When it comes to the most problematic areas in a household’s plumbing system, any guesses which area experiences the most issues? Well, to be completely honest, that answer can easily vary from household-to-household. If not everyone is diligent about what goes down the drain, you could be faced with consistent clogged or slow-moving drains. If you have a water heater that wasn’t installed correctly or never been flushed, you could quickly see the performance of it diminish. If you treat your toilet like a trash can, many of your frustrations could arise there. In any case, plumbing is so intertwined in various areas that issues can seemingly pop up in numerous places.
With that brief introduction in place, today’s blog post will be all about toilets. For obvious purposes, your toilet is something that you use every single day. Even though we discuss some of the other plumbing components, like water heaters and water softeners, more often, that doesn’t mean homeowners don’t ever experience issues with their toilets! Today, we’ll take a look at a few of the more common issues associated with the toilet, as well as discuss which of these problems are ones you can take care of and which ones you’re best off leaving for a licensed plumber. Having said all of that, let’s hop right into a few of the most common toilet issues that Kansas City homeowners should be mindful of.
Running Toilet
A running toilet is something we’ve all experienced at least once in our lifetimes and also likely something that we are all guilty of putting off as well! After all, it’s simply one of those problems that seems rather minimal and thus is easy to procrastinate on. Nonetheless, more often than not, a running toilet is a rather easy issue to fix. One of the more common reasons for a running toilet is a faulty flapper. Essentially, the flapper is responsible for releasing water from the tank whenever you flush the toilet. However, if a flapper has started to deteriorate over time, you may start noticing extra water trickling down, as it won’t be completely sealing that drain hole. Would this be considered a plumbing emergency? Not necessarily, but it definitely can be defined as a running toilet and a source of wasted water. If you take a peek in your toilet’s tank and notice this to be an issue whenever you flush, the flapper could be the culprit for your running toilet. On the bright side though, a flapper replacement is a rather quick project, in addition to being an inexpensive one.
While the faulty flapper is one of the most common reasons for a toilet constantly running, it isn’t the only one. A couple of other potential problems to consider include the float being too high or even an issue with the flapper chain. All in all, the one common denominator here is the fact that many of these issues are relatively easy fixes!
Leaking Toilet
As evidenced above, the running toilet is one example of a toilet leak. However, luckily the leaking water there is all staying within the toilet bowl. What happens when you start noticing a water leak outside the toilet. For obvious reasons, I’m sure you’re well aware that sitting water can quickly cause damage to your flooring and escalate the overall issue. Having said that, whenever you see a toilet that’s leaking around the actual unit, it’s critical to determine where the leak originates from. Honestly speaking, with an issue like this, it could be a number of different things. The tank could be cracked. You could be experiencing an issue with the supply lines. The wax ring could be in need of a replacement. And unless you know what to look for, it will probably be wise to just have a licensed plumber look it over.
In terms of the repair process here, that really depends on where the issue is. Sometimes, simply replacing some bolts will do the trick, while other times you could be looking at a complete toilet replacement. Just remember, while you may be able to procrastinate for a little bit of time on the running toilet, that likely isn’t a smart move with one that’s leaking water on your flooring!
Clogged Toilet
You probably could have guessed that a blog post about common toilet issues would have to include the clogged toilet, right? As is the case with any of the drains throughout your home, they’re only built to handle certain things. For instance, we all know the dangers of pouring grease down your kitchen drain or trying to chew up larger food particles with the garbage disposal. More often than not, it results in clogged drains. Your toilet is no different.
Long story short, toilets are built to handle human waste and toilet paper. Can you get by flushing other things down them? Maybe, but you’re definitely increasing your odds of needing to call a plumber in the near future. With that being said, the first piece of advice for preventing clogged toilets is to not treat them like a trash can. Anything outside of the two things mentioned above can cause blockages inside your pipes and result in clogged toilets. Fortunately, an experienced plumber should be able to take care of these stoppages relatively easily. On the contrary, a clogged or slow-draining toilet can also spell bigger troubles as well! With this, I’m referring to problems with the actual piping in your plumbing system. Particular if you have older piping materials used, this isn’t necessarily a rare occurrence. In the end, unless you can clear the clog with a plunger, we recommend leaving this toilet problem up to an experienced professional.
Other Issues
As mentioned above, toilet issues can certainly encompass quite a few different components. While we covered a few of the more common ones on the blog today, that definitely isn’t a fully-comprehensive list. You could have a toilet making weird sounds, other faulty pieces inside the tank, a toilet that runs much slower than normal or even experience something we call “ghost flushing!” In the end, unless the issue is an easy fix (like with a broken flapper), it is generally a good idea to leave larger repairs up to a trained plumber.
Your Toilet Experts in Kansas City
Given how much usage toilets experience on a daily basis, it’s no surprise that they can suffer from their fair share of wear and tear. Despite this, they’re fortunately able to put up with quite a bit and last awhile. However, as evidenced throughout this blog, there are certainly some repairs that may be needed over the years, with some being more severe than others.
If you live near the Kansas City area and are currently in need of some plumbing help, our team at Stine-Nichols Plumbing would be more than happy to help. When you work with Stine-Nichols, you’ll have the peace of mind that the technician coming out to your home will be an experienced plumbing professional. Whether that be for a water heater, faucet, garbage disposal, gas line, toilet or anything else, we’ll make sure your plumbing issues are resolved in a timely manner. To get started and speak with a member of our team, feel free to fill out the form HERE or give us a call directly at (816) 348-3481.