Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Toilet’

3 Common Toilet Problems

Wednesday, March 19th, 2014

For obvious reasons, your toilet is one of the most important parts of your home’s plumbing. When it encounters problems, you can’t simply do without it until you can schedule repairs. Luckily, many plumbers in Orlando offer 24-hour service, ensuring that you don’t have to wait for a repair long. Here are 3 common toilet problems:

  • Clogs. Toilet clogs are very common, and sometimes take more than just a plunger to properly address. In addition to waste product, toilet clogs can be caused by object inadvertently flushed down the toilet (such as children’s toy) as well as larger issues with your drain lines, like tree root infiltration. A plumber can usually find the source of the clog and remove it without too much difficulty.
  • Water leaks. Leaking water around the base of the toilet is never a good sign, though it can come from many sources. The worst is a hairline fracture in the toilet bowl itself, which usually means that the whole toilet must be replaced. Most of the time, however, the leak is caused by a smaller component, such as the drain pipe flange or the seal around the base of the tank. These can usually be replaced fairly quickly by a trained technician.
  • Running toilet. A running toilet wastes water, and can usually be traced to a faulty component somewhere in the tank. Your flapper could be damaged or unable to close properly, or the valve and float might not be functioning as it should.

For these and other common toilet problems, you can depend on the very best. Plumbing repair in Orlando is covered by the experts at Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. We know how to deal with plumbing problems of all varieties and we offer 24-hour emergency service so you won’t have to wait. Give us a call today and let us get to work!

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How Much Water Does My Toilet Use?

Monday, October 21st, 2013

Of the items that run water in your house, the toilet uses a high volume of water; in general, the bathroom is the place in your home that will use the most amount of water. Your toilet quite a lot of water each time it is used. The amount, however, varies depending on the type. More recent designs have a lower flow, while older ones can use up to four times as much water. And when it comes to a malfunctioning toilet, the waste of water can be enormous.

Conserving water is important for our environment and for your budget. We’re going to explain how much water your toilet might use so you can think about how to conserve, and also why getting repairs is so important. When you need to call a plumber in Orlando, FL, get on the phone with Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. (MPI).

A modern low-flow toilet uses about one 1¼ gallons per flush. According to the EPA, older models can use between 3½ to 7 gallons. As a comparison, a running faucet uses about 2 gallons per minute, so a single flush on one of these older models is approximately equivalent to running a faucet for anywhere from two to four minutes.

If your toilet starts to run without stopping, the amount of water it uses will leap up to extremely wasteful levels. A running toilet can waste up to 2 gallons a minute. That means that if you let it run for two hours, it will use 120 gallons of water! Even a leaky toilet is extremely wasteful, with the EPA estimating a use of 200 gallons per day. You don’t want to pay bills for that kind of drain on the water supply, so make sure you see to the problem right away, and get a plumber to help you if you can’t solve it on your own.

Make sure that you aren’t wasting water. Aside from unnecessary flushes, see that your toilet isn’t leaking or running without stop. With an older model, you might consider upgrading to a low-flow toilet with the government WaterSense label. Get in contact with Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. (MPI) for a plumber in Orlando, FL who can offer you the advice and repairs you need to make the bathroom in your home more water conservation friendly.

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Ask a Plumber: Why Won’t My Toilet Stop Running?

Friday, May 17th, 2013

Toilet problems can be incredibly disruptive. As one of the most used appliances in your home, you need to make sure that it operates well every day throughout the year. One of the most common problems that we come across is toilets that continue to run long after flushing. While this may seem like an inconsequential, minor issue, it can actually lead to leaks and higher utility bills. There’s no repair too minor (or too large) for a professional Orlando plumber, so call Modern Plumbing Industries, Inc. (MPI) today.

Ask an Orlando Plumber: Why Won't my Toilet Stop Running?In order to better understand what the problem is with your toilet and why it won’t stop running, it’s useful to first look at how your toilet functions. Your toilet is comprised of three major components: the flushing mechanism, bowl siphon, and the refill mechanism. Simply physical principles ensure that there is a consistent and constant level of water in your toilet at all times. Water conforms to a container or surface because of gravity and the curvature of the pipe behind the bowl allows the overflowing of the bowl by the tank to cause the toilet to flush. So long as the bowl is filled quickly with enough water to activate the siphon, your toilet will flush.

The tank behind the toilet bowl rapidly dumps several gallons of water into the siphon, which causes the bowl’s contents to overflow down the drainpipe. But in order to control the flow, your toilet tank has a flush valve that controls the flushing mechanism. The filler float, which looks like a ball connected to the end of a stick senses the level of water in the tank, and tells the filler valve to send water into the tank and the bowl after the flush is complete, so that the flush mechanism can be restored.

A sticky or damaged flush valve can cause a toilet to run constantly after flushing. It may also be a problem with the chain that connects the handle to that mechanism. Sometimes a jiggle on the handle will ensure that the tank fills back up, but you may need to replace the part to ensure that it doesn’t happen regularly.

Call MPI today if you need an excellent Orlando plumber. We’d be happy to take care of your any problems with your home plumbing.

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