Toilet Repair & Installation
Stop a toilet from running, rocking or clogging, or set a new one.
Homeowner tips
Toilet Won't Flush? What to Check in Westminster, CO
Lift the tank lid and look. If the water in the tank is low or the handle does nothing, the trouble is in the tank. If the bowl is full and slow, the trouble is a clog.
By the Westminster Plumbing Co. team ·
Tank problems
A limp handle usually means a broken or detached chain. The chain connects the handle lever to the flapper. Reattach it with a little slack.
Low tank water can mean a fill valve that has failed or a supply valve that is partly closed. Open the valve fully and watch the tank refill.
A clog in the trap
Press a flange plunger over the drain and push and pull with steady strokes. Keep the seal. Most clogs yield in a few minutes. A closet auger reaches deeper if the plunger fails.
Do not flush repeatedly. Wait for the water to drain between attempts or the bowl may overflow.
Weak flush from scale
Hard water leaves mineral deposits in the rim jets and the siphon hole. The flush loses force even when the drain is clear. A brush and vinegar can clear the jets.
Westminster's water is moderately hard, so the scale builds slowly, but it does build.
Why a toilet fails to flush
A quick way to match the symptom to a fix.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Handle feels loose | A detached chain | Reattach the chain |
| Bowl full and slow to drain | A clog in the trap | Plunge, then use an auger |
| Weak swirl | Scale in the rim jets | Clean the jets with vinegar |
| Other drains gurgle too | A main line blockage | Stop using water and call |
When it is the main line
If other fixtures gurgle or back up when you flush, the blockage is lower in the line. Basement floor drains may bubble. Stop using water and call.
Several things can block a main line, including roots, grease and flushed wipes. The city asks residents to flush only toilet paper.
Basement toilets and pumps
A toilet below the sewer level drains to an ejector pit with a pump. If the pump fails, the toilet will not clear. Check the pump's power and the alarm, if there is one.
A plumber can service or replace the pump and check the check valve.
When to call a plumber
Call if the plunger fails, if more than one fixture is affected or if the toilet overflows repeatedly. A plumber can use a camera or a larger machine.
If the toilet itself is cracked or rocks on the floor, replacement or resetting is the next step.
A quick plunger routine that works
Use a flange plunger, which has an extra rubber ring that seats into the toilet drain. Press down slowly first to push out the air, then pump with steady strokes for about twenty seconds. Pull up sharply at the end so the clog is pulled loose.
Add warm water, never boiling, if the bowl is low. Dish soap poured into the bowl can lubricate a stubborn clog. If three rounds do not move it, stop and switch to a closet auger rather than forcing the plunger harder.
Using a closet auger safely
Feed the cable end into the drain opening and turn the handle clockwise while pushing gently. The protective sleeve keeps the porcelain from scratching. When the cable meets resistance, keep turning until it breaks through or hooks the obstruction.
Pull the cable back slowly and clean it as it comes out. Flush once to check the result. If the water rises again, the blockage is probably beyond the toilet, in the branch or main line, and it is time to call for help.
Habits that prevent repeats
Flush only toilet paper and human waste. Wipes sold as flushable rarely break down, and they collect on roots and rough pipe walls farther down the line. Keep a small wastebasket in the bathroom so guests do not flush other items.
In older homes with low-flow toilets, double flushing a large load is better than letting the bowl struggle. Repeated partial flushes leave waste in the trap and build up the same blockage over time.
When to stop and call
If the bowl fills with each flush and drains slowly, and other drains also gurgle, the blockage is past the toilet. Plunging harder will not help and may push waste back into other fixtures. Stop using water and call for line clearing.
If the toilet rocks, leaks at the base or has a cracked bowl, replacement may be a better path than repair. A new wax ring or a new toilet takes a short visit and ends the leak.
Tell the dispatcher what you tried. Saying that you plunged, augered and still see a slow drain helps the contractor skip the basics and bring the right equipment on the first visit.
Low-flow toilets and weak flushes
Older low-flow models from the 1990s often flush poorly by design. If your toilet needs two flushes every time, a newer model with a better trap design may solve the problem for good.
Look at the tank water level too. If it sits well below the fill line, the flush will be weak. Adjust the float, clean the rim holes and check the flapper before deciding to replace the toilet.
Hard water and slow flushes
Mineral deposits can narrow the rim jets under the bowl lip and slow the swirl. Pour white vinegar into the overflow tube, wait an hour and flush. A small mirror helps you check the jets and clear any that stay blocked with a wire.
If scale keeps returning, a softener or a periodic descaling routine helps. The city reports about 7 to 8 grains of hardness, so some buildup in toilets and fixtures is normal.
Common questions
Answers about toilet flush
Scale in the rim jets or a partial clog in the trap. Clean the jets and try a plunger.
It is not recommended. Chemical cleaners can harm the porcelain seals and are hazardous. A plunger or auger is safer.
Air is being pulled through the trap, often from a partial blockage or a vent problem.
A clog in the toilet trap or a tank problem is likely.
Related services
Drain Cleaning & Unclogging
Open clogged kitchen, bath, laundry and main drains, then find out why the stoppage came back.
Sewer Line Repair
Mend a cracked, root-choked or bellied lateral, either as a spot fix or a longer section.
Keep reading
Running toilet: how to find and fix it
A toilet that runs on and off wastes water all day. A dye test finds the leak, and most fixes cost little.
Sewer smell in the house: causes and fixes
A sewer smell can come from a dry trap, a cracked pipe or a blocked vent. Here is how to narrow it down and when it needs a plumber.
Tree roots in your sewer line
Roots enter a sewer lateral through tiny cracks and joints. Learn the signs, the options and how to protect the line.
Toilet backing up?
Close the supply valve behind it and call. Say what else is slow.