Toilet Repair: Same Day Service

Toilet Problems a Plumber Can Fix

Most toilet problems are one of a handful of parts wearing out. The symptom tells you which: a toilet that runs points to the flapper or fill valve, one that rocks or leaks at the base points to the wax seal, and one that clogs often points to the drain. If the tank keeps refilling, start with toilet keeps running.

• The toilet runs constantly or refills on its own
• It clogs often or flushes weakly
• Water on the floor around the base
• The toilet rocks or wobbles
• A crack in the tank or bowl
• A sewer smell around the base

Toilet Parts Explained: What Fails and What It Does

• Flapper: the rubber seal at the bottom of the tank. When it warps or hardens, water seeps into the bowl and the tank keeps refilling.
• Fill valve: refills the tank after a flush. When it fails, it hisses, runs constantly or refills slowly.
• Flush valve: the opening the flapper seals against. A cracked or worn seat causes leaks even with a new flapper.
• Wax ring: the seal between the toilet and the floor drain. When it fails, water and sewer gas leak at the base.
• Closet bolts and flange: hold the toilet down. Loose bolts or a broken flange make the toilet rock, which breaks the wax seal.

When a Toilet Problem Needs Same-Day Service

A toilet only becomes urgent when it's your only one, when it's leaking into the floor or ceiling below, or when flushing pushes water into other drains.

• It's your only toilet and it won't flush or clear.
• Water is leaking from the base onto the floor or into the ceiling below.
• Flushing makes water come up in a tub, shower or floor drain.
• The shutoff valve won't close and the toilet keeps running or overflowing.

How to Stop an Overflowing Toilet

1. If the bowl is about to overflow, lift the tank lid and press the flapper down to stop the water.
2. Close the shutoff valve behind the toilet by turning it clockwise.
3. Don't flush again until the clog is cleared.
4. Use a flange plunger, which has a rubber extension that seals in the bowl.
5. If other drains are backing up too, the clog is in the main line. Stop using water and call a plumber.

What Toilet Repair Involves

Toilet repair is usually quick. Internal parts are replaced from inside the tank. Leaks at the base mean pulling the toilet, checking the flange and subfloor, and resetting it on a new seal.

1. Diagnose the problem: tank parts, a clog, a seal failure at the base, or a cracked fixture.
2. Replace the failed parts, such as the flapper, fill valve, flush valve or supply line.
3. Clear clogs with a closet auger designed for toilets.
4. For leaks at the base, pull the toilet, replace the wax ring and bolts, and reset it level.
5. Test several flushes and check for leaks.

Repair the Toilet or Replace It

Repair

Replaces worn internal parts or the wax seal. Right for most running, leaking and wobbling toilets.

Replace

Installs a new toilet when the porcelain is cracked, clogs are chronic, or repairs keep adding up.

Choosing a Replacement Toilet

Measure the rough-in first: the distance from the finished wall to the center of the floor bolts, usually 12 inches but sometimes 10 or 14. Then choose bowl shape (round saves space, elongated is more comfortable) and height. WaterSense-labeled toilets use no more than 1.28 gallons per flush and are tested for flushing performance. See toilet installation for what the job includes.

What Affects the Cost of Toilet Repair

The price is driven by which part failed and whether the toilet has to come off the floor. Damage underneath from a long-running leak is what turns a small job into a larger one.

• Which part has failed. A flapper or fill valve is a quick repair; a wax ring replacement means pulling the toilet.
• The condition of the flange and subfloor under the toilet, which may need repair if it has been leaking.
• A stuck or corroded shutoff valve that needs replacing.
• Whether the clog is in the toilet or further down the drain line.
• Replacement versus repair, and the toilet you choose if replacing.

When Toilet Work Needs a Permit

Permit rules for toilet work differ from city to city. In Philadelphia, removing and reinstalling a toilet without changing valves, pipes or fixtures is exempt from a plumbing permit. San Antonio's Limited Service and Repair program lets licensed plumbing contractors replace an existing toilet before getting the permit and then certify the work. A licensed plumber will know which rule applies at your address.

Local plumbing details: Philadelphia, San Antonio

What to Tell the Plumber

Describing exactly what the toilet does, and whether other drains react when you flush, tells the plumber whether it's a toilet problem or a drain problem.

• Describe the problem: running, rocking, leaking at the base, weak flush or clogging.
• Note whether other drains act up when you flush.
• If you're replacing the toilet, measure the rough-in (wall to the center of the floor bolts).

After the Toilet Is Fixed

After a seal replacement, keep an eye on the floor around the base for a few days.

• Check around the base for moisture for a few days after a wax ring replacement.
• Listen for the tank refilling on its own, which means a part still isn't sealing.
• If clogs return often, ask about a drain line inspection.

Types of Toilet Service

• Toilet Installation
• Clogged Toilet Repair

How to Avoid Toilet Clogs and Leaks

• Flush only toilet paper.
• Avoid in-tank bleach tablets, which can wear out rubber parts.
• Replace the flapper when it gets stiff or warped.
• Check the supply line and shutoff valve for drips every so often.

Toilet Repair Questions Homeowners Ask