3 Ways to Handle a Toilet that Won’t Flush

Any plumbing issue to do with a toilet is bad news. It can be particularly frustrating in households that primarily use one bathroom. If you’re faced with a toilet that won’t flush, however, count yourself lucky.

It’s a common issue that’s easy to fix in most cases, and it can be done without the help of a Calgary, AB bathroom plumbing technician. Want to learn how to fix this simple bathroom plumbing problem? Here are three ways to handle a toilet that simply won’t flush.

1. Check the Flapper in the Tank

Thankfully, the most common cause of a toilet that refuses to flush is the easiest one to fix. Most of the time, the problem is caused by a poorly seated flapper, which is a device located at the bottom of the toilet tank.

The flapper is what opens up and allows the water from the tank to flow into the bowl when you flush before closing up again so the tank can re-fill. It’s connected to a chain, which is attached to a rod that’s part of the handle. When the handle gets pushed, the rod lifts up the chain, which opens the flapper.

You can tell if the flapper isn’t seated well over the opening if you try pushing the handle and no water flows into the bowl, but you hear water running anyway. The culprit is often one of the components of this contraption. Perhaps the flapper is worn out, the chain is loose, or the chain got caught beneath the flapper and is stopping it from closing. Jiggling the handle can sometimes fix the problem. Try it, and if you hear the tank filling up, you’ve solved the problem.

If that doesn’t work, you will need to take a hands-on approach. Remove the lid of the tank and see what’s stopping the flapper from closing. Depending on the source, you may need to reseat the flapper, attach the chain to the rod or pull the chain out from under the flapper. Afterward, the tank should begin to fill up. As soon as it’s done, flush the toilet and make sure the flapper goes back down correctly. If it does, you’ve fixed the problem. Put the cover back on and resume as normal.

2. More Water Into the Toilet Bowl

There’s an alternative way to flush a toilet if you’re unable. If you pour a large volume of water into the bowl itself, you can force it to flush down any waste.

Find a bucket or container, fill it with water and use it for this procedure. The trick is to make sure you’re not pouring too slowly, or else the water level will simply rise. It’s a simple yet effective way of getting a toilet to flush, and it may solve the problem.

3. Get in Touch With a Plumber to Search for Clogs

If you can’t figure out what’s wrong, you may want to call in a bathroom plumbing professional to inspect your toilet for clogs.

You can try using a plunger or snake to take care of it, but if there’s a clog in the toilet flange or drain it will have to be fixed by a technician. Don’t hesitate to contact an expert if you suspect your toilet is clogged.