Common toilet faults
- Constant running. Usually a warped flapper or a fill valve that never fully closes. It can waste a surprising amount of water; see our note on a sudden water bill spike.
- Phantom refills every half hour, meaning water is seeping past the flapper into the bowl.
- Rocking on the floor. Loose closet bolts, or a flange that has split or sits below the finished floor.
- Water at the base after flushing: a failed wax ring, which also lets sewer gas into the room.
- Weak or double flush from a clogged rim, a low water level or a partly blocked trapway.
Standing over the problem right now?Ring (365) 364-0926 and describe what you see.
What a repair visit involves
We shut the angle stop, flush to empty the tank, and sponge out what is left. Tank parts are swapped from above. For anything at the floor, the toilet comes off: we disconnect the supply, remove the nuts, lift the bowl straight up and set it on a towel. Then the old wax is scraped away and the flange is checked for cracks, rust or height.
A flange that sits low behind new tile gets an extension ring, or a waxless seal designed for that gap. A broken flange is replaced or repaired with a stainless repair ring fastened down to the subfloor. Then the bowl goes back on with new bolts and is shimmed level before the nuts are snugged, never cranked, since vitreous china cracks under too much force.
Clogs that a plunger cannot fix
Flushed wipes, a child's toy or a dropped cap can wedge in the trapway. We use a closet auger, which is built to pass through the porcelain without scratching it. When that fails, the toilet comes up and we push the object out from below. Our list of things not to flush covers the usual offenders.
If the toilet is cracked or very old, a replacement may be better value than another repair. We tell you which.
How it works
- CallDescribe the problem; we ask about shutoffs and safety first.
- LookWe open it up and show you what failed.
- AgreeYou approve the price before work starts.
- Fix and testRepair, test, wipe down, and walk you through it.
Questions from callers
Why does my toilet refill on its own?
The tank is quietly bleeding into the bowl, usually past a worn flapper.
Is a wobbly toilet urgent?
Fix it soon. Rocking breaks the wax gasket and can let water rot the subfloor.
Can you repair any brand?
Tank parts are largely standard. Some low-flow models use proprietary parts we may need to source.
Ready when you are.Call Vaughan Plumbers at (365) 364-0926. A person answers.
