Let’s face it, toilets are where some of us do our best thinking. We read, scroll through social media; some of us even talk on the phone.
As a plumber, a lot of my work is with toilets. Some common complaints are that toilets are constantly running; rocking back and forth; or leaking. One complaint that always compels people to call a plumber is the ever-popular: Lately my water bill is extremely high.
Just like with people, there are so many parts that need to work well together in order for a toilet to work properly. As soon as you pull that handle, everything kicks into motion and needs to work collaboratively and in conjunction so that the flush is effective. It’s something we all take for granted. But, if your toilet isn’t flushing properly, you know just how vital it is.
Your toilet tank contains the heart and soul of the toilet – let’s call it the operating system. The parts in the tank do wear out. They are not designed to last forever.
At the first sign of trouble, check in with a plumber. At this stage, the problem is usually simple and inexpensive to fix. If you wait, the adjoining parts start to become affected. As this happens, it becomes like a domino effect. The entire system starts to break down, slowly but surely.
If you are a “weekend warrior” who likes to handle things on his/her own, that is great. But, remember, a simple flapper can be trickier than you might think. There are so many different types of flappers and flapper sizes. If you get the wrong type or size, it can create an even bigger problem. If you had a bit of water leaking, you may end up with a lot more water with the wrong flapper.
One other tip that is directed toward people who like to put the blue tablets in the tank in order to clean the bowl with every flush. Not only does the tablet dissolve a bit with each flush, so do the rubber parts in your toilet tank. Those tablets are made with a concentration of bleach. This takes very little time to start to break down the mechanical parts, from fill valve and overflow tube to your tank-to-bowl bolts.
The tip is, contact an expert at the first sign of trouble. Your problem probably isn’t that big, early on. So nip it in the butt (pun intended) and stretch the life of your toilet while saving money on your water bill.