Ah, the toilet. The loo. The potty. The porcelain god.
Whatever name you choose, there’s no denying the flush toilet is one of the greatest inventions in history. Prior to its arrival in the late 16th century, people used chamber pots and threw raw sewage out in the streets. This, of course, led to widespread disease including cholera, dysentery, typhus and typhoid fever, and bubonic plague.
Today, the average person visits a toilet about 2,500 times a year, or six to eight times per day. So for an average Austin family of four, at 10,000 flushes a year, the importance of a functional, efficiently operating toilet cannot be ignored.
However, a plumbing fixture that sees that much use is bound to have problems every now and then. Here are a couple of toilet questions we hear the most often:
A constantly running toilet
The problem is more than likely the flapper valve not properly sealing. When you check the back of your tank, make sure there are no foreign objects like a toilet bowl cleaner dispenser or a brick blocking the valve. Also check for mineral deposits around the seat beneath the valve. Lastly, make sure the pull chain attached to the valve isn’t too short, holding the valve open just slightly.
An overflowing toilet
Something’s caught in the toilet and won’t flush properly. Whether it’s too much toilet paper or a toy accidentally dropped in the bowl, the first thing you should do to keep the toilet water at bay is reach into the tank and prop up the fill valve (the ball or cylinder that floats on top of the water). This will stop the water flowing into the toilet and thus avert an overflow. Next, reach for your plunger.
Just remember, not every toilet problem is a DIY fix. If you have raw sewage backing up into your Austin-area home or a water leak is so severe that water threatens your home’s structure – call 1st Home and Commercial Services. We provide dependable, licensed plumbers in Austin, TX, licensed plumbers in Buda, TX and licensed plumbers in Kyle, TX who can identify and repair your toilet problems, and get you and your family back to flushing with confidence.