When something goes wrong with your toilet, it can be catastrophic.
But most toilets these days are actually pretty simple, and you might as well take a shot at taking care of it yourself before paying for a plumber to make an easy fix:
1. Readjusting your flushing mechanism
When you find that your toilet has a weak flush and you need to hold the handle down for it to work properly, that's usually one of the simplest toilet fixes. There's a good chance that when your flapper was installed, too much slack was left on the chain.
In most cases, this issue can be fixed simply by adjusting where the chain clip is attached to the chain, removing the slack, and voila, you've got a one-touch flush.
2. Unclogging your toilet with ease
If your toilet is clogged and the water is rising, the first thing you want to do is turn off the water to the toilet so it doesn't overflow — you don't want that mess. The next thing to do is deal with the clog, but some clogs can be more stubborn than others.
If you don't have a plunger, or the wrong plunger — you want a round one or one with a flange — that doesn't mean you have to wait it out. A little soap and water could do the trick.
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3. Replacing your fill valve
A running toilet wastes a lot of water and can make your water bill skyrocket. In many cases, it's as easy as replacing a seal at the top of the fill valve, but sometimes you need to replace the fill valve itself.
While that might sound like a complicated job that only a plumber should do, it's not. It's common for toilets today to use this same type of fill valve, and it's really easy to do. You don't even need any tools.
4. Fixing a tank that won't fill
If your toilet is running loudly, the tank isn't filling, and the water in the bowl is above its line, that's wasting even more water than if you only hear a little hiss. This is likely a chain issue.
Most of the time, there's a kink in the chain, and simply shaking the handle will take care of it.
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$200 or more 💰 After doing so, the flapper should rest against the flush valve, the water in the tank should begin to fill, and the water in the bowl will go back to its normal level.
5. Saving the day with salt
If you have a clogged toilet but you don't own a plunger, don't waste your time going out to get one (still, definitely make a note to pick one up later!).
In the meantime, all you need is a healthy amount of salt and warm water, and the clog should clear in about 20 minutes.
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