There’s a reason for those little bathroom wastebaskets: so that things like cotton balls and Q-Tips can be thrown in there instead of in the toilet. Luckily, it’s usually pretty simple to unclog your bowl.
Turn off the shutoff valve first. It’s near the base of the toilet.
Try the plunger. You learned how to properly plunge in the “stopped-up drains” section; the same technique applies to the toilet.
If that doesn’t work, try the toilet auger. Insert it into the outflow (the hole where the water leaves the bowl) and turn its handle until the auger catches on the offending clog. At this point you can either pull the clog out, or pull the auger back and forth to break the clog into pieces. If you can’t get anything to budge, even with the auger, don’t push the object deeper into the pipe; call a plumber.
Perpetually Running Toilets
It’s one of the most annoying household problems: the persistent hiss of a never-ending flush. To fix this problem, first you must understand the inner workings of the toilet tank. It’s really quite simple given a good explanation, such as this one by the experts at CornerHardware.com: “When you push down a toilet handle, it lifts a rubber tank ball or flapper from the flush valve at the tank's bottom. Water rushes out of the tank and washes down the sides of the bowl. This displaces the bowl's wastes and water, and forces them over a trap cast in the toilet's base. When the tank is empty, the tank ball or flapper falls and seals the flush valve for filling. At the same time, a float-activated valve, called a ballcock, opens to fill the tank with water for the next flush. When the float rises, the ballcock shuts off the water.”
For toilet troubleshooting, try the following:
Check to see if the flush valve is closing. There are several possible reasons why it may not be.
If your tank has a flapper, there could be a problem with the chain that’s connected to the flush arm; it may be kinked somewhere. Adjust the chain so that the flapper falls into place. Replace the flapper if it has decayed.
Tank balls may also stick. Replace the lift wire if it’s bent.
If your problem is that the flush arm seems to be sticking in the “up” position with each flush, you should loosen the nut that holds it to the tank wall.
Adjust the water level in the tank. Bend the float arm down to do this.
Check for a slow flush valve leak. This can be done by performing a simple dye test. Add a little bit of food coloring to the toilet tank; if it makes its way into the bowl within fifteen minutes (without flushing), the flush valve seal needs repair. If you have a leak:
Realign the flapper or tank ball; it may not be sitting properly in the flush valve. First, you’ll need to shut off the water by turning the angle stop clockwise (it’s normally located on the wall at the lower left portion of the tank). Then flush the toilet and observe how the flapper or ball settles onto the opening of the flush valve. If it’s not settling the way it should, it will need to be readjusted. For tank balls, loosen the screws on the overflow tube and adjust the guide arm. For flappers, twist the rubber ring that connects it to the overflow tube.
Replace the ball or flapper.
If neither realignment nor replacement works, clean the flush valve opening with 600 grit sandpaper.