We all know what we expect from a toilet flush. Ideally, you should push down on the handle or button, hear the swirl of water flushing, and see the contents of the bowl disappear which leaves you with a clean toilet bowl. However, that doesn’t always happen and plumbing problems may arise. That includes those that come about when your toilet doesn’t have a strong flush, which leaves you wondering what to do.
Not only is a toilet with a weak flush annoying, it’s also unhygienic and can signal that you have larger plumbing problems on the horizon. Thankfully, there are a few simple steps that can be taken to restore or even boost your flushing power.
Clear Out Any Clogs
Just like we do with most plumbing issues, you want to make sure there aren’t any clogs happening. A clog can make your toilet flush from happening the way it’s supposed to, even if it’s a small or partial clog. That’s because flushing causes water (and the contents of your toilet) to pass through a trap, a curved channel that sits at the base of your toilet. It’s a feature designed to stop sewer gasses from coming up, but it can be an area where clogs happen often. You can use a plunger or plumber’s snake to try to clear the trap.
Open Your Water Valve
Your toilet’s water valve is what allows water to enter the tank in the first place. That valve is usually located where the water supply pipe meets your toilet, so check there and make sure it’s opened all the way. People will close these valves during repairs or other problems, and it’s possible that it isn’t opened all the way, which restricts how much water is able to get into your toilet.
Try Adjusting the Float
Once you flush, a refill tube fills the toilet’s tank back up with water. To determine how much water it needs, there’s a float that will turn the refill tube off once it gets to a certain level. Test this out by flushing your toilet and watching to see how high the float goes. It should hit the refill line marked on the tube, but if not, that could be the cause of your toilet flush being weak. Adjust the float and it should fix the issue.
Fix/Replace the Flapper
A toilet’s flapper is what helps create the water-tight seal at the bottom of a tank. Flushing the toilet causes the flapper to lift, which lets water into the bowl, closes again, and allows the tank to refill. Flappers can shift out of place or wear out and need adjustments in order to restore your flushing power.
For Toilet Problems, Call Master Plumbing
Give Master Plumbing a call at (301) 650-9100, or contact us online to get more information on how our expert plumbers can help you with just about anything plumbing-related! We have received Angie’s List Super Service Award recognition for plumbing and drain cleaning every year since 2007, in addition to the Best Plumber award from Best of Bethesda. We are fully licensed, bonded, and insured, and our service is unparalleled. Give us a call today—you won’t regret it! To see examples of our projects, follow us on Facebook and Twitter!