The Handy Mom’s Easy Guide to Diagnosing a Non-Working Toilet

The moment that you realize that your toilet is not flushing is never a pleasant one. Whether you are going to be having dinner guests over in a few hours or are expecting a house full of children directly after school, busy families can’t be bothered with broken toilets. There is the option of calling a plumber right away if you find that your toilet won’t flush, but you can also try to fix it on your own and save a bit of money. If you are an active mom who doesn’t shy away from jobs big or small, this practical guide to fishing a non-working toilet will help you get your bathroom back in order again.
Finding What Part of the Toilet Isn’t Working

If a toilet won’t flush that means that the flush handle isn’t engaged. There has to be a certain amount of pressure present in order to make all of the components of a toilet work. So, your first action is going to be tracing the flush handle to ensure that all parts of the toilets are working as they should. Take the lid off of the tank and look to see that the trip level and float ball are connected to the chain. Sometimes, plumbing doesn’t work because a minor component becomes loose and needs to be reconnected.
Collecting the Tools of The Trade

Easy toilet fixes don’t require anything other than the use of your hands, but for bigger jobs, other tools are vital. If you suspect that a clog is preventing your toilet from flushing, you’ll need a heavy-duty plunger and perhaps a long toilet snake. Sometimes, toilet clogs can also be resolved with the use of caustic chemicals, but it isn’t recommended that you use them as your first line of defense. If you are going to be unbolting the toilet, then you should also have some caulk on hand so that an airtight seal can be applied once the repairs are done.
Applying the Right Fix

Once you know why your toilet isn’t flushing, you can get down to fixing it. Very rarely will a toilet need to be completely replaced because it isn’t flushing properly. On the other hand, if you are going to have to do any major work, you might need to call in some backup assistance or simply call up the professionals. While moms are perfectly capable of renovating an entire bathroom on their own, jobs that center around plumbing and electrics can also be a lot more work than they look like at first. Don’t get halfway done with a plumbing repair only to find out that you actually need a plumber.
Most of the time, if a toilet won’t flush you won’t have to unbolt the entire toilet from the floor in order to troubleshoot the problem. With that said, you should still be dead set on spending appropriate time patiently and carefully getting to the bottom of things. You might end up needing to fish around in the tank or jam a snake into the bowl, but your hard work will be rewarded when you see the toilet flushing normally again.