The Most Common Reasons Why Your Toilet Won’t Flush

Over the years, we have learned many things as the best plumber in New Milford, Danbury, Ridgefield and Brookfield, CT. We have learned that one of the most common residential plumbing problems is a toilet that will not flush properly. After all, what good is a toilet if it won’t flush? So our crew of plumbers at All State Plumbing & Heating has created this short guide about reasons why your toilet won’t flush. 

Toilet is Clogged

The most obvious answer on the list is that your toilet is clogged. It’s key to remember to never flush anything down your toilet that isn’t waste or toilet paper. For instance, if you treat your toilet like a garbage can, you’ll end up with constant clogs in your toilet. 

The first thing you have to do is trying plunging it. We recommend using a flange plunger. The cup will help you create a better seal in the toilet bowl so it will be easy for you to fix your clogged toilet. The other option is to use a toilet auger but we’ve found that most homeowners don’t have one of these tools to execute the repair. 

So, if plunging doesn’t fix the problem and you are experiencing frequent clogs in your toilet, then consider calling All State Plumbing & Heating for our drain cleaning services. Our professional drain cleaning services can clear out what a simple plunger couldn’t. 

It’s easy to realize when your toilet is clogged. However, some problems are less obvious. 

Low Water Level

Another common cause of toilets not flushing completely is insufficient water in the tank. When you flush your toilet, you’re letting water from the tank into the bowl. So, when you release a lot of water into the bowl quickly generates the suction required to flush the toilet. However, a lack of water will result in too little force for the toilet to flush completely. 

So, it’s important to check the water level in the tank of your toilet. Most of them have a manufacturer’s mark denoting where the water level should be. However, if your toilet does not have a mark, the best level is about an inch below the overflow pipe. If the water in your tank doesn’t rise to the mark, you will have to quickly adjust it.

Most toilets use floats to set the tank’s water level. Those are the round balls you see connected directly to the fill valve. The mechanism is very simple. The fill valve shuts off when the water touches the float. So, if you want to raise the water level, all you have to do is manually bend the float arm up. Look for the metal clip on the assembly. Then, move the clip to adjust the water level.

On the other hand, you might need to buy a new fill valve and have it installed. The best course of action is to call our plumbers to do the job for you. At All State Plumbing & Heating, we have many years of experience solving common plumbing problems in Danbury, New Milford, Ridgefield and Brookfield, CT. 

Loose Chain

Lift the top of the toilet tank and inspect the toilet chain that’s connected to the flush handle and the flapper. When you depress the handle, the chain yanks the flapper up and initiates the toilet’s flush. If the toilet chain is too long, it won’t be able to yank up the flapper. Then the toilet won’t flush.

If the chain is too short, then the flapper won’t close properly. So, the toilet never stops running because the flapper isn’t closed. Problems related to the chain of your toilet are easy to fix in general by just adjusting the chain’s length. 

The Flapper is Warped

As mentioned before, the toilet’s flapper opens and closes whenever you flush, allowing water to run from the tank into the bowl. Your toilet’s flapper is in contact with moving water all the time. Therefore, all that moving water can bend or warp the flapper.

To check your toilet’s flapper, you have to open your toilet tank. The flapper is the rubber, cup-like fixture located at the bottom of the toilet tank. So, if the flapper is damaged or loose, water could leak into the bowl constantly. The positive thing is that you can fix this right away. The flapper and the chain mechanism aren’t expensive and it’s easy to replace. However, you have to do it once you notice the problem to avoid any other inconveniences. 

First, you have to remove the detached flapper. So, turn off the water to the toilet and flush to remove all the water from the tank. Then, you’ll simply unhook the flapper’s chain from the metal arm and remove the flapper. We recommend you to take your old flapper with you when you buy a new one. That way, you can use it as a reference for its size.

After you install your new flapper, test it several times before turning the water back on. Remember that the chain shouldn’t be too tight or too loose. 

Contact Your Favorite Plumber For Toilet Repair in Brookfield, New Milford, Ridgefield or Danbury, CT.

If your toilet is having issues, the plumbers at All-State Plumbing & Heating are here to help. Our comprehensive plumbing services are the perfect service for homeowners and business owners in Danbury, Ridgefield, New Milford, and Brookfield, CT. So, whatever the reason why your toilet won’t flush, All-State Plumbing & Heating can fix it.

Just give us a call today and we’ll get things flowing as fast as possible!

We hope you enjoy this article and until the next one!