Fixing Leaky Toilets

May 16th, 2012 Posted in Toilets
Comments Off

Leaky toilets are one of the most common sources of water leaks in the home.  A toilet with a small leak can waste more than 20,000 gallons of water per year and according to EPA estimates, a toilet that leaks so much that it runs constantly can waste as much at 200 gallons per day – that’s 73,000 gallons of water per year right down the drain!

A leaky faucet or shower head is easy to identify since you can see the water dripping, but how can you tell if your toilet is leaking? The most obvious sign of a leaking toilet is the sound of the toilet running. If your toilet runs constantly, you definitely have a leak. If your toilet runs after flushing it and you have to jiggle the handle to make it stop, that’s another sign of a leak.

“Ghost flushing”, or a toilet that runs briefly even when nobody flushed it is a sign of a slow leak.  To be confirm a leaky toilet, carefully remove the lid from the tank and put a few drops of food coloring in the tank.  If the water in the bowl changes color, you know you have a leak.

Toilet  leaks are usually due to a leaky flapper valve or a bad fill valve.    The flapper valve is the big rubber stopper in the bottom of the tank.  When you move the handle, the flapper valve opens and the toilet flushes.  Replacement flapper valves are available at your local home improvement store and are not difficult to install.

A defective fill valve can also cause a toilet leak.  A fill valve that does not shut off properly will allow water to constantly fill the tank and trickle into the commode through the overflow pipe.  A fill valve is a little more complicated to install than a flapper valve, but still within the capability of many homeowners.

If you are not comfortable handling your own bathroom repairs, your local plumber will be able to fix your toilet leaks.

, ,
Read More

WaterSense Toilets

March 28th, 2012 Posted in Toilets
Comments Off

If you are shopping for a new toilet, you will likely find that many of the residential toilets on the market today are WaterSense labeled high efficiency toilets.  These differ from standard low flow toilets because they use at least 20% less water per flush.  Standard low flow toilets were introduced in the early 1990’s to meet federal standards and use a maximum of 1.6 gallons of water per flush.

WaterSense high efficiency toilets rely on recent advances in toilet design to use a maximum of 1.28 gallons per flush.  WaterSense is a program run by the Environmental Protection Agency to help consumers conserve water by selecting water efficient products that do not sacrifice performance.  In order to earn the WaterSense label, a product must be certified by an independent testing agency to use 20 percent less water while performing as well as or better than standard products.

When it comes to toilets, many consumers have unpleasant memories of the 1.6 gallon per flush low flow toilets that were introduced in the 1990s to meet federal mandates.  Most of those toilets suffered from poor flushing performance and often needed clogged toilet repairs.  Consumers are understandably hesitant to choose a high efficiency toilet that uses even less water per flush than the federal mandate.

The WaterSense program was designed to help with these concerns by requiring independent testing to certify that toilets and other products that qualify for the WaterSense label use less water without any decrease in performance.  WaterSense toilets have been designed to have excellent flushing performance while using less water.  Replacing existing toilets with WaterSense toilets can save a typical family about 2,000 gallons of water per year.  When you need a new toilet, talk to your plumber about installing a new WaterSense toilet.

, ,
Read More

Dual Flush Toilets

March 28th, 2012 Posted in Toilets
Comments Off

Many consumers shopping for new toilets are looking for ways to save money on their water bills.  Since the early 1990s, toilets sold in the United States have been required to meet federal standards for using no more than 1.6 gallons of water per flush but consumers seeking to save even more water have several options.

One option is to use a WaterSense certified high efficiency toilet.  These use 20% less water than a standard low flow toilet without sacrificing efficiency.  Manufacturers designed these toilets to have high flushing performance with low water usage.

Another approach is to use a dual flush toilet.  These toilets conserve water by offering two flushing options: a full flush that uses 1.6 gallons or less and a partial flush that typically uses about half of a full flush.  The idea is that flushing liquid waste only needs a water-saving partial flush while a full flush is available to flush solid wastes and avoid expensive clogged toilet repairs.

Many dual flush toilets are WaterSense certified and when used properly average less than 1.28 gallons per flush.  This can save a typical family of four about 2,000 gallons of water per year compared to a standard 1.6 gallon per flush toilet.

The flushing mechanism inside a dual flush toilet is slightly more complicated than a standard toilet and the toilet may cost a little more but some consumers prefer the availability of a full 1.6 gallon flush over a 1.28 gallon per flush toilet.  In addition, the toilet must be used properly to achieve water savings.  Always using the full flush will result in the same water usage as a standard low flow toilet.

, ,
Read More

Pressure Assisted Toilets

March 28th, 2012 Posted in Toilets
Comments Off

If you would like to replace your existing toilet with a high efficiency model but are concerned about the flushing power of a standard gravity flow toilet, consider going with a pressure assisted toilet.  A standard gravity flow toilet uses gravity to flush the tank full of water through the bowl with every flush.  This system works great if you have plenty of water.  Prior to the early 1990s toilets used 3 to 5 gallons of water per flush and did a great job of clearing the bowl and flushing the waste through the drain lines to the sewer line.

However, toilets sold in the United States since 1992 are required to comply with federal regulations limiting the amount of water per flush to a maximum of 1.6 gallons.  Most manufacturers simply modified existing toilets to use less water per flush with predictably poor results.  Things have improved in recent years as toilets have been designed to work better with only 1.6 gallons or less, but there are practical limits on what can be accomplished with only 1.6 gallons of water.

Pressure assisted toilets use compressed air to improve the flushing ability of the toilet.  They use a special plastic or nylon tank installed inside the toilet tank.  As the water fills this tank, the water compresses the air in the tank.  When the toilet is flushed, the compressed air helps flush away the waste.

Pressure assisted toilets work great and use less water than standard low flow toilets – about a gallon in most cases.  This can result in saving thousands of gallons of water per year.  However, pressure assist toilets are noisier than standard toilets and cost more than gravity flow toilets.  Also, parts are not usually readily available at your local hardware store.

, ,
Read More

Low Flow Toilets

March 16th, 2012 Posted in Toilets
Comments Off

According to EPA estimates, toilets account for about 30% of the water usage in the average home.  In an attempt to help water conservation efforts, federal regulations went into effect in the early 1990’s that limited the amount of water a toilet could use per flush to 1.6 gallons which was less than half of what a typical toilet previously used.  Unless they have been replaced, if your home was built before 1994 it probably has older style toilets.

Unfortunately, toilet manufacturers were not ready to make the switch.  Most simply modified existing toilet designs to use less water per flush.  As a result, most toilets sold in the US after 1994 met the federal requirements but did not do a very good job of flushing waste.  These toilets were designed to use 3.5 to 4 gallons of water per flush and 1.6 gallons of water simply didn’t do the job.

Consumers quickly got the word and tried hard to avoid the new toilets if at all possible.  Homeowners with older style toilets repaired them rather than replace them with new low flow toilets and some desperate consumers went so far as to illegally sneak new toilets across the border from Canada.

The good news is that consumers no longer have to engage in toilet smuggling in order to get an affordable, good flushing toilet.  In recent years toilet manufacturers finally started designing toilets to work well while using only 1.6 gallons per flush.  Most low flow toilets on the market today boast flushing performance equal to or better than their water wasting pre-1994 cousins.

If you have been waiting to replace your older style toilets, now is the time to talk to your plumber about installing modern low flow toilets in your home.  They work great and save the average household about 9,000 gallons of water per year.

, ,
Read More

New Toilet Installation

March 16th, 2012 Posted in Toilets
Comments Off

Whether you are replacing your toilet because the old toilet was broken or worn out, for as part of a bathroom remodeling project, to update your bathroom’s appearance, or to replace an old water wasting toilet with an efficient new low flow toilet, this is a job that should probably be left to a professional plumber.  Many handy homeowners are capable of removing and installing a toilet, but toilets get a lot of hard use during their lifespan and the last thing you want is a leaky toilet.

Not only is a leaky toilet unsanitary, but a small leak can go unnoticed and eventually cause wood rot in the subfloor under the toilet.  Replacing the bathroom floor is an expensive proposition that can be avoided by having your new toilet installed by an experienced plumber.  It’s well worth the modest cost of a professional installation to have a top quality toilet installation that will provide great service for years.

If you are set on doing it yourself, first turn off the water supply to the old toilet and empty the tank.  Unhook the water supply line, unbolt the toilet from the floor and lift it clear of the closet flange and attachment bolts.

Install a new wax ring on the closet flange and line the new toilet up over the wax ring and attachment bolts.  Lower it evenly into place and install the nuts on the attachment bolts and tighten carefully. Do not over-tighten the nuts or the base will crack. Hook up the water supply line, turn on the water and check for leaks.

If you have any problems with the toilet installation, call your local plumber for assistance.

, ,
Read More

Clogged Toilets

February 27th, 2011 Posted in Toilets
Comments Off

Nothing ruins your morning faster than a clogged toilet.  One minute everything is going great:  you’re getting ready for work and the kids are getting ready to head off to school.  The next minute the toilet is overflowing, the dog is barking, the kids are yelling, and the bathroom floor is covered with water and sewage.

When you are faced with a clogged toilet, your instinct is often to try to get it cleared so you can get on with the important things you need to do that day.  Before you take any action you should first try to find out what type of clog you are dealing with.  You may be able to save yourself the mess and frustration of wasting time on a clog that needs a professional plumber. 

A backed up toilet is usually the result of a localized toilet clog, a vent stack clog, or a clogged sewer main.  You can tell if the clog is most likely a localized toilet clog by seeing if your other drains are flowing freely.  Try flushing a different toilet or running water in a sink in the lower level of your home.  If these drains flow freely, then the clog is probably localized in the stopped up toilet. 

If you are so inclined, this type of clog can often be cleared using a plunger or common plumbing snake.  Otherwise, one of your local experienced Smyrna plumbers can quickly get it cleared for you. 

If there are drainage problems in other areas of your home, you probably have either a clogged vent stack or a clogged sewer main.  For both of these types of clogs, don’t waste your time with the plunger.  Clean up the water on the floor and call a plumbing professional.

, ,
Read More

Replacing a Toilet Tank Valve

December 10th, 2010 Posted in Toilets
Comments Off

Inside your toilet tank is a valve that controls flushing and water flow into the tank.  A defective tank valve will cause the toilet to “run” intermittently or continuously.  Fortunately, a tank valve replacement is easy bathroom repair.

First, turn off the water supply and disconnect the supply line from the bottom of the toilet tank.  Place an old towel on the floor to catch any drips.  Empty the tank by flushing the toilet and then use a plastic cup or a sponge to remove the rest of the water. 

Remove the tank lid and locate the valve which is usually on the left side of the tank as you are facing it.  Most modern valves look like  a tall plastic column with a cylindrical float around it.  If you have an older valve, the float may be a ball attached to the valve with a skinny metal rod. 

Disconnect the hose that runs from the valve to the overflow tube.  Remove the large nut on the bottom of the tank that holds the valve in place and lift the valve assembly out of the tank. 

Installation of the new valve is the reverse.  Install the rubber washer on the valve, place the valve inside the tank and secure it with the large nut and rubber washer on the bottom of the tank.  Be careful not to over tighten the nut.  Connect the water supply line to the valve.

Inside the tank, connect the little rubber or plastic hose from the valve to the overflow tube, then turn on the water supply.  Adjust the height of the valve as needed for proper flushing.   Check  flushing operation and look for water leaks, then replace the tank lid.

, ,
Read More

Installing a New Toilet

December 10th, 2010 Posted in Toilets
Comments Off

If you are doing a bathroom remodeling or just installing a new toilet, it  may seem like a daunting task but installing a new toilet is not as difficult as it seems. 

First you need to remove the old toilet.  Turn off the water supply and empty the tank by flushing the toilet a few times.  Scoop out the remaining water with a flexible cup or sponge.

Next, disconnect the water supply line where it attaches to the bottom of the tank.  Place an old towel on the floor to catch any water.  Remove the two nuts on the bottom of the tank and lift off the tank.  Remove the decorative caps from the two bolts holding the base to the floor and remove the nuts and washers.  You should now be able to lift the toilet out of place. 

Remove the old wax ring using a putty knife.  If the hold down bolts were corroded or damaged, they should also be replaced.  Turn the new toilet base upside down on an old towel or other soft surface and press a new wax ring in place around the outlet on the bottom of the base.

Turn the base upright and carefully set it in place using the two bolts as a guide.  Install the nuts and washers arefully tighten the nuts being sure not to over tighten them which could crack the flange.  Install the tank using the two bolts, nuts and washers again being sure not to over tighten them. 

If necessary, install the tank valve and flapper, and hook up the water supply line.  Turn on the water supply, check for leaks, and adjust the tank valve as needed.

, ,
Read More

Low Flow Toilets

November 17th, 2010 Posted in Toilets
No Comments

If you need to replace an existing toilet or you are choosing toilets to install in your newly constructed home, you will need to choose from one of the many excellent low flow toilets on the market today.  Prior to 1995, most toilets sold in the United States used about 3.5 gallons of water per flush.  Just flushing the toilet accounts for about 30 percent of the indoor water usage for the average household equipped with these older toilets.

By federal law, since 1995 all toilets sold in the United States cannot use more than 1.6 gallons per flush.  By cutting the amount of water a household uses for flushing toilets by over 50%, low flow toilets are not only environmentally responsible, but they also save you money. 

When the low flow toilet law first took effect, it sparked complaints about incomplete flushing and the need to “double flush”.  Many of these complaints about these  early low flow toilets were well founded, but toilet manufacturers have made great strides during the 15 years since the low flow law took effect.  Many of today’s low flow toilets work as well as or better than their pre-1995 counterparts.

Toilet manufacturers use a variety of technologies to achieve good toilet performance.  Whether the toilet uses dual flush, single flush, gravity feed, or pressure assist technology matters less than how well the toilet performs.  Look for top performing toilets in tests run by Consumer Reports, the National Association of Home Builders Research Center, or the Maximum Performance Testing published by the California Urban Water Conservation Council.

 If you need any additional help, a reputable plumber who offers general plumbing services will be happy to assist you with the choice and installation of a new low flow toilet.

, ,
Read More
Older Entries

Find Local Company | Featured Plumbers| Find Local Plumbers| Plumbers Directory