Is your toilet not flushing properly? A slow or weak flush can be frustrating, but the good news is that many common flushing issues can be fixed without calling a plumber.
While toilet designs have improved over time, flushing problems are still a common household issue. The key to fixing them is identifying the cause—whether it’s a clog, a faulty component, or a low water level.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the most common reasons why your toilet won’t flush properly and how to fix them, helping you save time and money.
Common Reasons Why Your Toilet Won’t Flush and How to Remedy Them.
1. Your Toilet is Clogged
One of the most common reasons why the toilet in a home won’t flush properly is because the toilet is clogged. A toilet gets clogged often when too much toilet paper (or items that should not be in a toilet), gets flushed down it.
Items like paper towels, balls of hair, nappy liners, feminine hygiene products, dryer sheets, cotton swabs, and so-called flushable wipes are things that should not go down a toilet. Some toilet paper brands that have superior strength can also cause toilet blockages.
So how can you tell that your toilet is blocked?
You can identify a clogged toilet this way: when you flush, water enters the toilet bowl, and the water level rises. The time it takes for the water level to drop tells you the extent of the clog. So you should wait for a few minutes to see how long it takes for the water level to fall.
If it drops quickly, you can tell that the clog is only partial. The clog is more severe if it takes a longer time for the water level to drop after you flush.
So how do you unblock a blocked toilet?
The first thing to do is to wait till the water level reduces. This is so that you can have some more room to work on the clog without causing a mess on your toilet floor. It also saves you from having to bail water out of the toilet bowl.
You can try any of these different methods to try and unclog your toilet:
You can use a toilet plunger
There are two types of plungers. The first style is a sink plunger. These have rubber cups shaped like a small toilet bowl. Most times, the rubber cups are red in colour. These aren’t the types you use for your toilet.
The second type of plunger is the toilet plunger. This type of plunger has cups with a bell-shaped appearance. These cups are often black in colour. To use it for unclogging your toilet, insert the plunger into your toilet. Tilt it a little to allow water inside the cup. This creates suction.
With short, quick plunging strokes, suction the materials clogging your toilet out of it. Ensure that while making your suctions, you do not allow air to enter the cup. This will break the suction and defeat your aim.
You can use a toilet auger
A toilet auger is a tool similar to a plumbing snake. This tool is designed to prevent inadvertent damage to the toilet. All you have to do is insert the end of the auger into the toilet’s drain hole and move it around. It will take hold of the debris clogging your toilet.
You can use warm water
If you do not have a toilet plunger or auger, don’t worry. There’s a manual method that will work just as well. It’s called a manual flush.
What you have to do is fill up a rubbish bin or other vessel with a few litres of warm water. Pour the water quickly into the toilet bowl and wait for about 10 minutes. This should allow the clog to slip through the pipe.
If there are no results, you could add a little liquid dish detergent. Then wait for another 20 or 30 minutes to see if the detergent will provide enough lubrication to let the clog slip through the pipe.
2. When the Problem is With the Outlet Valve
Another reason your toilet isn’t flushing properly may be an issue with your toilet outlet valve or washer . When you remove the toilet’s tank lid, you will see an apparatus called the outlet valve .
The flush buttons move the outlet valve which in turn allows water to empty out of the toilet tank and into the bowl to flush away the contents. If the valve gets stuck or the washer deteriorates, the water will not empty from the tank correctly and your toilet will not flush properly.
It is possible to carefully remove the outlet valve to check for signs of deterioration or reasons for it to be stuck. If it’s stuck, you can grease the outlet valve with some lubricant spray and then reinstall it. If the valve is beyond repair, you can buy a replacement at a hardware store. If the rubber washer looks bubbled or perished, this can also be replaced.
3. Low Water Tank Level
Another reason why your toilet isn’t flushing is because the water in the toilet tank is too low. Most toilets need to empty at least 80% of the tank’s total capacity to ensure a proper flush. If the tank’s water level is low, the toilet will only flush partially. And if it’s completely empty, the toilet won’t flush at all.
How do you remedy this situation? You can do any of the following:
Check the toilet’s water isolation valve
If it is turned off, turn it on and wait till the water refills to the correct level. Then flush the toilet to ensure that it’s flushing properly again.
4. Clogged Rim Holes
The rim holes are the holes that let water into the toilet bowl from the tank. They can get clogged with mineral deposits if the water contains high concentrations of calcium, lime, or other minerals.
This issue is rare, but you can check your toilet’s rim holes to see if they are blocked. Use a piece of wire. Insert it into each hole. This act may dislodge the blockage and resolve the issue. You can also add some vinegar to the toilet tank or clean the holes with a toilet cleaner made specifically to remove mineral deposits.
What To Do When Your Toilet Still Won't Flush
There is a time to call in a plumber to handle your toilet that won’t flush. If you don’t understand how to go about these DIY methods of unclogging your toilet, then your best option is to engage a professional plumber. You also need a professional if you have applied all the methods discussed above, and the toilet still won’t flush.
At DCM Plumbing and Drainage, we have 20+ years of experience fixing all kinds of issues with toilets. We deliver high-quality plumbing services at pocket-friendly rates. Our team is dedicated to supplying a professional plumbing and drainage service throughout the Gold Coast.
Do you need help with your toilet that won’t flush or any other plumbing service? Then don’t delay. Contact us now!
