Signs You Need a Toilet Replacement
Are you experiencing issues with a toilet in your home? Toilets are prone to developing various issues over time since they are typically some of the highest-use fixtures in a home. While a plumber can repair most common toilet issues, at some point, the toilet will need to be replaced. As such, we recommend watching out for all of these signs so that you can get your toilet replaced before it stops working or develops any more serious issues like leaks.
Cracks in the Tank or Bowl
The majority of toilets are made from porcelain, and this is mainly because porcelain is strong and durable while also being non-porous and easy to clean. The issue is that porcelain can be prone to developing hairline fractures as a result of age or things getting dropped on the toilet.
At first, a hairline fracture in a toilet is primarily a cosmetic issue. However, the fractures can grow larger over time to cracks and leaking in the toilet tank or bowl. In some cases, this can also result in the tank or bowl suddenly breaking and causing a major flood in the bathroom. While rare, there have been situations where a toilet bowl suddenly cracked while someone was sitting on it, resulting in injuries.
Toilet Frequently Clogs
Toilets are prone to clogging if you use too much toilet paper or try to flush other solids like paper towels, wet wipes, or feminine hygiene products. This is something you can easily avoid by trying not to overload the toilet and never flushing anything but waste and toilet paper. That said, older toilets sometimes develop issues where the trap underneath the bowl is obstructed. When this happens, the toilet will clog up far more frequently than expected.
When you have a clog, you need to be mindful of the methods you use to unclog it. You should only use a plunger to address toilet clogs. Drain cleaning products might be effective at breaking up certain types of clogs, but the ingredients in the products can cause serious problems with your pipes. These chemicals are so harsh that they can weaken the drain pipe under your toilet, triggering cracks and leaking. Some products also produce excessive heat when they come into contact with water. The heat helps them work effectively, but it can also warp drain pipes, increasing the chances of leaking.
Toilet Is 30+ Years Old
In 1994, the US Congress passed the Energy Policy Act that required all new toilets to be low-flush models that use no more than 1.6 gallons of water per flush. If you have a toilet in your home that is more than 30 years old, you can be almost certain that it is a standard-flush model. In this case, it likely uses around 3.5 gallons of water per flush. Replacing an old toilet like this with a new low-flush toilet is a great way to lower your water bills since it will use less than half as much water each time you flush it.
You can reduce your water usage even further if you opt to have a dual-flush toilet installed. A dual-flush toilet has two different flushing options, one for solid waste and the other for liquids. The full flush will still typically use around 1.6 gallons while the partial flush will typically only use around 1.28 gallons. While the difference between the flush and partial flush may not sound like much, it can add up since people generally flush liquid waste more times a day than they do solid waste.
Inefficient Flushing
When low-flush toilets were first introduced, most of them were poorly designed and didn’t work all that well. As such, it often required flushing the toilet multiple times before all of the solid waste went down. This issue is why many people resisted installing low-flush toilets for quite some time. Luckily, there have been many advancements that have allowed modern low-flush toilets to work far better and flush completely every time. This means that you should never have to worry about needing to flush more than once to get all of the solid waste to go down.
Toilet Needs Frequent Repairs
One last sign that it’s time to replace your toilet is if it keeps having issues and you frequently need to have it repaired. Almost every toilet will require some repairs over its life, but having to repair your toilet frequently usually means it’s wearing out. While repairing the toilet will get it working again, replacing it will cost less overall compared to having to frequently pay to have it repaired.
At Mullen Plumbing, Heating and Cooling, we have decades of experience providing reliable plumbing, heating, and air conditioning services in South Charleston and the Kanawha Valley area. Whether you’re dealing with a clogged toilet, need a new toilet, or require any other plumbing or home comfort service, contact us to get the expert help you need.
