An unusable toilet during a busy holiday party is the stuff of nightmares. Whether you’re at a gathering or hosting the get-together yourself, nobody wants to be stuck in a bathroom without a working toilet. If you’re in a pinch, here are a few of the most common holiday plumbing problems (and their respective solutions). Stay prepared!
3 Most Common Holiday Plumbing Problems
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Your Toilet Keeps Running
If your toilet is receiving lots of heavy use during the holidays, then your toilet might continue running and running. When the toilet bowl won’t stop flushing and filling with water, we’ll be discussing two fixes to avoid ruining your festive fun.
Solution: Close the Flapper
Take the lid off of your toilet tank—do you see a chain? That chain is connected to the flapper. If it becomes too short or tangled, the flapper stays wide open, allowing water to continue running. Your solution is to adjust the chain sufficiently so that the flapper can close. If that doesn’t work, you might need to buy a new flapper.
Solution: Adjust the Fill Height
Your fill valve is responsible for bringing water into the toilet tank after you flush and stays on until the tank is filled with water again. Connected to the fill valve is the float. Your float is responsible for making sure your tank doesn’t overflow—it’s a piece of plastic floating in your tank that looks like a balloon. Adjust your float if it’s too high or too low as it can allow water to get through the flapper or not allow enough water in at all.
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Your Toilet Doesn’t Flush
A toilet that doesn’t flush is a huge burden (especially when the line to the bathroom fills up the hallway). But there’s no need to panic—here’s how to fix this problem.
Solution: Adjust the Flapper
When water is running but your toilet doesn’t flush, you might have an issue with your flapper. If it’s not sitting properly, wiggle the attached handle around or reach your hand in to adjust the flapper yourself.
Solution: Add Water Manually
No water running at all? Time to pour some water down your toilet. If you happen to have a bucket or garbage can handy, fill the container up with water. Pour it down your toilet in one quick movement—this should prompt the toilet to flush.
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Your Toilet is Clogged
If you spot a plunger, this is the time to use it. Stuck with no plunger? Here are a few solutions.
Solution: Pour Soap Into the Toilet
Pour plenty of shampoo or dish soap down the toilet. Still have that bucket or garbage can handy? Fill it with a gallon of hot water to chase the soap down. Wait a few minutes… Your clog should be clear. If it’s not, repeat these steps a few more times.
Don’t Let the Season Go to Waste! Get the Holiday Plumbing Services You Need!
Holiday plumbing problems shouldn’t stop you from having a great time. But if you plan to have lots of guests over, your toilet might not be equipped to handle it. If you need a 24/7 emergency plumber to handle your holiday emergency, call Custom Plumbing at 602-883-2761.