There are few home maintenance issues quite as annoying as a toilet that won’t flush properly. As well as feeling incredibly unhygienic, it can lead to us wasting a lot of water in trying to manually flush contents down with a filled bucket and is, therefore, an issue that you are going to want to get fixed fast.
Depending on the severity of the problem, it may be something you can fix yourself or you may need to call in the help of a professional plumber to remedy it. This article will explore the possible causes of a toilet that refuses to flush and potential solutions to get your bathroom up and running again.
Below, plumbing expert David Cruz at MyJobQuote.co.uk explains what you can do if your toilet is not flushing properly. If your toilet will only partially flush or not flush at all, these are some likely problems that could be causing the situation and what you can do to fix them:
Problems With the Flapper Valve
Cause: The flapper valve is the small rubber seal that covers the hole in a toilet tank. As you pull down your toilet chain to flush, the inner chain that is attached to the flapper lifts it up and allows the water in the tank to rapidly pour down into the bowl.
When the toilet isn’t in the process of being flushed, the purpose of the flapper is to form a complete seal over the hole and prevent any water from escaping the tank.
Therefore, if a flapper or the attached chain becomes damaged or just old and worn down, water will begin to slowly leak out of the tank, meaning that there is less available when you need to flush.
Potential Fixes: The ideal, easiest-to-remedy scenario here is that the chain simply needs adjusting. Open the lid to the tank of your toilet, and this chain should be easy to spot.
Check the length and make sure that there isn’t too much or too little slack in the chain, as this will prevent it from adequately pulling up the flapper. If the length does need some adjustment, remove the chain and re-hook it to a hole closer or further away from the flush lever.
If there are no visible problems with the length of the chain, it may be that your flapper has become cracked or otherwise damaged and needs replacing. This is potentially something you could attempt yourself if you feel confident. There are guides online that can help you through the process, but it is also a quick solution that a plumber could easily assist with.
Low Water Level In Tank
Cause: For a toilet to flush successfully, it needs a lot of water to quickly flow down from the tank. But if the water level in your tank is set too low, there won’t be enough reaching the toilet bowl when you flush.
There is usually a line inside the tank set by the manufacturer that shows how much water it should be filling up with. If the water is not reaching this line, it could be because the level has been manually adjusted or because there are components within the tank that have become misaligned.
Potential Fixes: Your toilet will contain either a large floating rubber ball or a floating cup ballcock, depending on the make and design. A rubber ball will float upwards as the water rises in the tank, closing off the water flow. By slightly bending the arm of the float ball upwards, you will be allowing more water into the tank by moving it into a higher position.
For a floating cup ballcock, you can find an adjustment screw on top of the fill valve, which can be turned clockwise to raise the float.
Clog In the System
Cause: A clog in the toilet or drain can partially or completely prevent water from being flushed down. There are a few things which can cause this, and one such example is flushing non-flushable items such as wipes, paper towels or feminine hygiene products that then become stuck in the toilet.
Other possible causes include using too much toilet paper or toilet paper that does not break down easily, hard water in the pipes or a blocked vent preventing the necessary air from entering the plumbing system to increase flushing pressure.
Potential Fixes: The first and most cost-efficient step is to attempt to unclog the toilet yourself. One method to try is pouring hot water directly into the toilet bowl, causing the same rush a regular flush would achieve and creating a siphon which could suck the clog down into the drain.
Another option is using a plunger to shift any obstructions that may be trapped in your toilet system. The aim is to focus on slowly pulling the plunger, rather than pushing, in order to loosen the obstruction and allow the toilet to drain.
If these methods do not provide a solution, it could indicate that there is a more serious problem within the system that needs a professional plumber to diagnose and repair.
Clogged Inlet Holes
Cause: Inlet holes, also known as rim jets, are holes that can be found just under the rim of your toilet, and it is through them that water drains from the tank into the bowl when we flush.
Sometimes, bacteria or mineral deposits can cause the holes to become clogged, which means that far less water will be able to stream down from the tank and the toilet will not flush properly.
Potential Fixes: You can examine if the inlet holes are clogged by holding a small mirror under the rim of the toilet. If this is the case, you will need to heat up some white vinegar and, using a funnel, pour it down into the overflow tube, which is located inside the toilet tank. Let it sit for at least an hour (preferably overnight) before using a small object, such as a piece of wire, to clear the holes.
If such a clog happens, it will likely be a recurring problem, so you may wish to invest in a water softening system to prevent further mineral deposits caused by hard water.
Poor Toilet Drain Pipe Design
If none of the problems mentioned in this article seems to be the problem and your toilet has always had a slow flush, it could, unfortunately, be an issue with the way that the toilet drains were installed or designed.
If the drains do not have the required level of downward slope, water will pool in the pipes and stall any further toilet water that is flushed down.
If you think this may be the case, the best solution is to call in a professional plumber to inspect the drain pipe system and carry out any necessary redesign work.
DAVID CRUZ: David Cruz has worked in the plumbing industry for over fifteen years. David has worked on countless domestic and commercial projects as a plumbing expert and gas-safe engineer. David also works closely with MyJobQuote to provide expert plumbing knowledge to homeowners, tradespeople and news outlets.
MyJobQuote is one of the UK’s top trades matching sites that helps individuals find a reputable tradesperson in their local area.
MyJobQuote also has a wide range of experts with extensive knowledge in interior design, cleaning, gardening, property, construction and more. MyJobQuote’s experts have been featured in over 700 publications, including Woman and Home, The Times, House Beautiful, BBC News and more.
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