Easy Toilet Troubleshooting | Problems & Solutions
Troubleshooting Common Toilet Problems
Remember! whenever working on toilet repairs, first turn off the water at the individual shut-off valve. Flush the toilet and make sure the tank is empty before proceeding.
Noisy Tank
If you hear a loud whine or whistling as the toilet tank refills after a flush, you may have a defective ballcock assembly or restricted water flow.
First, try adjusting the toilet shut-off valve. Sometimes, restricted water flow causes loud toilet noises. If that doesn’t work, oil the trip lever or replace the ballcock washers.
Running/Leaking Toilet
If you hear running water at night, it may be your toilet. You can test if your toilet is running by placing a few drops of food dye into the tank and then waiting to see if it shows up in the bowl. If you see the food dye color in the bowl after within 15 minutes or so, your toilet is leaking.
There are several reasons why your toilet may be leaking:
- Rubber flapper isn’t creating a seal – Either adjust the stopper guide rod, adjust the chain, or replace the flapper. Make sure there is not tension in the chain.
- Waterlogged ball float – If there is water in the float ball, replace it.
- Corroded flush valve seat – Try scouring a rough valve seat with 150-grit sandpaper if it’s plastic and fine steel wool for anything else. If the sealant ring looks damage, replace it.
- Cracked overflow tube – Replace the overflow tube or install a new valve assembly.
- Ballcock valve won’t shut off – Oil the trip lever and replace ballcock washer, but if that doesn’t work replace the entire ballcock assembly.
Clogged Toilet
If your toilet is clogged, use a plunger or toilet auger. The best plungers for toilets are the ones with an extra rubber flap, called a flange plunger.
To use a toilet auger (aka closet auger), insert it into the toilet until it reaches the clog. Then, turn the handle to break up the clog.
Sweating Tank
Tank sweating normally occurs in the summer due to the condensation of moist air onto the surface of the cold toilet bowl. One way to get rid of tank sweating is to insulate the inside of the tank. Another solution would be to install a tempering valve that mixes in hot water with cold. This solution, however, requires professional service.
If you are having trouble troubleshooting or fixing your toilet problems, contact the professional plumbers at Fix-It 24/7 Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electric.
We provide expert, on-time plumbing services for Boulder and the entire Denver Metro Area, including drain repair, repiping, toilet replacements, leak detection, and more!
Contact Fix-It 24/7 at (303) 214-0277 or schedule service online. We’re open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Service You Can Count On
