chain and seeing if that helps. Should this not help, you may need to replace the flush valve which will require professional help.
Water is leaking from the toilet
Leaky toilets are a problem you should not attempt to repair on your own. There are many factors that come into play with why the toilet is leaking and it’s better for you to contact a toilet repair company to come fix the problem rather than trying yourself.
The toilet won’t flush
The main reason a toilet won’t flush is that it’s clogged.
How to repair: grab your plunger and plunge the toilet hole where everything goes into your pipes. As soon as you hear the waste going into the pipe, you can let up on the plunger and try to flush again.
Another reason toilets do not flush is that the flush handle is not working properly. Should this be the case, you will want to purchase a new one and install it which will require tools and understanding how to remove the current and add the new.
Most people are not well versed in toilet parts and repair techniques so it can be more cost-effective and efficient to contact a toilet repairman and have them come to your property.