❮  Back to News

Why Your Toilet Isn’t Working

1/6/2020

Ah, yes.  Toilet issues.  It’s not flushing, it’s leaking, and it’s doing just about everything else other than what you need it to do.  We know how frustrating it is to encounter this issue randomly and inconveniently.  At Aaron Swift Plumbing, we’ve dealt with this issue since our inception; so, we might know a thing or two about fixing it.  In order to coach yourself up on what might be the issue, we’ve compiled a brief list of common issues with residential toilets.

How to Check for a Leaky Toilet

One of the fastest and easiest ways to check whether your toilet has a leak yourself is to use food coloring.  In the tank of the toilet, put a few drops of food coloring in and wait up to 30 minutes.  Once you come back, look inside of the toilet bowl, not the tank itself.  If you see the same coloring you dropped inside of the tank earlier, then your toilet is leaking.

While this might be the most telling way to check for a leak, there are several other ways to check for them, as well.

First, check the water level of the tank and make sure the water is below the overflow pipe.  If it continues to flow above the overflow pipe, then you may have a separate issue with your fill valve.  Second, when water is present outside of the toilet bowl and/or tank, then a leak is most certainly the root cause.  Third, if you hear a constant lagging noise, there could be a couple of issues.  Your first issue is that you have a leak inside the tank and the toilet is constantly running to keep up with the loss of water.  Your second issue is that it might involve the flapper valve of the flush handle.

Most importantly, all of these issues are very common.  With the help of your trusted local plumbers at Aaron Swift, we’ll help you with all of these given issues and more!

High Water Pressure

Varying issues cause your toilet to either run constantly or not at all.  If you have exhausted all your solutions, especially by replacing certain parts, then the root cause most likely is due to high water pressure.  High water pressure can be a hazardous issue down the line, so it’s best to take care of it right away.  For example, high water pressure can cause non-insulated pipes to buckle and puncture other corresponding pipes, potentially causing bursts or other damage.

Your Toilet Is Constantly Clogging

When your toilet is clogging and clogging again, most often your main sewer line will be causing the issue.  In order to check, try flushing the toilet with the clogging issue up to five times in a row.  Eventually, if it backs up, then the issue is likely rooted in the main sewer line.  At that time, it’s our recommendation to hire a plumber with the proven expertise to solve the issue.  At Aaron Swift, we’ll get your clogged toilet unclogged and working in no time!

ABS vs. PVC Piping

PVC piping is colored white and more flexible, but ABS piping is colored black and is stronger and more shock resistant.  ABS is better at handling severely cold temperatures, but it can deform with exposure to sunlight.  In comparison, PVC is generally better at muting the sound of running water.

When working with these materials, it’s important to note that ABS pipes can be bonded instantly with special cement, but PVC pipe ends must have a primer coating applied before any cement is applied.  For this reason, ABS can sometimes be a great budget-friendly choice, even though it might cost more than PVC piping upon installation.

Aaron Swift Michigan Residential Plumbing – 24-Hour Emergency Plumbing Service

If the above list doesn’t seem to pertain to your issue, or if you have any other questions or concerns about any of your residential or commercial plumbing, contact Aaron Swift Plumbing for toilet repairs, pipe issues and any other plumbing estimates.

You can call us at (586) 752-5808 or by filling out our online contact form here.  Proudly providing residential and commercial plumbing services to Washington Township and the surrounding communities.