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Tuesday, 09 October 2007 |
How to fix a broken toilet
by ALLISON CASEY
Lifestyles Reporter
Last week, I discovered how wonderful the plumbing is in my apartment when both of the toilets decided to break in some fashion. I also discovered none of my roommates knew how to fix them.
A few days later, while at a friend’s apartment, her toilet broke with a completely different problem.
Apparently, everyone I know has plumbing problems and none of them know how to fix them.
My toilet overflows
This is caused by a clog in the bowl or the drain.
When it starts
to overflow, quickly shut off the water by turning the knob located on
the wall behind the toilet. Wait for the water level to go down about
half way and place a plunger over the drain, pumping it repeatedly.
Then remove the
plunger. If the clog has been cleared, the water will quickly drain.
Try flushing the toilet again, if it does not flush as normally, repeat
the process.
If this still
doesn’t work, you’ll need to pick up an auger from a hardware store.
Insert the coil into the drain and turn clockwise until you feel
resistance. Repeat and then plunge until the toilet is unclogged.
My toilet won’t flush
More than likely, the chain in the tank connecting the handle to the valve has come disconnected.
Remove the tank
lid, scoop the water out and hook it back on. The chain might also be
too short, in which case you can temporarily fix it with a paperclip
until you can replace the chain.
My toilet leaks
Through the tank
Where the tank
attaches to the bowl, the bolts might be loose. Tighten them using a
flathead screwdriver and a wrench. The washers might need to be
replaced as well.
Through the handle
Reposition the float ball by bending the float arm down about an inch.
My toilet won’t stop running
Try the old
standard and jiggle the handle. The handle is likely stuck and you’ll
need to turn the nut on the inside of the tank counterclockwise with a
wrench.
The tank level might be too high as well, try repositioning the float ball.
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