These 3 Things Can Cause A Toilet Not To Flush Or Slow Flush And Require Plumbing Services

Homeowners who discover their toilets are not flushing may get panicked. There are a variety of issues that can cause this plumbing inconvenience. Thankfully, the issue is likely an easy plumbing repair. However, it will take a professional to determine the complexity of the repairs and whether there is more than one thing causing the issue. The following points identify a few things that can cause this bizarre phenomenon.

Worn Parts

Toilets may appear to only have a few parts. However, if a part such as the lift chain or flapper gets damaged, it can negatively impact a toilet's ability to flush. It will likely be a gradual decline in performance. Homeowners may notice that they have to flush several times or press and hold the toilet handle to get waste to completely flush. The flapper is designed to open and allow water to refill toilet bowls after flushing. It must close properly to allow the tank to refill with water for the next flush. The lift chain is a critical part of this process. It is responsible for lifting and lowering the flapper.

Damaged flappers and lift chains are a common source of high water bills because they cannot perform their intended actions. Ater may continuously run in an effort to refill the tank or bowl. A tank cannot refill if the chain becomes loose and unable to lift and lower the flapper. This results in weaker flushes and eventually, the flushing capabilities may stop until the parts are replaced by a plumber.

Incomplete Tank Refill

The tank has to refill to promote flushing. If it does not, the toilet will not respond to efforts to activate flushing. The handles of some toilets may appear loose and wobbly if this occurs. Plumbing contractors can determine why toilet tanks do not fill as intended. Sometimes it is a matter of making adjustments inside of the tank or replacing worn or defective parts. 

Clogs 

This is one of the most common reasons toilets inexplicably stop flushing. The average household has a plunger, and it is likely the first thing individuals will grab to release suspended clogs. If plunging does not cause a toilet to start backflushing, the issue might be a complex clog such as invasive tree roots. Clogs that are deep in drain lines might require services such as hydro-jetting to release the clogs. It is important to note that clogs can cause a backflow of raw sewage. 

A plumber is a good resource to use for all toilet issues. They can perform inspections and tests to determine if the toilet is the issue or if another plumbing issue is affecting the toilet. This can be the case with blockages that extend deep in drain lines. 

Reach out to local plumbers to learn more.

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