Common Toilet Problems That You Can Fix Yourself
A misbehaving toilet can be a real problem in the home, but you may not need to call in a professional to rectify the problem. Any plumber worth his salt could fix a toilet in his sleep, so what’s stopping you from having a go yourself? It’s well worth learning some easy repair techniques to save yourself the trouble of getting in touch with an expert – and you’ll save yourself some money, too!
Most commonly, if a toilet needs a part replacing it will be the siphon, which is the part of the toilet that sucks the used water through the soil pipe. But before you rush out to buy a replacement, here are a list of the most common problems and simple solutions you can try at home yourself:
Is there water in the cistern?
First of all, is there plenty of water in the cistern? If there isn’t, then there is a problem with the water inlet valve. Remove this valve and take off the nozzle on the end of it. Clean this nozzle, removing any loose debris, and reattach. If this hasn’t worked then you will need to replace the water inlet valve with a new one (they’re only a couple of pounds and can be found in any hardware store).
Is the flush lever attached?
he flush lever could have become unattached or seized up. The flush lever must be attached properly to the flush handle and to the siphon by a metal hook and the mechanism must operate flowingly without being caught or disturbed.
If the toilet’s handle mechanism has broken, then you will need to replace it. You can do this with an adjustable wrench by simply removing the bolt and unhooking the metal hook that is attached to the siphon.
Follow the instructions on the packet of the new handle mechanism. Once installed, make sure that the mechanism works freely without being caught or strained anywhere. The toilet flush lever should be taut enough to pull on the metal hook (and the siphon to flush the toilet), but not pulled so tight that it leaves the metal hook raised, otherwise the toilet bowl will be emptied but the cistern will not re-fill the bowl.
Is your toilet clean?
Yes, it may sound like a silly question, but sometimes a toilet’s cleanliness can be the difference between a toilet working and remaining unusable. Check to see if there is any debris trapped underneath the tank ball (in the toilets cistern). Trapped debris can stop the ball lifting up which stops the water flow, so put some gloves on and give the ball a clean. Remove any other debris in the cistern as this could get trapped later to disturb your toilet at a later date.
If none of the above suggestions have fixed your problem, then it’s better to contact some professional plumbers. Like plumber in northen beaches. Then you can tell to them the pipe is blocked by the increase in water collecting in the toilet bowl. And the rest they do their job.
The experienced team at Ability Plumbers specialise in toilet repairs and boiler installation in London.
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