Toilets are one of the most important plumbing fixtures in our home. Like any appliance, toilets can experience all kinds of problems over time. Many of these problems are not things that you want to ignore – as they could become very unpleasant or expensive if you do. Below are just 5 examples of toilet issues that need to be fixed promptly.
Toilet blockage
We’ve all had to deal with blocked toilets at some point. This issue isn’t something you can ignore if you only have one toilet in your home. However, those with two or more toilets may be tempted to put off dealing with a blocked toilet. This is not advised as it can cause blockages to harden up and become more difficult to remove. Blocked toilets can also give off a horrible smell and potentially attract pests.
There are many DIY ways to unclog a toilet including using a plunger, pouring hot soapy water into the bowl, or using a coat hanger. If none of these methods work, you’ll have to hire a plumber.
Bad smells
If there’s a horrible smell coming from your toilet (before you’ve used it), this is not a good sign. Bad smells can have a number of potential sources including mold in the rim, a dry p-trap or even a sewage backup. Some of these smells can be toxic and even flammable (such as sewer gas released as a result of a dry p-trap). A sewage backup is something you really don’t want to deal with and could end up coming out of your toilet and causing a nasty mess – which you’ll then need to hire sewage cleanup services to address.
If thoroughly cleaning the toilet doesn’t get rid of the smell, call a plumber to take a look. If it’s a blockage or damaged seal causing the problem, they can fix this.
Leaking water
A leaky toilet can have all kinds of bad knock-on effects. On top of higher water bills, a leak could cause water damage to your bathroom. This water damage could lead to mold growth and potentially structural issues – so it’s important to fix this leak.
Toilets can leak from all different places including damaged seals, cracks in the bowl or even through corroded pipes. A damaged flush valve can even cause water to leak from the tank into the bowl (which won’t cause damage to your home, but could result in a high water bill). A plumber can diagnose and repair all of these problems.
Weak flushing
A weak flush can lead to waste not being flushed away properly, increasing the risk of blockages. This issue could be caused by sediment blockages in the rim or a toilet tank failing to fill up enough. If allowed to get worse, your toilet may eventually not be able to flush anything down.
Make sure to hire a plumber to take a look at this problem. It could be a case of removing sediment in the rim or a faulty fill valve. In some cases, a new toilet may be the solution.
What do you think?