Toilet Repair & Installation
Cure a running, leaking or clogged toilet, or arrange a new toilet or bidet seat.
Plumbing guide
Toilet Won't Flush in Peoria, AZ? Causes and Fixes
When a toilet refuses to flush, the cause is usually in one of three places: the tank, the bowl or the drain. A few quick checks tell you which one and what to do.
By the Peoria Express Plumbing team ·
Check the tank first
Take off the tank lid and look inside. A tank that is empty or low is not refilling, which points to the supply. Confirm the valve behind the toilet is open and that the fill valve works.
If the tank has water but the flush does nothing, look at the chain. It may have come off the flush lever or be too slack. Reattach it so that there is a little slack, and try again.
A clog in the bowl
If the bowl fills high or drains slowly after a flush, the trap is blocked. Use a plunger, confirm it seals around the drain and work it with steady strokes.
Do not flush repeatedly, because the bowl may overflow. If the water level is high, close the supply valve to stop the tank from refilling.
A weak flush
A flush that starts but does not clear the bowl can mean the water in the tank is too low, the rim jets are clogged with mineral scale or there is a partial clog.
Check the water level mark inside the tank and adjust the fill valve if needed. Clean the rim holes with a small brush or a wire.
When several fixtures are slow
If other drains are slow, or a toilet gurgles when the shower runs, the blockage is likely in the main line. Plunging will not fix this.
Stop using water and call. A cable machine or a jetter clears the line, and a camera shows why it blocked. See drain cleaning.
Flush failure: sign, cause and remedy
Match the sign to a row and try the remedy beside it.
| Sign | Cause | Remedy |
|---|---|---|
| Handle feels loose | The lever arm or its nut has failed | Inspect the handle assembly |
| Handle works, flapper stays down | The chain has slipped off or is slack | Reattach with a little play |
| Little water in the tank | Closed stop valve or faulty fill valve | Open the valve and test the fill valve |
| Bowl rises, then drains slowly | A clog in the trap | Plunge, then use an auger |
| Other drains run slowly too | A blockage in the main line | Stop using water and call |
Things that should not go in a toilet
Wipes labeled flushable, paper towels, feminine products and cotton swabs do not break down like toilet paper. They catch in the trap and the drain and build a blockage.
If a child dropped a toy or an object into the bowl, stop flushing. A plumber can remove it without harming the toilet.
When to call
Call a plumber if the plunger does not work, the toilet overflows repeatedly or you find water around the base. A cracked bowl or a failed seal needs repair or replacement.
Read toilet repair and installation for the full list of fixes.
How to plunge properly
A flange plunger has a rubber lip that fits the drain opening. Seat it fully, press down gently to expel the air, then pull up sharply.
Repeat for about twenty seconds. If the water drains, flush gently to test.
Using an auger
A closet auger, sometimes called a toilet snake, has a curved guard that protects the porcelain. Feed it into the drain, turn the crank and draw it back.
If an auger does not clear it, the blockage may be past the trap, in the line itself.
Stopping a repeat clog
Use less paper, avoid flushing wipes and keep a plunger handy. Slow draining that returns after clearing suggests a deeper problem, such as roots or a damaged pipe.
See drain cleaning for line clearing.
Why the bowl overflows
When a drain is blocked, each flush adds water with nowhere to go. That is why you should not flush again if the water is high.
Remove the tank lid and push the flapper closed with your hand so the tank holds its water instead of draining into the bowl.
Close the supply valve if the water is still rising. Use towels, then plunge once the level drops.
Low-flow toilets and clogs
Modern toilets use less water per flush, so they depend on good design and a clear trap. Using too much paper or flushing wipes causes trouble.
If the bowl clogs often, the toilet may be worn or poorly matched to the drain. Replacement could fix it.
See toilet repair and installation for options.
Water use and toilets
The EPA WaterSense, Residential Toilets page explains that WaterSense labeled toilets use 1.28 gallons per flush or less. A weak or incomplete flush on a labeled model is still a fault worth fixing, not something to live with.
Common questions
Toilet flush questions
Common culprits are a low tank level, plugged rim jets or a partial blockage.
It is better to avoid it. A plunger is safer, and chemicals can damage pipes and hurt a plumber later.
Close the supply valve behind the toilet, stop flushing and call if the water keeps rising.
Related services
Drain Cleaning & Unclogging
Clear a stopped-up sink, tub, toilet or main drain and find what caused the stoppage.
Sewer Line Repair
Mend a cracked, root-clogged or sagging sewer pipe through digging, lining or patching.
More plumbing guides
Running toilet: how to fix it
A toilet that never quite stops filling burns through water all day. Track down the part at fault and swap it.
Sewer smell in the house
Sewage odor most often traces to a dried-out trap, a worn seal or a vent fault. Follow the smell to its source.
Tree roots in the sewer line
Hairline cracks are enough for roots to get into a sewer line. Know the early signs and the repair choices.
Toilet still stuck?
Phone the line if the plunger does not help. Someone on the line can hand you to a contractor who clears toilets and drains.