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It can be quite frustrating when your toilet plumbing starts acting up. It usually means calling in the experts and getting ready for repair charges, and hopefully not the expense of a new toilet installation. Often, this also means buying replacement toilet parts if a toilet repair is not enough, or major construction work on your bathroom area that may take hours to days to complete. If this is the case, bathroom use can be a hassle not to mention the unnecessary expenses you will need to pay the plumber for his services. Quite a headache, right? But if you know how to troubleshoot toilet plumbing problems yourself and know a little bit of fixing, then you can save yourself all the trouble. Here are some helpful tips.
If you are having trouble with a noisy toilet, this could be caused by restricted water flow or a defective ball cock assembly. You should check for these on your toilet’s water tank. If the problem is simply caused by these, you can fix it yourself in no time. Turn off the supply to your tank, and flush out the water to empty it. Make sure the tank is completely empty, so sponge out any remaining water in the tank. Then, if you see that there is nothing wrong with the ball cock, just oil the trip lever and this will ensure you of a noise-free toilet. If you do see that the cock assembly is defective, the best way to solve this problem is to replace the entire assembly with a new one.
If your problem is inadequate water when you flush your toilet you should check the handle and the trip lever for a faulty linkage. You can fix this by replacing the handle. It’s also possible that the tank stopper closes before the tank actually empties, so adjust the stopper rod or chain — the chain could be too long. If there’s a leak between the tank and the bowl, you can tighten the tank bolts or couplings, or you could replace the gasket. Meanwhile, if the flush passages are clogged, simply remove obstructions from the passages.
When dealing with more serious toilet problems, or with a basement toilet or a wall hung toilet, then this job might be best left to the plumbing experts, or you may choose to get the services of established companies, such as the well known plumbing companies in your local area.