Toilet maintenance and repair

Learn how to unclog a toilet here. The best way to increase the longevity of your toilet and to avoid annoying plumbing. Turn the valve to its off setting, then flush your toilet. If you don’t hear any running water and your toilet tank doesn’t re-fill, your shut-off valve works.

Check your fill valve.

The fill valve controls the water that fills your toilet tank after you flush. What are the parts of a toilet tank? Do you have toilet plumbing problems?

How much does it cost to replace a toilet tank? How to fix a common toilet problem? Toilet Repair and Replacement A toilet consists of three parts: the tank , the bowl , and the flushing mechanism.

Because flush valves and fill valves are replaceable, malfunctions in the mechanism inside the toilet tank can usually be repaired. If the tank or bowl develops a crack, replacement is usually the only option.

This includes disassembly and installation of a new fill assembly and flush valve. You can do this in your bathroom with simple tools. The cost to repair a clogged toilet drain can range from $to $600. Simple cleanouts with outside access will fall on the lower end of the scale at $to $150. More extensive clogs might require dismantling the fixture or snaking the drain at a cost of $1to $300.

Proper Toilet Maintenance. Your toilets are some of the hardest-working appliances in your home. The average person flushes the toilet five to six times each day , adding up to nearly 0flushes per year. Toilets account for nearly of the water usage in your bathroom, so keeping these essential plumbing fixtures in good condition is a must.

While toilets do not require a significant amount of maintenance, some regular care and cleaning is needed to keep them in good working condition. Once a week, run hot water down the drain to help keep it free-flowing. Fix tubs and showers with strainers that catch hair and soap chips.

Clean the strainers regularly. Calling a plumber for a toilet repair usually means a high-priced emergency visit. And any delay in the plumber’s arrival can be problematic if the toilet is inoperable.

Prices to Repair or Replace Parts.

Most toilet repairs will involve replacing parts. After you flush, if the tank takes too long to fill or gets close to overflow, check for fill valve or flapper issues. Cost to Reseat a Toilet.

Banging noises from the pipes could also mean water supply trouble. Turn off water at the supply line and flush toilet to drain water. Put on rubber gloves and remove remaining water using a sponge and bucket. Disconnect water supply line from bottom of tank. Loosen bolts on base of toilet using an adjustable wrench.

A toilet that cuts on and off by itself, or runs intermittently, has a problem that plumbers call a phantom flush. The cause is a very slow leak from the tank into the bowl. This problem is almost certainly caused by a bad flapper or flapper seat. To install the fill valve you need to turn off the water valve at the wall. Flush the toilet to empty the tank.

A toilet that starts running at random times, runs for a few seconds and then quits, is leaking water from the tank. If there is no water on the floor the tank is leaking into the bowl. This is usually repaired by replacing the flapper, or less often the toilet tank gasket.

Press down on the toilet handle and make sure that the chain is tight enough. The chain should bring the flapper high enough to stay open while the toilet flushes.