The toilet is the plumbing fixture where problems are most likely to happen in your home. Toilet issues are a nightmare because they disrupt the routine of your home, explains Drew Doheny Property Management Team. If there is just one toilet in a house and it suddenly stops working, your entire day might stop.
Flush toilets are one of the best plumbing inventions ever made. They make it possible to have a toilet inside your home, near other rooms. The toilet’s flushing mechanism ensures that residents don’t have to deal with terrible odors all day.
But what do you do when your toilet suddenly stops performing this simple function we all take for granted? What do you do when it refuses to flush?
Why your toilet does not flush and what to do about it
A problem with the toilet’s handle
The problem could be from the toilet handle, button, or chain. If nothing happens when you turn the handle or push the button, the issue is most likely from the mechanism that starts the flushing action. If your toilet uses a handle, maybe it is just disconnected. That is an easy problem to fix. Lift the lid of the tank and look for where the handle connects to an arm and chain that link to the flapper. Check if there is a broken link in the chain or if the handle is disconnected from the flapper due to a loose nut. Reconnect the handle and try flushing the toilet again. If your toilet uses a button or chain, follow the same steps to identify the linkage mechanism inside the tank.
A damaged flapper valve
The flapper sits at the bottom of the tank. It is connected to the toilet handle or button and seals the opening between the tank and the toilet bowl. When you turn the handle, the flapper lifts to let the water rush into the bowl. An old or worn-out flapper will not maintain a tight seal. That can affect the normal function of your toilet. Listen to the toilet to see if you hear the sound of water running into the bowl; you may even see this inside the toilet bowl. If water is constantly draining from the tank even when the flapper is closed, you need to replace the toilet flapper valve.
The tank water level is too low
If the water inside the tank is low, your toilet will not flush. Lift the tank lid to check the water level; if it is about one inch below the overflow tube, you have enough water. There could be several reasons for the water inside the tank to be lower than the required level. The most common cause of the problem is a poorly adjusted float ball. The float ball might be shutting the water supply before the tank is filled. Your toilet may be leaking, or your home could have water pressure issues. Also, a crack in the overflow tube could be siphoning water away from the tank. You will probably need a plumber to check all of these components.
Perhaps the inlet holes are clogged
The inlet holes are on the underside of the rim of your toilet bowl. Water drains through them into the toilet bowl when you flush the toilet. If the holes are blocked –maybe by mineral deposits – the water flow into the toilet bowl will be sluggish. It will prevent the proper evacuation of waste from the bowl. When you flush your toilet, does the water flow straight down from the rim of the bowl, or are there areas around the bowl’s rim where water is not flowing from? If you see these two signs, the inlet holes are probably clogged. Try opening them with a brush, toothpick, or scrubber and then flush the toilet again.
The toilet is clogged
A clogged toilet is easily the worst reason your toilet is not flushing. If there is a clog in the toilet drain line, you won’t be able to flush the toilet. Instead of water flowing out when you flush, the toilet bowl will fill with water. Subsequently, the water might drain out slowly, but the waste inside the bowl will not be evacuated. Repeated flushing of a clogged toilet will cause the bowl to overflow and spill its content on the toilet floor. If the clog is near the toilet drain opening, you can easily remove it with a drain snake or toilet plunger. For blockages that are deeper inside the drainpipe, you may need a sewer rodding service.
A toilet that is not flushing may look like a huge problem, but there is no need to panic. That is an easy problem to solve. But if you have tried all the steps above and the problem persists, it may be time to contact a local plumber to handle the issue.