How to Prevent Plumbing-Related Toilet Issues

Realizing that your toilet isn’t working properly can be a nightmarish scenario. With no working toilet, staying in your home may not be a viable option. You never want your toilet issues to reach the point where they can make your home uninhabitable. That’s why preventing toilet problems should always be your priority.

Use this article to learn more about the problems commonly affecting household toilets. While you’re at it, you can also read up on tips that should prevent those problems from emerging inside your home.

Persistent Toilet Clogs

Many homeowners place calls to plumbers due to their clogged toilets. It’s a pretty common household issue, and there’s a good chance you’ve dealt with it before. Symptoms of a clogged toilet usually include slow draining and gurgling noises. You may also have more standing water in your toilet than normal because not enough water is moving down your drains.

Unfortunately, those are not the only symptoms of toilet clogging. Taking too long to address the obstruction in your plumbing can cause your toilet to overflow. An overflowing toilet can become a health hazard, so you should do what you can to prevent it.

You don’t have to learn how to unclog a toilet to prevent obstructions from forming inside your plumbing. The most important element of clog prevention is being careful about what you flush down the toilet. Waste and toilet paper are the only things that should be flushed. Any foreign object in your toilet bowl should be fished out because it will cause clogging if you leave it there.

Even when it comes to toilet paper, you have to be cautious when it comes to flushing it. If it seems like you used a lot of toilet paper, you should avoid flushing it and dispose of it using a different method.

Don’t forget to keep your toilet closed whenever it’s not in use. Objects could fall into your toilet and cause clogging if you don’t notice them before flushing. Simply closing the toilet after every use can prevent that problem.

Continuous Toilet Flushes

Does it sound like a ghost is using your bathroom? You may suspect that because your toilet is constantly filling with water and flushing. As unusual as those issues are, they have nothing to do with a spooky presence. Instead, they are indicators that certain components of your toilet are malfunctioning.

The constant filling and flushing are likely related to a damaged flapper or water supply valve. The supply valve controls the flow of water into your toilet. Meanwhile, the flapper creates a seal between the tank and the bowl to prevent constant flushing.

Any significant damage to the supply valve can prevent it from controlling the amount of water inside your toilet. According to Home Depot, old flappers are more susceptible to leaking. They may not be able to keep water out of the bowl consistently.

The best way to protect your toilet’s flapper and water fill valve is to schedule regular service with a plumber. Ask the plumber to check those components to confirm they are working properly. They may also need occasional cleaning to ensure bits of debris do not affect their performance.

Sneaky Toilet Leaks

Any discussion about plumbing-related toilet issues would be incomplete if it doesn’t touch on leaks. Most of the time, a leaking toilet is a wear and tear issue. Accumulated damage to a toilet’s supply line and connectors may cause leaks to form. Cracks along the bowl or tank may also explain why your toilet is leaking. Once again, the toilet flapper may also have something to do with this issue.

Preventing a toilet leak requires keeping an eye out for signs of damage. You should regularly check your toilet’s connections, tank, bowl, and flapper to see if they have been damaged in some way. Consider replacing any components of your toilet that have sustained significant damage. According to the EPA, you can refer to your toilet’s manual for more information about a replacement flapper.

You should also consult a plumber and hear what they say about your leaking toilet. Based on the damage, they may recommend getting a new toilet instead of pursuing repairs.

Taking good care of your toilet can keep it safe from the issues listed in this article. Always keep them in mind, so you can maximize the longevity of your toilet!