Comments on: Fixing The Four Most Common Toilet Problems

By: linda

linda — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 02:40:53 +0000

I have plunged and snaked my toilet but it still has no power for sucking down the waste… tried everything need your advise please.

By: Steve

Steve — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 15:13:55 +0000

At first my toilet wouldn’t flush or drain. Now it wants to flush and drains slowly but it doesn’t have the power to suck anything down. How can i fix this? I’ve tried plunging, I’ve taken the whole toilet off to check the stack pipe, I’ve taken the tank off to check the snake under the bowl and have found nothing clogging the toilet. Please help.

By: carol

carol — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 05:40:27 +0000

I have a Toto G -max toilet. How do you make it so the water is lower than the water sipon? My toilet is using water because the level is a little higher than the sipon. thanks..c

By: Bev

Bev — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 13:37:59 +0000

I have replaced 2 out of 3 of my toilets with the dual flush energy efficient kind. I had the 3rd one in, filled it and flushed to test. I notice a fine trickle out the side of the toilet at the bottom. I took everything apart, checked the wax seal and tried again-same thing. The only difference with this toilet is that the drain instead of dropping straight down, is an angled piece of pipe. I am wondering if the neck on the wax ring is too long and is pressing against the slant pushing it out of place. Have you heard of this happening before??

By: Mark Garland

Mark Garland — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 01:07:52 +0000

Fred,
Chances are if your toilet just randomly starts running water it means, that you are not getting a good seal around the flush valve. Water is leaking around the flapper and going down the toilet. If you want to test this, simply add a few drops of food coloring into the top of the tank so that the water in the tank is easily seen as a color. If the flapper is leaking, you will notice after a while that the water in your toilet bowl becomes the same color as the water in the tank.
If the colored water does migrate into the bowl, simply purchase a new flapper (usually a Universal works fine) and replace the old one making sure that flush valve rim (the hole that the flapper covers) is smooth and clean.
As far as the problem being a bad pressure valve? Not very likely. All that would do is cause your water pressure in the house to be either higher, or lower depending on what the problem is with the pressure valve.

By: Mark Garland

Mark Garland — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 17:40:48 +0000

Your solution may be simpler than you think. Even before running a toilet auger down the bowl to clear the waterway for a blockage, I always try the easiest things first. Remove the tank lid and flush your toilet. Is the flapper just floating for maybe 10 to 15 seconds before seating, allowing the tank to refill? If it is, then what is happening is it is allowing the water to flow out of the internal toilet trap causing it to fill with air. The next time you flush, the air in the trap causes the water in the bowl to not evacuate quickly resulting in what you are describing. To fix this issue, simply redirect the water stream from the small black hose that goes from the fill valve (usually on the left hand side of the tank) into the flush valve (the valve in the middle of the tank) so that the stream hits the side of the tube first rather than blasting straight down to the bottom of the tube.
Method #2 even easier yet, is to turn water supply valve off about 1/4 of the way. This will reduce the water pressure of the stream and usually accomplish the same result. The only negative result of method #2 is that it will also take a little longer to refill the tank.

By: Mark Garland

Mark Garland — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 17:20:40 +0000

Pegi,
Go to any hardware or home store and purchase a pair of Channel Lock style pliers. You don’t need to spend a fortune but don’t buy cheap foreign junk either. The Channel Lock style plier has adjustable ratcheted handles that will allow you properly grip the plastic nut and remove it. Sometimes a second person, if available is helpful to hold the fill valve from inside the tank while you loosen the nut. Just remember that as you’re looking up at the nut from the floor, Righty-Tighty and Lefty-Loosy. In other words, turn the nut to the left or counter clockwise to remove it. If this doesn’t work for you, call a qualified person to assist you.

By: fred

fred — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 05:16:33 +0000

my tolits just start running for no reason. i have changed out the float valves.
coutld it ber the pressure valve coming from the street?

By: Frustrated

Frustrated — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 12:17:00 +0000

I have the same problem and on the advice of a plumber bought a liquid product that he said should work. After two applications of this sulfuric acid product my toilet still isnt working properly. I need the same help.

By: Gary Burnhauser

Gary Burnhauser — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 18:55:18 +0000

We have two toilets in the house. Master bathroom flushes fine, however the guest bathroom does not. Water seems to linger in bowl and then eventually goes out. Have tried plunger to no avail. Any ideas or solutions for this??