Toilets
Older toilets use approximately 3-5 gallons per flush while the standard low-flow toilet models use 1.6 gallons per flush. (Some models are even more efficient.) Upgrading your toilets result in an automatic reduction in your water bills each month, and tremendous savings over a full year. The more efficient models may also qualify for a rebate through your utilities company.
Toilet Repair
Toilets are rather straightforward fixtures and are comprised of only a few essential parts. Most repairs are easy to diagnose and repair, but if plumbing isn’t your thing, Oak View Mechanical is here to help.
- The toilet bowl is overflowing.
Plunge the toilet to clear the clog. Eight to ten rhythmic push-and-pull pumping motions
with your plunger will create pressure in the drain and free the clog. - The handle on the toilet just wiggles, but doesn’t flush.
Check and reconnect the chain in the toilet tank. The chain can be reconnected at the notch or hook. Similarly, if a loose or broken chain isn’t the problem, the nut that secures the handle (just inside the tank) may have loosened and worked its way down the lift bar. Using your fingers, retighten the nut to the back of the handle until it’s snug. - Water keeps running into the bowl after the tank has refilled.
Jiggle the handle. If that does not work, replace the flapper. When new, a flapper is flexible and seals tightly in the drain at the bottom of the tank, settling easily back into place after each flush. Over time, the rubber can harden and the flapper won’t fit as snugly into the drain, and the result it a leaking toilet tank. Alternatively, check the ball cock if the flapper appears to be okay. - Water is pooling on the floor around the base of the toilet
Replace the wax ring seal under the toilet. A toilet can weigh anywhere from 70 to 125 pounds depending on the size and style. You will need a strong back or a helper. Alternatively, check the tank to bowl gasket as the source.
If a toilet flush valve is cracked or broken, it should be replaced. This is a more challenging DIY repair than some, so you may want to call Oak View Mechanical at this point. If you are up to the challenge, you’ll need to purchase a flush valve kit, and it will come with complete instructions.
