Why Are My Water Lines Sweating and Why Is There Water On the Outside Of My Toilet Tank?

Plumbing, Toilet Repair, York PA /

Have you ever looked at the water lines running under your subfloor, through your basement, and noticed condensation on the water lines? When water enters the house, it is cold from being underground, and when it enters your basement, the basement is warmer. So if you are using are large amount of water the water in those lines never has a chance to warm up.

As For Condensation On The Outside of the Toilet

There is most likely water leaking from the toilet tank into the bowl of the toilet. Again just like the water lines in the basement, the water never has a chance to get warm, since there is always a flow of water running through it.

You may also be flushing the toilet more often and that would keep the water in the bowl cold.

How To Checking a Toilet for Leaks:

A bigger plumbing issue is water leaking through the tank into the toilet bowl. There should be a shutoff valve for the toilet at the floor. To check a toilet for leaks, turn off the toilet water valve and wait an hour. The flapper in the tank acts like a plug and should be watertight. If the water level in the tank runs out or goes down then the flapper is leaking.

One other thing to check is if the water level in the tank is OVER the overflow tube. That means the fill valve is leaking and the extra water is going down the overflow tube. Ideally, the water level in a toilet tank should be about an inch below the overflow tube. You might not hear or see either leak regularly, but a toilet leak needs a toilet repair!

Want More Leaking Toilet Information?

For more on checking for leaks in your toilet check out our post and video by Dave Henry called Why Is My Toilet Running When Not In Use, Dave discusses doing a simple dye test that any homeowner can do, yes anyone.

Need Plumbing Help or Toilet Repair?

If you need help with your plumbing repairs or to change the flapper in your toilet, we are the York PA plumber to call at 717-755-5461.

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Is Your Toilet Clogged? 5 Steps You Can Try Before Calling A Plumber

Plumbing, Question and Answer, Toilet Repair, York PA /

Having a toilet that is clogged is frustrating, but what is almost equally frustrating is to call for plumbing service to repair, the plumber shows up, and 5 minutes later they say “Well we are all good”.

You exclaim “That is it !?”

He says “Yep, I flushed it and everything is working fine.” Or something similarly simple.

Some Of The Most Common Causes Of Toilet Clogs – How To Avoid The Clog Problem In The 1st Place

Toilet clogs occur for a variety of reasons some of which are:

  • Way too much toilet paper – remember it may be better to make that extra flush than risk a clog.
  • Flushable Wipes – I know they say flushable on them. But these older homes which are quite common in York PA can not take them. The wipes do not break up. Also, the old sewer lines are made of cast iron pipe. Over time they get buildup inside which can cause the wipes to get snagged on the rough edges, and thus a backup begins.

Actionable Steps You Can Do – To Save Yourself A Trip By The Plumber

  • Let it sit for a couple of hours – That could be three or four hours. Now if this is the only toilet in your house this may not be the best solution. But if you have another toilet and have the patience to wait it out and think it is most likely just toilet paper, this is a good strategy.
  • Metal Coat Hanger – You can try a metal coat hanger. If I am at home and don’t have my tools with me, I would cut a coat hanger and bend it as long as I can. On the one end, I would make a little hook to grab any debris. Then I would stick it up as far as I can to help break up the blockage.
  • Just Flush It – The other thing you can do is try flushing the toilet when it’s clogged.
    • The more water that is in the bowl the more head pressure that is on the clog and that might help it push it out through.
    • ***WARNING*** Before you try this have the toilet lid off. If the water comes up too high – Just push the flapper (in the bottom center of the tank, the hole where the water is going) down as fast as you can.
  • Plunger – Try a regular old plunger.toilet-plunger-unclog-your-toilet-york-pa
  • Toilet Auger – These are available at many home improvement stores.
  • Check Water Flow – Make sure the jets are open the whole way around the rim of the toilet. Also check the main jet at the bottom of the bowl (the main jet is not in all toilets). Over time buildup occurs in these jets and the flow of water decreases. This is especially true on well systems with calcium deposits.
    • These jets are going the whole way around your toilet. They are up under the rim. I use a little Allen wrench or hex key tool. Go up inside your holes, just wiggle it around and open them up.
    • Then I make sure to hit the main jet at the bottom.

Last Resort – What To Do

We offer some additional steps for removing a clog on another clearing a clogged toilet post here.

If you tried all of the above or you decided none of the above steps are in your job description we would love to take care of your toilet troubles with a quick no hassle service call.

Call 717-755-5461 and Crystal will get one of the friendly techs out right away.

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Toilet Cleaners Can Ruin Your Toilet Flapper – The Right Way and The Wrong Way

Plumbing, Question and Answer, Toilet Repair, York PA /

In the video below Dave Henry discusses the right way and the wrong way to use the tablet cleaners you put in your toilet.

If you are using those chlorine tablets to keep your toilet clean, fresh and pretty, please make sure you are putting them in the bowl and not the tank. ?When I am out on service calls I often have customers ask me if this causes any damage to my toilet. ?The topic will often come up for a toilet service and repair call.

The problem is when you put these chlorine tablets in the tank they often warp the flappers and the plastic and rubber that helps your toilet work properly. ?Now it does not happen immediately of course but it does over time.

The problem is that all of the working mechanisms of the toilet are inside the tank.

This even includes the blue sludges you put in the tank.Which- is- tank- and- which- is -the- bowl- on- a- toilet

Now if you put the cleaners in the bowl you are just fine.

Not sure which is the tank and which is the bowl? ?Note the attached picture.

If you have additional questions or need plumbing service please use our plumbing contact form or give us a call at 717-755-5461.

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Why Is My Toilet Running When Not In Use

Plumbing, Toilet Repair, York PA /

Have your ever experienced the problem such as:

You are laying in bed in the middle of the night or you sitting downstairs and you hear your toilet fill up for a second or two, or you get your water bill and you notice it a little higher than it usually is or you physically just hear your toilet leaking through when you come in your bathroom. Then you wander if you should call a plumbing contractor or if the issue is just a simple fix.

There is a simple test you can do. It’s called a dye test for your toilet.

As professionals, we have special dye tablets but you can go to any grocery store and get food coloring, and use any color you want. No the color does not matter.

You start by going to the toilet that you are having the issue with or better yet just check all of your toilets.

You flush the back of the tank and hold down the lever until most of the water is out of the tank.

Once it’s completely drained out as much as you can get, you drop the dye or in your case droplets of food coloring and close the handle and just let it set for 10 or 15 minutes. Better yet let it sit for an extended period of time to ensure there are no leaks, even slow leaks.

Now the water in the tank will turn whatever color dye you put in it, we use blue dye in tablets, so mine will turn blue. ?You do not want that color of dye from the tank getting into the bowl.

After you have waited 15 – 30 minutes or whole days, come back, and lift up the bowl, if there’s no blue or whatever color you used in the bowl, then your flapper is not leaking.

If you lift up the toilet seat and the color that you put in the tank is in the bowl then your flapper is leaking. ?Now you will want to replace the flapper. You can go to the local home improvement store and get a replacement flapper.

Or you can of course contact us by phone at 717-755-5461 or use our contact form to do the dirty work.

Thank you.

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Effective Ways to Clear Clogged Toilet York PA

How To Repair, Toilet Repair, York PA /

There are numerous things that can cause your toilet to clog. These range from too much toilet paper deposited in the bowl at one time to paper products such as sanitary napkins and diapers that have been flushed down the toilet. Often a cap from a beauty or clogged-toilet-york-pa-call-wilbur-henrygrooming product inadvertently falls into the toilet bowl or children think it’s a game to throw small toys into the toilet water which then get trapped in the pipe’s curvature. No matter what has caused a clogged toilet, we understand you need to find a fast and easy solution.

As soon as you notice that the water in the toilet bowl has clogged and that one simple flush isn’t draining as normal, there are some simple steps to take that are very effective. Turn the water valve to the off position and grab a plunger. Then add water to the toilet bowl by filling a bucket from the sink or other water source so there is enough liquid in the bowl to cover the plunger. Using a vigorous up-and-down action is usually enough to dislodge whatever has been clogging the bowl.

Another option although less desirable to some people – wearing rubber gloves, removing the clogged mass rather than flushing it down the toilet, turning the water back on, and flushing again. You may have to repeat this process more than once to ensure you’ve broken up all of the clogged material.

You can also use something called an auger to guide a thin metal snake; down into the bowl and pull up whatever mass has created a traffic jam.

Pouring several cans of carbonated soda into the bowl and waiting about 30 minutes can also be effective in clearing the clog.

Pouring in a pail of very hot, but not boiling, water mixed with liquid detergent, often does the trick.

For a frequently clogged toilet, you may face a more serious blockage in the main drain system or have sewer pipes with serious clog issues. That’s the time to contact the reliable professionals at Wilbur Henry Plumbing Heating and Cooling. We offer fast and convenient emergency service calls to clear any clogged toilet York PA homeowners may be experiencing.

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