If you spot these troubles with your toilet, don't wait around for them to go away.
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14 Toilet Problems You Should Never Ignore
Updated on Oct. 07, 2024
Chances are, at one point or another, you’ve encountered some kind of problem with your toilet. And if you haven’t, well, you are incredibly lucky, and please know that it’s just a matter of time until you do experience a clogged line or a broken handle. Toilet problems are one of those rare phenomena that unite us all. The humble commode makes a DIYer out of us all, eventually.
Fortunately, most toilet problems are easily fixed, whether it’s a clog or a wobble. In most cases, you won’t need to call a plumber and you can take care of the issue with just a few basic tools: a plunger, a screwdriver and a wrench. But you do need to be able to diagnose the problem. That’s where we can help. Below, is a list of the most common toilet problems you’re likely to encounter, along with the likely causes and solutions.
How a Toilet Works
It’s helpful to have a basic understanding of how a toilet works. That will help you better address the underlying issues with a malfunctioning commode.
When you push the flush handle, it opens the flapper inside the tank, sending water into the bowl via a series of jets under the rim. When the bowl fills, gravity forces the water into the waste inlet (sometimes called a trapway.) Water rushing over the top of the trapway creates suction, evacuating the waste and water from the bowl. As the water is pulled from the bowl, air enters the trapway, ending the siphon effect and also the flush. The tank refills via the fill valve, shutting off when the float reaches a set point that ensures the water level in the bowl and the tank is where it should be.
And now that you have the 101 level overview of how a toilet works, you’re can diagnose and fix the following list of the most common toilet problems.
Running Toilet
The mysteries of a running toilet can drive you nuts. Not only is it an annoying problem, it wastes a lot of water. Fortunately, fixing a running toilet is a pretty easy job.
One of the most common causes is a flapper that doesn’t seal. If water from the tank seeps around the flapper and into the bowl, the flapper is probably shot.
It might also be an issue with the fill valve. Flush the toilet and look for a fill valve leak. Lift up on the toilet float arm when the tank is filling to see if the water stops. Bend or adjust the toilet float arm so the tank stops filling when the water level is 1/2- to 1-in. below the top of the overflow pipe. If the fill valve still leaks, replace it.
Your toilet handle might also be the problem, in which case you’ll need to adjust it or even swap out the old one. More on that below.
Rocking Toilet
Your throne shouldn’t feel like a broken carnival ride, rocking and rolling around as you sit on your mighty throne. It’s usually caused by one of three things: loose bolts, an uneven or rotting floor, or a damaged toilet flange. Even if it is just loose bolts, a rocking toilet can damage the wax seal, leading s to leaks and ultimately major repairs.
To fix a wobbly toilet, first check to make sure the bolts are tight. If they’re loose, just grab a wrench and tighten them up.
If your toilet is still wobbling around after that, it might be an uneven floor, which can be resolved by cutting plastic shims to fit and slip them underneath. Don’t go back and caulk your toilet to the floor until you’re certain the wax ring seal isn’t leaking.
The next step, if either of those options won’t resolve the issue, is to remove the toilet and check the wax ring. You may need to replace it, especially if it’s leaking.
Toilet Lid Slams Shut
Toilets are responsible for a whole lotta annoying noises. Slow close toilet seats work great at stopping the ‘clank’ when lowering the toilet seat, but if you still hear the noise of the lid hitting the tank upon opening, here’s what you can do. Put a vinyl bumper on the lid of the toilet tank. A toilet seat with a slow-close lid and vinyl bumpers are available at home centers or online.
Cracked Toilet Seat
Replacing a toilet seat is an easy two-minute job: Just set the seat in place and tighten the nuts. Removing the old seat, on the other hand, can be a frustrating ordeal. Often, the bolts that fasten the seat are so corroded that you simply can’t unscrew the nuts. But there’s no need to explode—we have the solution.
First, take a look at the bolts that secure the seat. If the bolts or nuts are plastic, they can’t corrode and will come off easily. Simply pry open the cover behind the seat to expose the bolt’s head. Unscrew the bolt with pliers or a screwdriver while you hold the nut underneath with the pliers.
Rusted Bolts
If lubricant won’t free the nut, grab your drill, drill bit collection and safety glasses. Using a 1/16-in. bit, drill into the bolt where it meets the nut. Drill 1/4 in. into the bolt. Next, enlarge the hole with a 1/8-in. bit, followed by a 3/16-in. bit. Then try the socket wrench again. Your goal now isn’t to unscrew the nut but to break off the bolt as you turn the nut. If the bolt won’t break, keep enlarging the hole. Eventually, you’ll weaken the bolt enough to break it.
Sweaty Toilet
If summers are humid where you live and you don’t have air conditioning, you’ve probably noticed your toilet “sweating.” Condensation forms on the outside of the tank, which can drip down and make a mess or even rot out your floor. Some toilets are available with insulated tanks to prevent condensation problems.
Bubbling Toilet
If you have air bubbles that rise up through your toilet bowl (except when it flushes) or notice the water level rising and falling, you probably have a clogged or improperly vented toilet. This toilet bubbling problem is especially true when you have an appliance like a clothes washer nearby. Your drain line is gasping for air.
When you pour liquid from a can, you’ll notice that it doesn’t flow evenly unless you have a second opening for air. The same holds true for the plumbing vent pipe. As water goes down a drain, air is needed to equalize the pressure in the drain line.
This is the purpose of a venting system. If the drain lines in your home have poor venting, water rushing down the drains will pull water from nearby P-traps. The drain in the toilet bowl is basically a P-trap. If the problem just started, it’s probably a blocked drain or plumping vent pipe that needs to be “snaked” out. And since the water in the toilet is dropping and gurgling, it’s likely that the problem is near that area.
Unfortunately, a clogged or missing vent is tough to fix, since it usually requires breaking into the walls to examine the drain system. Unless you have plumbing experience, this project is best left to a professional.
Toilet Won’t Flush Well
Master baths are often distant from the rest of the plumbing in the house, so they often have their own plumbing vents independent of the home’s other plumbing. If the flushing performance is anemic and there are no clogs or obvious malfunctions, there may be an amazingly simple remedy. Occasionally, plumbers forget to remove the temporary plug that’s used to pressure-test the lines after plumbing rough-in. They’re located at the top of the vent pipe up on the roof. If you can’t see a rubber cap clamped on the vent over the bathroom from the ground, climb up on the roof and inspect the end of the vent over your bathroom and I’ll bet you’ll find an overlooked plug. If so, break through the plastic with a screwdriver and pry out the pieces and that toilet will work just fine.
If that isn’t the problem, you probably have a defective toilet or an obstruction in the drain line. Get ahold of the plumber who worked on the house. He or she should be able to solve the problem.
Sluggish Toilet
If it flushes slowly, you might need to clean the toilet. More specifically, you probably need to clean the rinse holes under the rim, which can get clogged with mineral deposits. With a mirror and a coat hanger, you can clean out those clogged holes without ever getting your hands dirty. The photo says it all—look into the mirror to see if the holes are clogged. If they are, bend a coat hanger flat and probe the tip into the holes to poke out any mineral deposits. Planning to renew your toilet?
Clogged Toilet
The best way to unclog a toilet is with a plunger. Buy a toilet plunger with an extension flange on the rubber bell-shaped end. A toilet plunger with an extension flange is designed to fit toilets better, so you can deliver more “oomph” to the plunge.
When the toilet won’t flush and the water doesn’t drain, your first move should be to plunge the toilet. It’s a pretty task, just insert the plunger into the toilet’s inlet and start pumping gently, increasing force as you work.
A plunger will handle most clogs, but if it’s an especially stubborn one, you may need to use a drain snake on your toilet.
Toilet Not Caulked
Yes, the bathroom is a place to get clean, but it can easily be a place to trap some pretty foul smells. If you don’t caulk a toilet to the floor, you could find yourself smelling leftover residue from smelly mop water, tub water, or even worse, the remnants of your son’s potty training.
Loose Toilet Seat
Tighten a loose or wiggly toilet seat with inexpensive rubber bushings and seat stabilizers. It’s a 15-minute fix that’ll last for years. Remove the toilet seat nuts and insert the rubber bushings.
Loop the rubber band around the toilet seat and center the stabilizers so they touch the inside rim of the bowl. Drill a starter hole and secure the stabilizers with screws from the kit. Then install a set of toilet seat stabilizers. That’ll eliminate loosening caused by side-to-side movement.
Corroded Flush Handle
Toilet flush handles are another part of a toilet that can cause toilets to keep running. Often handles are toilet parts that get loose or corroded and no longer pull the flap up or drop it back down properly.
You can easily fix a toilet handle, but there’s a trick to getting the flush handle out. The retaining nut inside the tank is a reverse thread. So, if you’re in front of the toilet, turn the nut to the left to loosen. Then remove the old handle and lever, slide the new handle into place, and thread on the retaining nut. Tighten by turning to the right.
Rusty Hinges
It doesn’t take long for the hinge screws on a toilet seat to rust, and then you have rust dust all over the toilet rim every time the seat slams. To prevent this, all you need to do is dab a little clear nail polish onto the screw heads. If the screws are already rusted, fill the holes with caulk. (Don’t worry—you’ll never have to get at the screws because you’ll be replacing the whole seat and lid assembly someday.)
