Low-Flow Toilet Problems? Here are Some Solutions

All new toilets sold in Illinois must be certified water efficient and meet federal WaterSense standards. WaterSense certification provides that plumbing fixtures use at least 20 percent less water. For toilets, that means using 1.28 gallons of water or less per flush, as opposed to the federally mandated maximum of 1.6 gallons per flush.

While low-flow toilets are hi-tech designs that will save billions of gallons of water in the US every year, they can also present some problems. With less water to work with, you may find one flush is not enough because of their low flushing power. Flushing twice of course defeats the purpose of having a low flow toilet and should be avoided. So what can you do if your toilet isn't flushing completely?

Often poor flushing power is caused by an under-filled toilet tank. Could you check the toilet manufacturer's instructions for setting the fill valve to make sure the water in the tank is set to the correct level? Some tanks have a fill line, but if there is no line, a good rule of thumb is to keep the water level about a half inch below the top of the overflow tube on inside the tank.

Second, could you open the tank and check the tension on the flapper chain? The chain should only have a little slack, if it's overly loose the flapper won't open all the way when the toilet is flushed and water in the tank won't empty completely.

Have toilet problems? Give ABC Plumbing, Sewer, Heating, Cooling, and Electric a call; we're here to help.

Also check the following blog post: What Causes Pink Stains on Toilets and Bathtubs.