Plumbing Tips – Toilets

If your toilet is stopped up and if the water level is low, there is an alternative if a plunger doesn’t work.

• Fill a bucket or plastic wastebasket with warm water and pour it into the bowl from waist level or higher.
• Repeat if necessary after the water level is once again low.

Periodically check your toilets for leaks:

• Place a few drops of food coloring in the tank — not the bowl. A couple of tablespoons of instant coffee or Kool-Aid will work too.
• Check the toilet after about thirty minutes. If the water in the bowl has some of the color in it, the tank is leaking and the stopper (“flapper”) and/or flush valve seat may need to be replaced.