REASONS YOUR TOILET WONT FLUSH AND WAYS TO FIX IT

August 20, 2021

Reasons Your Toilet Won’t Flush & Ways to Fix It!

If you are known as the handyman around your house that your wife, kids, or roommates come to when there is a plumbing problem, chances are that you have heard “the toilet won’t flush again” a few times.

Trying to figure out the problem that is preventing a toilet from flushing correctly can be frustrating if you do not know what you are looking for. That is why we decided to share the most common reasons for a toilet being temporarily unable to flush, and how to fix them yourself. This common plumbing problem happens to all of us sooner or later, but in the vast majority of cases can be fixed quickly and easily.

The Toilet Is Blocked

Problem: Using too much toilet paper or attempting to flush anything other than toilet paper down the toilet can block the pipe and make further flushing impossible. Sanitary pads are a common culprit behind clogs like this.

Solution: Use a toilet plunger or toilet auger to push waste through and allow the toilet to flush, or use the plunger to create a suction that will help dislodge paper blocking the flushing action and allow it to move down the pipe. If you are experiencing frequent blocking, you may want to consider using a thinner type of toilet paper, particularly if you or other members of your household use a lot in one sitting.

The Water Level in the Cistern Is Too Low

Problem: The water level in a toilet’s cistern should be about one inch below the top of the tank’s overflow tube. If the water in the cistern is too low, check the water inlet valve, as it may have been accidentally switched off.

Solution: If the water inlet valve was off, turn it on and monitor the water level in the cistern to ensure that it refills to the correct level, then flush the toilet to make sure it is flushing correctly again.

The Flapper Is Bent

Problem: Remove the toilet cistern lid and inspect the rubber flapper. The rubber flapper is designed to release water when the toilet is flushed and then close the water intake hole afterward so that the correct amount of water remains in the tank. If the rubber flapper on your toilet appears to have deteriorated, bent, or misshapen to seal the flush tube hole, you will need to replace it.

Solution: Flappers are inexpensive items and can be found at any hardware store. Turn off the water and drain the cistern before changing the old flapper out for the new one, then try flushing to the toilet again to ensure the problem is resolved.

The Lift Chain Is not Working

Problem: Sometimes the lift chain, which attaches the flapper to the flushing handle on the outside of the toilet, can have too much slack and make the handle unable to raise the flapper and therefore flush the toilet.

Solution: To solve this problem, you need only adjust the length of the chain to shorten it so that the chain can provide pull sufficient to raise the flapper off of the flush tube and allow water to flow when the handle is pulled.

When in Doubt, Call the Pros!

There are many qualified plumbers out there than can fix your toilet issues. We suggest you visit https://www.iopsa.org/ to find qualified plumbers in your area.