When your bathroom plumbing isn’t working like you expect it to, it can create some problems in your household, to say the least. In particular, when your toilet isn’t working, it can be very inconvenient.
If the trouble is that your toilet won’t flush, there are actually a few solutions available to you. Here is what you need to know.
Flush With a Different Kind of Bowl
Want a low-tech hack? Fill a large bowl or bucket with water (actually if you empty out your wastepaper basket, that works too) and dump it into the toilet the bowl.
Believe it or not, the action of the swirling water within the shape of the bowl will use gravity to pull all the contents of the toilet bowl down the drain.
In addition to helping when your toilet won’t flush, this is a good trick to help save water (traditional flushing uses a big chunk of your home’s water consumption).
When Should You Call a Plumber?
Although a number of toilet issues can be easily solved with a quick DIY, there are circumstances that you’ll want to call in a professional plumber to help you.
If the problem is a serious clog with your bathroom plumbing, you’ll need to rely on the tools and training of a professional. You might have some luck with a plunger or with a plumbing snake to remove some clogs, but for more stubborn clogs you may even need hydro-jetting to break up the debris.
It is a good idea to prevent this problem before it has a chance to develop by keeping any items that don’t belong out of the toilet. If you have kids, make sure they don’t use too much toilet paper or put other things down there.
Flapper Needs Fixing
The flapper is easy to find. It is located at the bottom of your toilet tank. In order to change it, you need to lift the lid of the tank, drain it and then pop in a new flapper.
The flapper is responsible for opening up to let the water flush away when the toilet is flushed and then to close the valve when it is finished to maintain the right water level.
Flappers are made of rubber, so it is common for them to crack and break. They are inexpensive and easy to fix though. For help with all of your bathroom plumbing needs, we are the one to call in San Francisco, CA.