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Old toilets pulled out during replacement

Call sheet: running and rocking

Toilet Repair in Whitby

A bowl that keeps running, wobbles, seeps at the floor or takes a double flush is wasting water and sometimes damaging the floor. Most fixes take an hour or less.

Talk to a plumber

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  • Licensed & insured trade work
  • Scope agreed before we start
  • Urgent calls triaged first

Signs you need this

  • Toilet hissing between flushes, or wobbling on its flange
  • Drip at the spout or water under the vanity
  • Shower that swings hot and cold
  • Hose bib dripping or split after frost

Kit on the van, and the method

  1. Basin wrench and seat wrench
  2. Wax rings, closet bolts and flange repair rings
  3. Cartridges, stems and seats for common valve makers
  4. Toilet auger and closet plunger

Before we leave: Cycle the fixture hot and cold, check every joint dry with a paper towel.

The usual faults

  • Constant running. A worn flapper, a chain that is too short, or a fill valve adjusted so high it feeds the overflow.
  • Phantom refills. The tank tops itself up at random intervals because the flapper seeps.
  • Weak flush. Low water level, a partly blocked trap, or mineral scale in the rim jets.
  • Leak at the base. A failed wax ring, often after the toilet started rocking.
  • Leak between tank and bowl. Tired tank bolts and gasket.

How we approach it

Off comes the lid, and we observe one complete flush before touching anything. That one look usually shows the problem. Flappers and fill valves are standard parts and we carry them. On toilets with a canister or proprietary flush valve, we match the manufacturer's seal. If scale is choking the rim holes, as it often does with the region's hard water, we clean them.

Field note. A rocking toilet should be fixed promptly. Each rock breaks the wax seal a little more, and water then soaks into the subfloor around the flange.

Resetting a toilet

For a base leak, we shut the water, drain the tank and bowl, unbolt the toilet and lift it off. Old wax is scraped away, the flange checked and the floor under it, and repair a broken flange with a repair ring or replacement. A new wax ring or a foam seal goes on, the toilet is set and bolted evenly, and we shim it if the floor is uneven. Finally we test for leaks after several flushes.

Clogs

A closet auger reaches through the trapway without scratching the bowl. If it does not clear, the blockage is in the drain beyond the toilet, which our bathroom drain cleaning page covers. If the toilet is old, cracked or needs constant repair, it may be time for a new toilet. The running toilet note has steps you can try yourself.

Call (365) 376-9113