Three of the Most Common Toilet Problems - Wisler Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, & Electrical

Toilets are obviously a very important part of the plumbing system (and even the entire home). Here are three common toilet problems that we receive calls about on a regular basis.

#1. The toilet leaks at the base and/or it’s loose to the floor.

If you sit on the toilet and you hear a squishing sound, it can be an indication of a major problem. You might also feel that it’s wobbly and rocks from front to back when you sit on it. The cause of this problem is when the wax seal/flange that attaches to the toilet has failed. Once this seal has been compromised, water will slowly leak around the floor and may even cause rotting.

We always check to make sure that the base of the toilet around the floor is caulked. First of all, it needs to be caulked to meet plumbing code. Second, it protects the seal’s integrity. If the floor is slightly unlevel, caulk will fill the gap and create a good solid base so the toilet doesn’t become wobbly.

If you have a loose, wobbly, or leaky toilet, you need to get the problem fixed immediately. It can potentially cause major damage to your home if you don’t get it resolved.

#2. The toilet sounds like it’s running constantly.

If you hear running water or your toilet sounds like it’s flushing when you haven’t even used it, there could be one of several causes. It could be water leaking out of the tank into the bowl. It could also be a faulty fill valve (the valve that puts water into the back of the tank). A toilet that continues to run water into the bowl can end up wasting gallons and gallons of water in a 24 hour period. It might not sound like much, but it quickly adds up.

Leaky toilets can be especially detrimental to septic systems. They like to empty a tub all at once. If you instead have a small amount of water constantly going into the septic system, it can eventually become ruined.

Regardless of whether or not you have a septic system, you should definitely get a leaky toilet checked.

#3. The toilet doesn’t flush properly.

It could be stopped up completely or maybe it just doesn’t flush very well. Normally this happens to an older toilet that isn’t a high-performance flushing model. We can take care of the problem by just replacing the whole toilet with a newer, better one.

The bottom line is, toilets have many components that all have to work together properly. It could be the gasket on the bottom, the gasket between the bowl and the tank, fill valve, flapper, handle, or weep holes around the toilet rim. Instead of just making a quick fix on one item, make sure that you look at all of those things together. A toilet can nickel and dime you if you aren’t careful. Replacing the whole toilet would be the most cost-efficient solution and you only have to deal with it once.

If you’re having a common toilet issue and want us to come tackle the problem, contact us online or give us a call at (540) 483-9382.