Ask Your Plumber:

DIY Toilet Fixes?

Toilet Problems are no fun for anyone, so here are some FAQs answered by our Next Level Plumbing Master Plumber Byron, to help you out!

Toilets are probably one of the most common problem areas in regards to home plumbing systems. Because of this, it is more common for people to try fixing the problem toilets themselves. This can work out great and save you a nice chunk of money, or it can work out terribly and end in major water damage as well as an insurance claim. And of course, it can also end anywhere in between those two places.

As a plumber, I often get asked if I think fixing their toilet is something they can tackle on their own. I always answer as honestly as I can.

I don’t know!

It depends on how well you understand what is going wrong with the toilet, how well you understand the repair needed to fix the toilet, how good you are at actually removing the old parts and installing new ones, and then finally how good you are at troubleshooting if it doesn’t work as planned. And I don’t know most of my customers well enough to know the answer to that.

Fixing Your Own Toilet is Not Usually too Hard, But it can be Finicky.

One brand/style of the part might not work well with another, or an adjustment might need to be made to one part when installing another part. And even when it all goes together, something else can go wrong.
The real question you should ask yourself if you want to tackle fixing your own toilet is this. Am I willing to make as many trips to Home Depot, and put as many hours into this as it might require?
If you aren’t willing to take at least two trips to the store and at least 3 hours of your time, then I recommend not even trying. Sometimes the job goes better, but a lot of times for people who have never fixed their own toilet before it can take a lot of time and patience.

The Last Thing is to Know When to Quit.

As a plumber, I have come into the house and fixed the problem in minutes that the customer had spent half their Saturday trying in vain to fix. After they finally got to the end of their rope they called me.
If the job isn’t going well, or the first try didn’t work like the YouTube video said it would ask yourself if maybe this is a good time to call the professional.

There is no shame in doing that.

I know to plumb because that’s what I do. But I call the professional in when there is something besides plumbing that I need to be done.

In short, if you want to try fixing your own toilet make a plan in advance. Figure how many trips or hours you want to spend on the project and call the plumber if the repair exceeds it. That or another simple method is to count the curse words.

When You Reach your Limit, Whatever That is, Call the Plumber

Concerned About Your Home and Plumbing? Give Us a Call!

Did you enjoy today’s blog written by Next Level Plumbing’s owner and a master plumber? If you did, go ahead and check out these other blogs written by Byron!

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