Toilet Troubles? Common Problems and Solutions

Toilets are some of the hardest-working plumbing appliances in your Houston home. Every day, the majority of water usage in your bathrooms is attributed to your toilets. Toilet troubles can cause stress and waste unnecessary water, costing you more on your utility bills and even causing water damage to your property. Many common toilet problems, such as a sweating tank or a leaky flapper valve, can be easily fixed on your own to eliminate your plumbing worries.

A Sweating Tank

Are you noticing condensation or “sweating” on the outside of your toilet tank? Not only is this common toilet problem unsightly, but dripping water can damage the floor beneath your toilet as well. If you’ve got a sweating toilet tank, there are a number of solutions you can pursue. Toilet tank jackets and drip pans are designed to either absorb or collect condensation to prevent damage to your bathroom flooring. However, these solutions do not address the source of your toilet’s sweating problem. If you want to stop your toilet tank from sweating, consider installing a temperator valve. A temperator valve is designed to mix hot and cold water together so that the water in your toilet’s tank is not too cold, which causes condensation to occur on the outside of the tank. Temperator valves require two inputs: the regular cold water input that already runs to your toilet’s tank, and a second hot water input. If you don’t want to add a second water input for your toilet, a tempering tank is an alternative solution. A tempering tank increases the temperature of incoming water before sending it on to your toilet. Your plumber can help you install a temperator valve or tempering tank if you don’t feel confident tackling this job yourself.

A Running Toilet

A running toilet is actually a leak that allows water to continuously flow between your toilet’s tank and its bowl. Not only does a running toilet generate annoying background noise, it can waste tens of gallons of water each day. If you’re not sure whether you have a toilet leak, remove the lid from your toilet’s tank and place a few drops of food coloring in the water. Avoid flushing the toilet for at least 20 minutes, then return to check the bowl. If there is any food coloring in the bowl, you have a running toilet. To fix a running toilet, inspect the toilet’s flushing mechanism. The handle is attached by a lever to a round flapper valve at the bottom of the tank; when you pull the handle, it lifts the flap and flushes the toilet. If the flapper valve isn’t completely covering the drain hole, you’ll get unwanted water transfer between the tank and the bowl. Realign the flapper valve to see if this solves the problem. If the valve is broken or won’t stay aligned, you’ll need to replace it with a new one. Ask your plumber for assistance if you don’t feel comfortable replacing it yourself.

Toilet troubles may be common, but they are often easy to solve on your own as well. You can contact a professional plumber in Houston or find more information about our plumbing services by clicking through our website. Take a look through our blog for additional do-it-yourself tips on fixing toilets, water heaters, clogged drains, and more!