While it’s an unfortunate truth to accept, toilets don’t last forever. Whether it’s because of time, use, or catastrophe, sometimes they need to be replaced. Unless your toilet literally explodes (don’t worry, it doesn’t happen often), it’s hard to tell when it’s time for a new one. We’ve gathered the five most obvious signs that it’s time to replace your toilet below. They’ll help you be more aware of when it’s time to call the plumbing professionals in for a swap out.
It’s constantly getting clogged.
Toilet clogs are stressful and headache-inducing. Plus, who has time to constantly plunge the bowl? Random clogs aren’t uncommon and one or two happening shouldn’t be alarming. When they start happening regularly, though, it’s a sign of something bigger. Older low-flush toilets tend to have frequent stoppages when they age and their interiors get worn out.
It wobbles.
A toilet wobbles when you sit on it for a few different reasons. One of them is that the screws at the base of the bowl have gotten loose. If that’s all the problem is, it can be solved quickly just by tightening them. Unfortunately, that’s not the only reason toilets wobble. A more serious cause is water damage to the floor underneath causing the screws to not be able to hold as tightly. While the wobble doesn’t always mean your toilet itself needs to be replaced, it does mean that there are bigger problems at play.
It’s constantly running.
If your toilet keeps on running no matter how hard you try, there are a few potential causes. Sometimes it means that the rubber flapper at the bottom of the tank is damaged. It can also mean that the fill valve in the tank has been broken in some way. Or mean you have a water leak and you need to check the toilet. Either way, while sometimes fixable, these problems can be a grade-A sign that it’s time for a new toilet.
It’s cracked.
Porcelain is a sturdy material, but like with all things, it can still wear down. Cracks in the porcelain base of your toilet can lead to frequent puddling and leaking. This constant flow of water can damage flooring and lead to water bill increases over time, wasting hundreds of dollars yearly.
It’s old and inefficient.
The four other signs on this list are signs that it is necessary to replace your toilet. This last point is more about efficiency. The Environmental Protection Agency created the Energy Policy Act in 1992 when they noticed how much water conventional toilets wasted. This act requires residential toilets to use no more than 1.6 gallons of water per flush. These days, there are many low flow options that use half that much water or less. If you’re environmentally-conscious or just want to lower your long term water bill, it might be time for a change.
If you think it’s time to replace the toilet in your home, call the experts at Code Blue Plumbing and we can send someone over the same day for a professional analysis.