What to do when your toilet won't flush

You wake up after hitting snooze one too many times and while you are trying to get ready for the day you notice your toilet won’t flush!

What do you do now?

Don’t panic, we’ve got your back.

This article will take you through reasons why your toilet won’t flush and give you tips on how to fix it, and you not need be a plumber to do this.

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The toilet is clogged

What you flush down your toilet can come back to haunt you. If you find yourself with this problem, then a toilet plunger/ auger will come in handy. Using the plunger, push through the waste which should allow the toilet to flush. Alternatively, you can create a suction using the plunger which will move the paper causing the blockage down the pipe. If your toilet clogs frequently you should consider changing to thinner rolls especially if anybody in your household uses a lot at one go.

Insufficient water in the tank

For a toilet to flush regularly, the water level should be at least an inch below the tank’s overflow tube. Therefore, you open the lid and look at the water level. If the water level is too low in the tank it may be as a result of an accidental closure of the water valve; turn it on and watch the water level to ensure it fills to the right level. Close the lid and flush to confirm it flushes properly.

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A non-functioning flapper

In the tank there is a water flapper designed to open when the toilet is flushed and close the intake pipe to ensure the water levels in the tank are optimal. Of your toilet is not flushing, the rubber flapper might be bent or twisted out of shape. Carefully, inspect the flapper to see whether the problem can be fixed by only giving it a nudge. If the flapper is too damaged, you will have to replace it which shouldn’t be a problem as they are found at most Home Improvement Shops and they are cheap. On replacing the flapper, flush the toilet to confirm.

Problem with the lift chain

After you open the tank, you will see a chain that attaches the rubber flapper to the flushing handle. If this chain is too loose, it cannot lift the rubber flapper when the toilet handle is pulled thus the toilet won’t flush. To fix this, adjust the length of the chain so that there is enough pull to open the rubber flapper.

If you have checked all the above and can’t figure out the problem, it’s time to call a professionals!