TOILETS and their WOES...

The toilet... ah, that noble steed we ride when great is our need...

Yet quickly forget when we needest not! As a faithful servant, the porcelain beast awaits us. Yet the beast hath a dark side, an evil persona that driveth men to cry, women to howl... sometimes, the darn thing just doesn't work!!

Toilets are deceptively simple devices.  Toilet repair can be a frustrating endeavor!  If you don't  understand how a toilet is put together, how the different parts function, and how it integrates into your home's plumbing system, problems can be impossible to troubleshoot. So simply listing the parts and their functions is not enough. Or, maybe you sort of know what is wrong, and just want my take on the specific repair.

Before you go to our troubleshooting area, you might enjoy this short article from American Standard... The Truth About Toilets! (It will open in a new window so you don't lose this page.)

Click on any question below and let the Natural Handyman flush your troubles away!!

Click HERE to display a page of helpful toilet graphics in a separate browser window for printing!

How does a toilet work?

My toilet makes a noise now and then like water was running into it. Does the flapper need replacement? What is happening and how do I fix it?

When I press on the handle to flush the toilet, nothing happens!!

When I push on the flush handle, the toilet flushes, but I can hear water rushing loudly into the tank without filling it.

After the flapper closes, the toilet tank fills very slowly. Do I need to replace the inlet valve?

Sometimes when I flush the toilet, everything doesn't go down. Why?

When I flush the toilet, I noticed that water seems to leak on the floor from between the tank and the bowl. How can I repair this?

The toilet seems to move now when I sit on it. It never did before. Why?

The tiles around the base of the toilet seem to be coming loose. What causes that?

I can't seem to get the toilet seat off. What is an easy way to replace it? Are there any tricks in installing or choosing a new one?

The flapper in my toilet seems to need replacement more than once a year? Is there something that can be done to prolong its life?

Show the typical toilet water line connections. And how do I install a new intake line to my toilet?

I would like to install a toilet in my basement, but the drain pipes are half way up the wall? What are my options?

There is a lot of condensation on my toilet tank, and its drips on the floor. Can I prevent this, and will it cause any damage to the toilet or floor?

We just added a new tile floor in our bathroom. The floor is about an inch higher than it was before. Is there anything special I need to do to reattach the toilet?

My toilet is terribly stained.  What products can I use to clean it?

My toilet is blocked.  When I flush it the water rises to the top of the bowl or overflows! What can I do to unblock it?