Professional Toilet Repair to Keep Your Throne in Perfect Shape
Plumbers 911 Washington DC Provides Top-Quality Toilet Repair and Replacement
Indoor plumbing is such a staple of our daily lives that it’s hard to imagine that, once upon a time, it’s something that families could live without. However, if you’re faced with a misbehaving toilet, you may start wishing for simpler times when outhouses never backed up or spontaneously overflowed.
Toilet problems can be a huge headache, so if you’re faced with an out-of-order bathroom it’s important to have it fixed as quickly as possible. If you’re in need of emergency plumbing services, contact
reliable plumbers in Washington DC immediately for around-the-clock plumbing services.
Understanding how your toilet works, and recognizing warning signs of different kinds of
toilet problems and their fixes, is helpful information to know in case any of these issues arise in your own home. If you’re looking to learn more about how your toilet works, as well as common kinds of toilet issues and what repairs they require, read on.
How does a home toilet work?
The basics of how a toilet works are pretty obvious: hitting the lever or button causes the water in the bowl to flush, carrying away wastewater down to the sewer. But as anyone who has peeked beneath the lid of a toilet might suspect, it’s actually a bit more complicated than this. An important element of the typical flush toilet is simple gravity. Additional elements allow the toilet bowl to refill after each flush to just the right level.
Steps that occur every time you flush the toilet:
First, pushing the lever on the toilet releases the
flapper at the bottom of the toilet’s cistern, or the tank at the back of the toilet.
This allows water to flow out of the cistern and into the toilet bowl, creating the familiar flush.
The toilet bowl’s contents move down the drain.
Inside the cistern, the plastic float descending along with the water level tips a level, causing the cistern and the toilet bowl to refill with water so that the toilet can be used again.
Of course, different toilet models function slightly differently, but the basic principles always remain the same.
Common Toilet Problems
As you may have noticed by reading about how toilets function above, the toilet is a fairly complex system that requires a number of different parts. Any of these parts can cause problems, some of which are easier to fix than others. If you’re having trouble with your toilet, it’s possible that a simple jiggle or the replacement of a part will be all that’s needed to fix the problem. Of course, more serious problems will require more complicated repairs. If you think that your home toilet requires a professional to look at it, be sure to give us a call.
- Running toilet: This is one of the most common problems associated with toilets, and it’s one that might go unfixed for a long time while the sound remains annoying and persistent. Usually, the problem is hidden in the toilet’s cistern. Check that your toilet’s refill tube (through which water flows back into the tank) is above water level. If that’s not the problem, it could be that the valve that controls the water flow needs to be replaced.
- Broken or damaged flapper: This can also be the culprit for a running toilet, but it’s hidden further down in the tank. The flapper is what opens to let water flow into the toilet bowl, and it can either wear down over time or become coated in mineral deposits. It may need to be replaced.
- Leaky toilet: If water is leaking out from the bottom of the toilet near the floor, it’s likely that the wax ring that helps seal this connection needs to be replaced. It’s also possible that your toilet just needs to be secured more tightly to the ground. But if these aren’t the issue, check your toilet carefully for cracks. If there are cracks in the porcelain, it will need to be replaced.
- Slow draining toilet: If your home has hard water, a slow draining toilet can be caused by mineral deposits accumulating inside the bowl. Clear these deposits thoroughly to fix the problem.
- Toilet won’t flush: Take a peek beneath the lid to your tank, and make sure that everything is properly connected. Your toilet’s handle sets off a chain reaction, so every little piece needs to be in place for it to work.
- Clogged toilet: Possibly the biggest nightmare of all toilet problems. Your first line of defense should always be the traditional plunger. DON’T attempt to flush multiple times if the first flush didn’t work, because this could easily cause flooding—a much bigger problem! If the plunger doesn’t work, you can also try to clear the clog with vinegar diluted with hot water. If neither of these things work, or if the clog clears only for the toilet to become clogged again quickly, it’s time to call a plumber.
While many of the above problems can have simple fixes, if any of them are persistent problems that reoccur, it could be time to have a professional technician take a look at the situation. If you notice any cracks or damage to the porcelain body of your toilet, it may be necessary to replace it.
Why should I hire Plumbers 911 Washington DC?
Whether your plumbing problems are big and small, and whether you need urgent repairs or you’re toying with the idea of updating your plumbing fixtures, Plumbers 911 Washington DC is eager to help you with all the plumbing needs in your home.
Plumbers 911 lets you access a network of top plumbing professionals in our region. With one call, you can be sure that you’ll be hiring the best in the business, with top-quality training and knowledge of all the most cutting edge plumbing technologies.
If you’re having troubles with your toilet, don’t hesitate to give us a call.]]>
