Toilets can be expensive to repair and even more expensive to replace. The national average for toilet repair is $276 and a toilet replacement is $539. Before you call the plumber, though, there are many simple repairs you can do for common toilet issues. Landmark Home Warranty is here to teach you some of those repairs.

ADJUST THE WATER LEVELS IN A TOILET TANK

There may be a time when you need to adjust the water levels in your tank. If your toilet is constantly flushing, it may mean there is too much water in the tank and it is overflowing into the bowl below, through the overflow valve:

If the flush of your toilet isn’t powerful enough, it may mean you need more water going from the tank into your bowl to produce a powerful enough siphon. 

All you need to do to fix the water levels in the toilet tank is to raise or lower the float on the tank. You can do this by twisting the rod that connects the float to the fill valve up or down:

HOW TO FIX A CONSTANTLY RUNNING TOILET

If your toilet is constantly running, you are wasting hundred of dollars of water each year. There are many different reasons a toilet may be running, and if adjusting the water in the tank doesn’t stop it, there are some other solutions.

• Check to make sure the flapper sits on the seat of the seal correctly.
• Check to make sure the flapper isn’t worn or cracked
• If the chain of the flapper is too short, the flapper won’t sit on the seat of the tank and make a seal, causing water to constantly run into the bowl. Adjusting the length of the chain should fix this.

If these two things seem to be in order, it might be time to call a plumber – or if you have a home warranty, your home warranty company.If the flapper is older, it may have worn out. Replacing the flapper is easy. A replacement costs around $10 at most hardware stores.

REPLACING THE TOILET FLAPPER

Turn off water supply: 

HOW TO FIX A TOILET HANDLE

There could be a few reasons why your toilet won’t flush when you depress the handle.

• Lift the tank lid and check to make sure the lift chain and the lift lever are connected. Sometimes the lift chain will slip off of the lift lever, so the flapper will never be pulled off of the sea of the toilet tank, resulting in a flush.
• Make sure the chain itself hasn’t broken. If the chain has broken, a new toilet flapper assembly will include a chain.

If neither of those things work, it might be time to purchase a new handle for your toilet. Those cost between $10 and $30 at a hardware store. Each toilet handle will have its own instructions on how to replace it, so please make sure to follow those.

HOW TO FIX AN OVERFLOWING TOILET

Most people have experienced an overflowing toilet at one point or another, but there is a quick solution to make sure the water in the bowl won’t overflow onto the floor.

When you can see the water rising in the toilet, take off the top of the tank, and pull the float up until the fill valve stops filling the bowl with water. 

Then, of course, you’ll have to get a plunger to get out the stoppage, but at least your floor will be saved!

If you are having other issues with your toilet, it might be time to call a plumber. Or, if you have a home warranty, you can get your toilet replaced or repaired if it has failed from normal wear and tear, for $60. Compared to the national average of $539, that’s a lot of savings!

If you’re interested in saving money on other home repairs and replacements, look into home warranties. You can learn more about home warranty companies by going to Landmark Home Warranty’s website at www.LandmarkHW.com. There, you can read about our home warranty plans, read home warranty reviews, and see why Landmark is truly the best home warranty company out there.

For more information on toilet repairs, go here:

• http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/how-to/a4117/4303948/
• http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/video/0,,1638470,00.html