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Common Toilet Issues – Part 3

This is the final installment of our three-part series covering the common issues we see at Marines Plumbing with toilets. Find part one here and part two here.

Common Toilet Issues – Part 1

Common Toilet Issues – Part 2

Here is the final set of common issues.

Leaky Seals

Did you know toilets have at least five seals? That means there are at least five places that have the potential for leaks. If there is any water leaking, you’ll have to check each seal to check if it is faulty, loose, or needs to be replaced. In some cases, it may be as simple as tightening it.

The largest seal is the one between the toilet tank and the toilet bowl. If there is a break here, water will shoot out from under the tank every time you flush. Replacing this requires a lot of work, including draining and removing the tank. We can easily do

this for you if you are experiencing this issue.

Another seal that can leak is the wax seal under the toilet base. If this seal leaks, you will have water under the toilet base that will eventually rot the floor. Caulking around the base is a Band-Aid and not a good one – it will trap the water and make everything worse. You’ll need to remove the toilet and replace the wax seal.

Phantom Flushes

Do you ever hear what seems to be a toilet flush from the other room when there is no one there? Or the toilet starts refilling itself? A phantom flush occurs when your toilet starts to refill itself as though it had been flushed. This is caused by a slow leak from the tank into the bowl. The culprit? A faulty flapper or flapper seat. Check the condition of the flapper, but make sure to drain the tank and bowl first.

Water trickling into the Tank

Constant hissing sounds coming from your toilet can be disconcerting as well as an indication that water is trickling into the tank (from the supply line). The hissing sound is created when water comes through the inlet valve. Some of the parts that could affect this are the toilet float and the refill tube in the tank. If they are not placed properly, they may need to be adjusted.

Weak Flushes

There are some toilets that will not flush correctly no matter what you try. This has nothing to do with external factors, and everything to do with the time it was made. Some toilets that were made and distributed between 1994 and 1997 have these issues.

Toilets made prior to 1994 can be prone to hard water deposits build up, which also account for weak flushes. When calling your plumber to address this issue, make sure you check to see what year your toilet was made.

If you live in the Northern Virginia area and are having any of these issues and cannot troubleshoot them yourself, don’t fear! Call Marines Plumbing today to help diagnose and fix your plumbing problem.

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