Treating Your Porcelain Throne Just Right
The average person can spend upwards of thousands of hours on the toilet throughout their life. If you’re going to spend that much time on a toilet, you might as well treat it right. Proper toilet maintenance is vital for ensuring you get the most mileage out of your porcelain throne. While adequate care is a great preventative measure for any issues down the road, sometimes life happens, and your toilet might run into problems. It is tricky to decide whether to replace your toilet or opt for a quick repair, but luckily here at Nuckols Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, we’re here to help you decide.
Knowing When To Repair Your Toilet
Your plumbing system can run into issues from daily use, and it is to be expected that eventually, your toilet might lose some of its moxie. While you can find DIY methods to repair your toilet, an inspection from our professionals will make sure there are no underlying issues with your plumbing and avoid expensive water bills down the line.
Your Toilet Will Not Flush Properly
We have all been there when a toilet suddenly does not want to flush, and it can be quite an annoyance. Luckily flushing issues are not always a big concern, and often the root cause of the issue is relatively easy to identify.
Improper flushing can be caused by low water levels in your toilet’s tank, a faulty flapper, a possible broken chain, and more commonly, a clog in your pipes.
Water Pooling Up At The Base Of Your Toilet
If you ever step into your bathroom and immediately feel the cool sensation of water near your toilet, you have a leak.
When water is leaking near the base of your toilet, it means the wax seal ring has broken. A broken wax ring needs to be replaced to stop leakage.
Your Toilet Keeps Running After It Was Flushed
If you notice that your toilet sounds like water keeps running long after it flushes, you more than likely have an issue with your toilet’s flapper. A simple test of pressing the flapper up and down can help identify if your flapper needs replacement.
Your Toilet Bowl Is Slow To Fill Up
Sometimes older toilets will take some time to fill up, and this can be a sign of some issues with your fill valve inside the toilet tank. Fill valves can get worn down from use or get clogged and will sometimes need to be replaced. If the fill valves are fine, you may have issues with the toilet tank’s float ball.
There can also be a water supply issue that a professional plumber will need to look at to ensure all valves are working correctly.
Knowing When To Replace Your Toilet
While repairs can save you the cost of buying a new toilet altogether, there is a point where repairing your toilet is just not cost-effective.
You Are Constantly Repairing Your Toilet
While the occasional repair is expected with any appliance, if you find yourself repairing your toilet every other week, there may be an issue with your toilet or a more significant underlying problem with your plumbing.
Cracks On Your Toilet
Whether a small hairline crack or a large one, a toilet with a crack has got to go. Porcelain cracks on your toilet can be detrimental to the overall structure of the appliance. Nobody wants to sit on a toilet seat and have it suddenly break underneath them. On top of structural damage, cracks in the porcelain are breeding grounds for bacteria and are hard to clean.
Your Toilet Is Not Still
A toilet that wobbles or frequently shifts when you sit down may have issues with the bolts holding down the toilet. While a professional can tighten the bolts, there can be underlying issues with the floor or installation requiring you to purchase a new toilet to avoid structural damage.
Your Water Bill Is Higher Than It Should Be
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” While the saying is true, an old toilet can be flushing your money down the drain even if it seems to be working correctly.
Older model toilets are not as energy-efficient and will tend to use up more water than newer models. Switching to a newer model toilet may be an expensive change upfront, but overall is a cost-effective move that can save you money on your water bill.
Repairing or replacing your toilet can be a complicated project. So avoid a headache and turn to our professionals at Nuckols Plumbing, Heating & Cooling. Whether you need work done with water plumbing or gas pipes, it’s important to be able to trust the work your plumbers do in your home or business.
Our customers are family, and we strive to provide the quality of service that makes them feel that way. To schedule your appointment, call (804) 214-2077 or contact us online.