Toilet tips

Toilets, in most cases are very simple mechanisms, and for how often they are used you’re bound to have problems arise. We have a few tips for you if a toilet repair is on your agenda today. If you do not find the information you are looking for just ask Johnny D! He is happy to help!

Double Flusher

1. Check the water level it may be too high, Adjust it a little lower and see if that helps.
2. This may also happen if the wrong flapper has been installed on the toilet. We see this a lot when the original toilet had a flapper with a float on the chain and someone installed a standard flapper.
   

Weak Flush

1. Check the flapper - The flapper could be water logged and in need of replacement. 
2. Check the water level – it may be too low. The water level should be close to the water level line indicator on the inside of the tank.
3. Check water jets to make sure they are not clogged - Use a mirror to look under the rim to see if the jets are clogged. You can try to clear the jets to see if that helps. A muriatic acid wash can really do the job, but you should get professional help for this! Some toilets made between 1994-1997 may never flush well no matter what you do. Look at the date code stamped in the back inside of the toilet. This is when 1.6 gallon toilets first came out and many toilets just did not work well.
   

If your toilet still is not flushing well after trying these tips, you may need to call for help or look at replacing the toilet with a new style and a better flush.

Whistling when the tank fills
This could be caused by the fill valve itself.
You will want to check the water pressure to the home to make sure you do not have excessive pressure – above 80psi. If it is above 80psi you need to get a pressure regulator installed.
The fill valve is most likely your problem causing the noise, you should try to replace it with a good quality valve.

Phantom Flush
This is caused by water leaking into the bowl and the tank refills as if it were just flushed.
Try the food color test to confirm this. Just add several drops into the tank after it has refilled. Wait 5-10 minutes and look in the bowl to see if it is colored. If so, the flapper is not sealing completely, try replacing it and this should solve your problem.

Slow Tank Filling
Check the valve under the tank by the wall. It may be partially closed. If so, open it some and see if that helps. If this doesn’t help, the fill valve inside the toilet could be the problem. You can try replacing the fill valve with a good quality valve.

Sluggish Flush
This can be caused by a clog or partial clog down stream from the toilet. Fill a five gallon bucket with water and dump it into the toilet as fast as possible. If the flush is better when doing this, it is probably not a clog. If the water backs up and drains slow you have a clog in the line.