Yep, it’s true. There is actually a month dedicated to fixing your toilet. The EPA says a leaking toilet can add up to about 200 gallons of wasted water per day (or 78,000 gallons per year) which adds up to LOTS of wasted money, so someone somewhere decided to dedicate an entire month to preventing all that waste (no pun intended). If you’ve noticed any issues with your toilet, now is a great time to figure out what the problem is. We’ll tell you whether it’s something you can try to fix yourself or something that’s better left to your trusted Middletown plumbing company.
- Faulty flapper. If you hear your toilet constantly running, the tank isn’t filling up — usually because the flapper won’t close. The rubber stopper (or flapper) at the base of the tank can become brittle, worn, dirty or misaligned with the flush valve seat, or the seat itself is so corroded that the stopper won’t seal. You can clean the flapper or tank ball with a brush or scouring pad, but if the leak persists, you’ll need to have the flapper replaced or a new seat installed. We can help with that!
- A loose lever. A toilet lever is basically fastened to the tank by a nut, which can eventually work its way loose. If that happens, the handle will jiggle rather than fully raise the plunger or flapper like it’s supposed to. You can try fixing the problem by tightening the nut. If that doesn’t seem to be the issue, it could be that the chain connecting the lever to the flapper is tangled or unhooked, so untangle and rehook if the chain if that’s the case. If the handle still jiggles, give Putman Plumbing a call.
- Overflow of the pipe or flush valve. If the overflow pipe and/or flush valve becomes corroded, it can cause leaks that lower the tank’s water level. This makes the valve turn on repeatedly to refill the tank with water, so it’s best to replace the flush valve assembly with a new one if you don’t want to keep getting a high water bill. Another overflow related problem occurs when the water level is set too high and reaches the top of the overflow pipe when the fill valve shuts off. This makes small amounts of water pour into the overflow pipe, causing the valve to turn on to refill the tank. Sometimes you can solve the problem by setting the tank water to a lower level, either via the adjustment screw or an adjustment clip located on the link of the valve. If this all sounds too complicated or doesn’t fix the problem, call us.
- Fill valve won’t shut off. A fill valve that won’t shut off will cause water to continually pour down the overflow pipe. The culprit is often debris such as hard water deposits or tiny pieces of corroded pipe that become lodged under the valve’s seal, and it’s a common problem with well systems without filtration. The best way to fix it is to shut off the water supply to the toilet and remove the valve top, cover the opening with an inverted cup, and turn the water on and off several times to flush the debris out. If the problem persists, the valve seal may be cracked, so call Putman Plumbing.
- Noisy filling. When a toilet is loud as it fills up, it’s often due to an angle adapter that points straight down the overflow pipe. Tilting the angle adapter allows the refill water to hit the inside wall of the overflow pipe, which eliminates some of the noise. If you try that and it’s still noisy (or you just aren’t sure what we’re talking about because you’re not a plumber), call us!
Want Your Toilet Fixed Right the First Time? Call Putman Plumbing!
Your toilet is something you have to use every day, so don’t risk making the wrong fix or messing with parts you’re not familiar with. Call the most trusted plumbing company in Frederick County to have your toilet fixed during National Toilet Tank Repair Month!
