Should I Fix my Toilet?

My toilet runs in my cottage, should I call a plumber or is there anyway I can fix it myself?

Usually when a toilet runs, or won't stop endlessly dumping water down the fill into the bowl there is a reason. Here are the most common;

• The main flapper is worn out.
• The chain between the handle and the flapper is caught and holding the flapper up.
• The fill valve is not rising back to its set position after flushing.

Now if you think you can handle a little repair or you know someone that is handy (that will do if for you) then maybe you can fix it yourself. It's usually very simple to figure out what is wrong with the toilet by a process of elimination.

Remove the tank lid and take a look. Flush the toilet and see what happens.

If the chain is free and attached properly then its not the chain.

If flapper is not sitting down tight on the bottom of the tank then its the flapper.

If you can move the fill valve manually back up to its resting position after the tank has done its filling then its the fill valve.

The flapper, the chain and the fill valve can be replaced and its not that hard. But there are some factors that will affect you changing them and stopping the toilet from running and endlessly wasting water.

Age of your toilet

The newer the toilet the easier it is to find generic parts to replace these things. The older the toilet the harder it is, if your toilet is too old then you probably won't be able to find replacement parts and you will have to buy a new toilet.

Specialty Toilets

If your toilet is an obscure toilet or a very expensive model then you might have trouble finding parts that will fit properly and work properly. Simple cheap toilets like American Standard are easily fixable with replacement parts from any hardware store. This is because the parts that are in them are simple and cheap to begin with so replacing them with more simple and cheap parts makes sense.

It could be Your Water

The problem with your toilet could be that your water, is your water too hard or does it have too may minerals or does it have something else that is affecting the performance of the toilet? If it is your water then replacing the parts in the back of your toilet will only be a temporary solution. The replacement parts will fail more quickly then they should unless you treat the water that is going into the toilet. Treating the water is a whole different issue and it does require a plumber.

If you do not think you are able to fix it yourself then hire someone that can, either a plumber or a handyman. Remember that when you are dealing with water if you don't feel comfortable fixing it then don't because attempting to fix something and have it leak can cause a lot more damage then the cost of a new toilet and a plumber to install it.

Rob Abbott
Village Builders Inc.