4 common issues with the family toilet

by Elliot Dean Health Guru and Web Specialist

Problems with the family toilet range from annoying to frustrating and the downright scary! Some of these problems you can fix yourself (if you are into DIY), for others you will need the help of a qualified plumber (especially the really disgusting problems), but they can all be fixed fairly quickly. So why do you have problems with your toilet and how can you prevent them from happening?

The best way to prevent problems with your toilet is to regularly check that it flushes correctly and that none of the moving parts inside the cistern are beginning to perish. Since the toilet bowl has no moving parts, the great majority of problems are going to happen in the cistern, rather than the toilet bowl itself.

However, as you will soon see, one of the biggest problems with family toilets are blockages and most of these blockages are caused by putting things into the toilet that shouldn’t be put there! Examples include kid’s toys and shoes (both are common items found blocking toilets), but feminine hygiene products and nappies come in as another clear winner. The take home message for preventing problems with your toilet is to check all replaceable parts regularly and don’t put anything except number ones and twos into the toilet (toilet paper accepted)!

So let’s take a look at four of the more common problems that occur with the family toilet.

1. Running toilets

The noise of a running toilet can be exceedingly annoying, even if it’s just a trickle that constantly leaks into the toilet. If you can’t hear it during the day, it’s a safe bet that you can hear it at night, so it needs fixing (as it wastes water as well). This problem is caused by either the flapper not sitting properly in the cistern or because the water level is too high. Flapper valves are an easy DIY fix, and if the water is too high and is overflowing, then a slight adjustment to the refill valve should solve the problem.

2. Hissing toilets

This is where the water keeps trickling into the tank from the mains and is often heard as a ‘hissing’ noise. The cause of this problem is often the float, refill hose and the ballcock assembly. The first step is to check if the float is sticking and if that’s the problem, then adjust it until the hissing stops. Next make sure that the refill hose isn’t inserted too far into the overflow hose, and if that’s the problem, then pull it back so that it only extends about 0.5cm below the overflow pipe. If you still have the hissing problem, then you will need to replace the ballcock assembly.

3. Slow emptying toilets

A weak flush can be caused by blocked holes under the rim of the toilet bowl, where the water can’t enter properly to flush the toilet. You will need a mirror to look up under the rim and a coat hanger or piece of wire to unblock these holes.

4. Blocked toilets

As mentioned above, family toilets can be blocked by a multitude of objects, but they can also be blocked by tree roots growing into the pipes. This is definitely a job for a professional plumber, so turn the water off (or don’t use that toilet), make your fingers do the dialling and leave it to the experts!