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troubleshooting Credits: Household-Helper |
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Leaky toilet tank
There is a slow drip on the outer underside of toilet tank on the left bottom. Also, I forget how to adjust water level. There is an upside down sort of cup on a valve stem the position of which sets the water level.
The drip on the underside could be caused by a number of things:
1. hairline crack on the tank
2. mounting bolts starting to rot out
3. bad gasket between the tank and the bowl
4. bad washer on the fill valve
As for the adjustment, If you have the kind I think you described, there should be a metal rod that the float connects to. At the point where it connects, there will be a metal clip...squeeze the edges of the clip together and slide the float up or down on the metal rod.
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Sewage Smell in the Bathroom
Sometimes my house starts smelling like sewage. After I flush the bedroom toilet and run water down the sink, it seems to start to dissipate. What is the problem? (BTW that bathroom is almost never used).
My guess is that since the bathroom is hardly used, the water in the toilet bowl and drain pipe of the sink is evaporating enough to let sewer gas into the house.
The water that sits in the bowl and sink drain act like a stopper, letting no gas past. If the water level drops just a little, the gas can escape into the house.
The remedy is to flush every other day, and run some water into the drain too. This should take care of the problem.
There is also a small possibility that the vent is clogged.
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Clogged Toilet
Last night my toilet overflowed profusely twice when I flushed it. The 2nd time I couldn't get it to stop till I ran down stairs and turned off the water main. What should I do? Will a snake work, the plunger did nothing.
There's a larger version of a snake called a Toilet (around $15) that's used on toilets. Chances are a little snake won't help a bit.
If you know it's just a paper clog, a plunger should work if you try long enough. If it's more than that, like a Barbie doll or something you'll need a toilet auger (directions will come with it usually).
I know it's gross, but sometimes the fastest and easiest way to get a toilet clog is to put on a long dish washing glove and reach in, and grab it after emptying the bowl with a cup and bucket.
If the clog is beyond the toilet and in the pipe, you'll most likely need a plumber to come in and remove the toilet and snake the main drop down to the main line in the house.
PLEASE NOTE: You should never use drain cleaning chemicals in a toilet. They can become very dangerous to anyone working on the toilet, and they NEVER work on toilet clogs.
 
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Toilet Troubles
I have toilet problems with every toilet in the house. Although I believe they are minor, here they are:
Toilet #1: I continuously hear water running.
Toilet #2: I have to hold the handle to flush it.
Toilet #3: It overflows after I flush it . (This occurs on every 3-4 flushes).
Toilet #1 and #2 need new flapper valves in them.
It's the black thing attached to the handle inside the tank. Simply turn the water off, flush the toilet to remove the water in the tank, and remove the flappers. Replace them with the same kind as are there. Should cost you about $9 for both toilets...very simple repair.
Toilet #3 has another problem. It has a clog somewhere. Since you said it happens after a number of flushes, the clog is probably way down the pipes somewhere. I would recommend calling a plumber like Roto-Rooter for that one. Do not even bother trying drain cleaner or a plunger...they won't work.
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Credits:
IBMT Development Program, GTA Apartment Association |
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Noisy Toilet
- Possible cause: Restricted Water Flow.
Check water supply valve at the wall. It may be partially closed. If it is, turn the shut off counter clock wise until fully open.
- Possible cause: Defective assembly.
Oil the trip lever or replace the ball cock washers as a first step.
If this does not work, replace the entire ball cock assembly.
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Water Runs Continuously
- Possible cause: Kinks in lift chain or lime built-up on handle mounting nut.
Loosen mounting nut in handle and scrub handle parts with vinegar to remove lime built-up.
Adjust the lift chain so it hangs straight from the lever with about 0.5 inch slack by hooking the chain into a different hole in the handle lever or by removing links with needle nose pliers to remove excess slack.
If the chain is broken, replace it.
- Possible cause: Refill Tube Placement.
Align it (maybe slipped into the overflow pipe).
- Possible cause: Dirty, worn flapper(stopper).
Clean or replace.
- Possible cause: Cracked Overflow tube.
Replace the tube or install a new flush assembly.
- Possible cause: Ball Cock valve does not shut off.
Replace any faulty washers or install a new ball cock assembly.
- Possible cause: Worn washers on inlet valve ball cock assembly.
If the washers are worn on the inlet valve of the ball cock assembly, water may be leaking past them.
Shut off the tank.
Check the plunger in the ball cock. A typical ball cock has 2 pins in the ball cock lever holding the plunger in position.
Remove these pins and lift out the float arms.
Pull the plunger out of the ball cock and check the washers on it.
If they are worn, they may be causing the plunger to stick.
Remove them using a slot screwdriver and replace them.
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Handle Sticks or Is Loose.
Clean the mounting nut (located on the inside behind the handle).
If there is a buildup of lime around the mounting nut, clean it with a brush dipped in vinegar.
Check the chain that connects the lift arm to the flapper valve. There should be about half an inch of slack in the chain. You can adjust the slack by hooking the chain in a different hole in the handle or by removing links with needlenose pliers. If the chain is broken, it must be replaced.
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Toilet Won't Flush At All.
Check the handle (too loose or tight),
lift arm (bent or broken),
chain,
flapper valve, and
the connections between each one of the parts to make sure all are functioning (connection between the lift arm and lift chain may be broken or out of adjustment so it doesn't raise the flapper valve far enough).
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Toilet Won't Flush Completely.
You may need to remove excess slack in the lift chain.
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Water On Floor Around Toilet.
If you have water on the floor around your toilet, you need to fix the problem right away so moisture doesn't damage your subfloor.
Start by checking all connections—the tank bolts, the ballcock mounting nut and supply tube coupling nut. Is everything tight? If so, you may need to replace the washers.
If moisture is dripping from the tank during humid weather, that's probably just condensation. You can fix this problem by installing a toilet liner kit—a foam panel placed inside the tank. To install a liner, you will need to cut off the water, drain and clean the inside of the tank. Cut the panels to fit your toilet and attach to the tank.
Is the toilet tank cracked? If so, you need to buy a new tank. In fact, unless your toilet is fairly new and direct replacement bowls are readily available, consider getting a whole new toilet. This will eliminate the potential problems associated with trying to find a tank that matches the old bowl.
Water around the base of a toilet could be caused by a wax ring that no longer seals or by a cracked toilet base. If the toilet leaks constantly, the toilet base is cracked and must be replaced. If leaking occurs during or after a flush, replace the wax ring (#12).
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Splashing Water In The Tank.
Adjust the refill line that runs into the overflow tube in the tank. You may need to replace the washers in the inlet valve.
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Groaning Sound About A Minute After You Have Flushed.
This is a common problem but it can be hard to find in a building with more than a few toilets. The hydraulic properties of water cause the vibration to carry through the entire waterline system of the building. Many people say this is caused by air in the waterlines. They are incorrect. If there were air in the lines, the effect of the air would be to eliminate the hydraulic properties of the water. The problem here is the diaphragm in the fill-valve (ballcock). Even if the diaphragm looks good, it is not. It can not be cleaned or repaired in any way. Replace the fill-valve diaphragm and adjust the water level in the tank and the problem will go away. The only way to identify the bad ballcock in a building full of toilets is to shut off half of the toilets at a time near the sound until you are down to one. This can take some time, but knowing what you are looking for helps a lot. All the tenants of the property will band together and throw you a parade when they see how clever you are
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Toilet Starts Refilling By Itself.
This may be caused by a leaking flush valve, allowing water to
pass through the tank into the bowl. If this is the case, you will hear the
toilet start filling all on it's own from time to time.This is because as the
water leaks in to the bowl, the tank level drops and the toilet thinks it has
been flushed, so it re-fills.
If the flush valve leaks the flapper must be replaced and the seat
it sits on cleaned thoroughly.
If the toilet always sounds like it is filling a little (a
constant hiss of running water) then the problem likely lies in the fill valve
mechanism (ballcock valve). Lift tank lid.
If the fill valve is leaking you will see water coming up over the
overflow tube and entering the bowl. Lift up lightly on float rod and ball. If
water stops running when you lift only slightly you are in luck! You can adjust
the water level in the tank by holding tightly to the rod near the ballcock and
bending the rod downward slightly. Be careful not to put too much stress on the
connection of the rod to the ballcock valve. If the hissing of the incoming
water does not stop when you lift up slightly on the float then you must
continue to the next step.
Shut off water to toilet, unscew the float ball and shake it. If
you can hear water inside the ball, throw it away. They are cheap and impossible
to dry out once partially filled with water. The other cause of constantly
running toilets, and probably the most common is malfunction of the fill valve.
They contain a small diphragm (called the ballcock diaphragm or fill-valve
diaphragm) that is controlled by the lever action of the float valve. This
diaphragm is what shuts off the water and as they get old, or some debris gets
caught in them, they leak. These diaphragms are very cheap and easy to find at
most hardware stores.
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Remember!
Standard plunger with a flat bottom is best for sink drains, and the one with a semi-cone shaped bell on the bottom is best for toilets.
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How to:
Replace A Toilet. A Step-By-Step Instruction.
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Repairs
