5 Toilet Maintenance Tips You Should Keep in Mind

A toilet is one of the critical parts of your home that have high chances of it developing problems. Fortunately, you can prevent the most prevalent toilet problems with simple maintenance tips.

Although toilet maintenance is not the most enjoyable chore for many homeowners, it's necessary to prevent your toilet from acting up. Discover the top five toilet maintenance tips you should observe.

Regular cleaning will keep your toilet in good shape. However, you should only use mild cleaning agents. Ensure that the detergents or in-bowl solutions you use are not too strong to ruin the integrity of the bowl.

You can easily find different flavors of porcelain-safe cleaners. You can also use household agents such as baking powder or vinegar and water.

If you opt for drop-in-the-tank cleaning balls, only use mild ones, since strong ones can ruin the cistern's rubber flaps. Don't forget to clean and disinfect the seats, covers, and sides.

Toilet leakages mostly arise when the flapper, which controls water flow, has damage. This will create a tight seal against the valve seat, causing water to flow continuously from the tank to the toilet.

The toilet leakage problem is hard to notice earlier because the water flow is usually slow and silent. Besides, the water drains to the bowl, which means you can't see signs of a leak on the floor unless you have damaged fittings.

Toilet leaks can escalate your water bills significantly, and the problem can get worse if not solved on time. Therefore, you should always inspect your toilets for leakage and hire a plumber to fix any issues.

But how can you test the toilet for leaks? Put a small amount of a food color in the cistern, and don't use the toilet for about 30 minutes. If you find the color on your bowl, your toilet has a leaking part that needs fixing.

If you always find water around your toilet base but can't tell the cause, you need to inspect it thoroughly. Dry the floor, and don't flush the toilet for approximately 30 minutes. If you still find water at the base, you should call a plumber for help. 

Before the plumber arrives, you can turn on the shutoff valve on the wall behind the cistern to cut the flow to the toilet.

Your toilet is meant to flush human waste and toilet paper only. Therefore, you should avoid flushing items that can clog your drains. Examples include non-flushable wipes, floss, diapers, paper towels, papers, cotton balls, or other hygiene products.

These items will eventually block your toilet, and thus, you should install a trash can in your toilet to dispose of such things. If your toilet gets clogged, don't pour chemical drain cleaners because they can worsen the problem. Instead, call a plumber.

This is not a major concern for people who directly use the municipal sewer lines. But if you use a private septic or sewer line, you need to choose the right toilet paper. Yes, some toilet papers are so hard that they take longer to break down.

Over time, such toilet papers can block the drains. Therefore, you should purchase those that are soft and highly absorbent. Also, only use the necessary amount of tissue between flushes.

Despite being well-informed about toilet maintenance, if your kids aren't, you will still experience toilet problems. Thus, you should educate them from an early age the proper ways to use a toilet. Teach them what the right amount of toilet paper is, what not to flush, and how to clean the toilet.

Toilet maintenance is critical in preventing plumbing problems. At Art Douglas Plumbing Inc., we offer reliable toilet plumbing services in Fresno, CA. If you have any issues with your toilet, contact us now.