Check these 3 Things if Your Toilet Won't Flush

When your toilet won’t flush, the stress levels can be substantial. Take heart though; this is likely a temporary problem as most of the time this is an easy bathroom plumbing issue to solve.

What’s more is that there is a good chance that you can DIY this problem easily and quickly. How do you accomplish this and what should you look out for? Here are some tips to help you out.

1 - Fill a Container With Water

If that handle isn’t flushing the toilet for you, there is a piece of equipment that you need that isn’t part of your bathroom plumbing.

Reach for a large bucket or bowl (make it a large one as you need about a gallon of water for this to work). Fill the container with water and pour it directly into the toilet bowl.

As the pressure of the water swirls around the circular shape of the toilet bowl, it will leverage the use of gravity to flush the contents of the toilet bowl away. In addition to helping you out in a pinch when your toilet won’t flush, this is a great trick to help you cut down on your water bill.

By recycling greywater (water that you’ve already used for washing, or from when you wait for the shower to heat up), you reduce your water use and therefore your water bills.

2 - Check out the Flapper at the Bottom of the Tank

The flapper functions to control the flow of water into your toilet bowl when you flush (i.e., lets water in to flush and then stops the flow when you are done).

If the flapper is bent or broken, it won’t open and close tightly to regulate the water, and the toilet doesn’t flush as a result.

Don’t stress. This is an easy DIY bathroom plumbing task. Drain the tank, remove the flapper and pop in a new one. You should be good to go.

3 - When you Should Think About Calling the Plumber

One reason that your toilet won’t flush is if you have clogs. In some cases, you can get rid of it on your own with a plunger, but some clogs require professional attention from your Abingdon, MD plumber.

They can quickly diagnose the problem and then assign the right tools and techniques to get rid of your clogs and get your bathroom plumbing working well for you again. Preventative maintenance is also a great way to keep you from having to deal with bathroom plumbing issues. Ask us for more information.