When your toilet starts to make strange noises or things start to move slowly, you can ignore it or face the consequences which are often not very pleasant.
These are some of the most common toilet problems you may have:
- Water Entering the Tank: Any water running noises coming from your toilet indicates that water is entering the tank through the fill valve. This can be caused by a number of different reasons:
- The fill valve may be defective and not be shutting off. The fill valve must be replaced.
- The fill valve shut off level may be adjusted too high such that water is running out of the overflow tube and not allowing the fill valve to turn off. The float level on the fill valve can be adjusted to prevent the overflow.
- The flapper of your toilet is not sealing properly, causing water in the tank to drain out slowly. The flapper should be cleaned or replaced so that it will seat properly. This will require the plumber to drain the tank and bowl before working on the flapper.
- The flush valve (which is beneath the flapper) is leaking. The valve must be replaced.
- Slow Drainage: When flushing the toilet, it should drain within a couple of seconds. Anything slower than that indicates some malfunction in the toilet or a partial blockage in the drain. With the hard water we have in Santa Barbara county, mineral deposits can grow within the drain portion of the toilet, restricting the size of the actual drain. To diagnose the actual cause, you would typically need to pull the toilet and examine the toilet drain. In some cases the mineral buildup can be reduced by using a toilet auger.
- Frequent Clogs: Simple clogs may be able to be solved by the use of a plunger if it is caused by a local stoppage within or close to the toilet. Otherwise you will need to use a toilet auger or drain snake to resolve the problem.
For help with diagnosis and repair of all your toilet problems, call on the expert and friendly plumbers at Good Land Plumbing today!
