Solving common toilet problems

Flush away common problems with your toilet

We take it for granted, but a fully functional toilet is one of the great conveniences of modern life. What happens when common problems with your toilet disturb the flow of our day-to-day lives? It’s nothing but a ton of hassle for sure.

That’s why you need to be equipped with the knowledge on how to fix these toilet issues. We’ve listed some of the more common ones below, along with the solutions, to help you in case these dreaded situations arise.

Phantom Flush

When you wake up in the middle of the night because your toilet flushes itself, don’t get spooked—it’s not because of a ghost dropping a deuce in your bathroom. It’s most likely because the flapper valve, which control water flow, in your tank is already worn out and thus allows water in continuously.

Not only does this disturb you with the random flushing, it also pads your water bill. Good thing it’s an easy problem to fix—kust get a replacement off your trusted hardware store, replace the worn-out one and you’re all set.

Low water level inside the bowl

You know how water is retained in the bowl at a certain level after you flush? Sometimes you may notice that the water level in the bowl is considerably lower—and this is important because it can affect your bathroom experience.

The problem here could be toilet paper or even a piece of cloth that might be clogging the bowl’s colon. See if you can inspect the colon closely using a flashlight after emptying the bowl of water. If there’s nothing stuck in there, chances are that there’s a crack that’s causing the water to leak away. In this case, best call your handyman or install a new bowl.

Loose handle / flusher

We see this often in public restrooms, but it’s a bit of a hassle when it happens in your own home. Good thing this is a problem that’s also fairly easy to solve. This can be due to a loose or broken chain that connects the handle to the mechanism inside the tank, so you will need to shorten the chain if it’s to long or replace it if it’s broken.

Running toilet

No, it’s not your toilet unrooting itself from the floor and escaping through the door. It’s when the water keeps running inside the tank because the float that helps control water flow into the tank is likely set too high. See if you can adjust the float and if this fixes the problem. If not, the culprit may be a damaged or defective fill valve. Replacements are easy to find at hardware stores, and you don’t even have to get one that’s exactly like the old one in your toilet.

Common problems with your toilet can prove quite troublesome and inconvenient, but at least the fixes can be done on your own as they’re simple enough and will only require a few basic tools. Of course, if you encounter more complicated toilet issues, don’t hesitate to call professionals.