Home and Garden Repairs

Although they are usually very reliable items in the home, problems can occur with toilets which may mean that you need to call a plumber. Leaking toilet bowls are often the most urgent situations to resolve before the entire bathroom becomes water damaged. Nevertheless, there are minor issues that you can sort out for yourself with a little know-how.

Clogged Up U-Bends

The U-bend of a toilet creates a valve between the inside of the home and the drain which carries away foul water. This loop in the system can become clogged with debris and excessive amounts of toilet paper being pushed down the pan. This problem is noticeable when the bowl drains slowly after a flush. In order to clear a clogged U-bend, use a plunger to force water under sealed air pressure back and forth through the system. Wear rubber gloves because it may get messy. Make a seal with the plunger under the water line, and be prepared to keep going. This method will often work if you simply stick to it without giving up because of a lack of initial success.

Changing the Seat

This job is easy to do and is undertaken as part of many bathroom renovations when the old seat will no longer fit in with the décor. Toilet seats are attached to the pan by long plastic or metal screws that run through the back of the pan. Underneath the bowl, you should be able to locate two wing nuts, one on each screw, which simply need to be turned to allow the old seat to be removed. However, they can corrode and become impossible to shift. In such cases, carefully drilling into them without damaging the toilet bowl is advisable. This will allow the nuts to fall off and for the seat to be lifted off.

Dealing With an Overflowing Toilet

When a toilet's cistern continues to fill up even after the flush cycle has been completed, it means that the overflow system has constant water flowing through it. To prevent this, remove the lid of the cistern and look inside. In most cases adjusting the float so that it is pushed downwards on its arm is enough to cut the water supply off before it overflows. If not, then scale may have built up around the inlet valve. A cleanup with an old toothbrush is often enough to get it working properly again. If this does not work, then you should try replacing the valve for a new one.