Toilet Repairs from a Master Plumber

Legacy Plumbing installs new toilets and offers repair and replacement. Choose an award-winning plumber with high customer satisfaction.

Does your toilet clog all the time? Does it run constantly or randomly kick on and off or “ghost flush”? Does it leak or make weird noises?

There is a lot that can go wrong with toilets. The problems can range from annoying to downright dangerous. Sometimes, the best option is to unclog and repair the toilet. While a new toilet installation can be more economical and deliver other benefits (conserve water, bidet features, easy to clean). At Legacy plumbing, we can help homeowners troubleshoot problems  and provide pro’s and con’s of repair vs replace.

Legacy Plumbing  equips  enough parts for our service fleet  to solve 95% of toilet issues on the first visit. If a replacement is required, we can install one of the highly-rated Kohler toilets we stock on hand.

Toilet Installation​

There are many different styles of toilets on the market today – several offer innovative flushing features while others are different sizes for comfort. If you’d like to shop around and pick your dream toilet online or in a store, then we’d be glad to install that for you. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Make sure you get one that will fit in your space and is comfortable. If you have a small bathroom, you may consider getting a round bowl instead of an elongated bowl. New toilets on the market today are available in a variety of sizes, some are compact, while others are tall and narrow. Also, check the plumbing “rough-in” dimensions (the measurements where the sewer and water pipes are on the floor and wall). The industry-standard rough-in dimension for the toilet drain is 12” off the back wall to the center. Measure off of the back wall to the place where the bolts are around the base of your existing toilet to be sure.

Traditionally, toilets are two-piece: a tank mounted on a bowl which is the standard, builder-grade, economical option. Installing one-piece, wall-mounted, bidet, and high-end toilets can be different. Keep in mind that this may add to the overall cost of installation depending on the design.

If you don’t want to go through the trouble of finding a properly sized toilet, Legacy plumbers carry two different models on their trucks. We’ve had a very good experience with Kohler models and are willing to stand behind them with a two-year warranty.

Toilet

Kohler Kingston™

The Kohler Kingston is a standard height two-piece toilet. It is made from vitreous china with a Class Five flushing design. Ours comes with an elongated bowl and soft-close seat. The toilet is white with an elegant, classic look. Its tank includes parts that are easy to locate and repair. Both bowl seat are designed for easy cleaning. It has a very powerful flush and uses only 1.28 gallons each time. 12” rough-in standard.

Kingston comfort toilet

Kohler Kingston™ Comfort Height®

The Kohler Kingston Comfort Height is an ADA compliant two-piece toilet that is easier and more comfortable to use because of its taller design. The powerful siphon is created by the Class Five flushing mechanism. The model that we provide comes with an elongated bowl and soft-close seat. The toilet is white vitreous china with an elegant, classic look. Its tank includes parts that are easy to locate and repair. It has a very powerful flush and uses only 1.28 gallons each time it is used. 12” rough-in standard.

Toilet Repair​

Sometimes all a toilet needs is a new flapper. Sometimes, it needs a whole rebuild. Whatever the case, we have all of the parts and tools on hand to take care of the issue quickly.

On the surface, some toilet repairs may seem simple, but did you know that callbacks on toilet repairs are common for plumbing companies? Not getting a toilet fixed right the first time isn’t good for business, and it is super-inconvenient for customers. It all comes down to having the right parts and the understanding of everything that has to work together to make a good flush. You can’t just be a parts-changer!

Fill Valve

The fill valve controls the flow of water into the toilet. A float senses when the water level inside the toilet drops and the valve turns on to fill the toilet tank back up with water after a flush. A broken fill valve may result in a slow fill, constant running, or weird noises when the tank is flushed.

Flapper

The flapper or flush disk is the seal that holds the tank water in the tank. It is directly linked to the toilet handle. When the handle is pressed, the flapper raises and lets the water down into the bowl, creating the flush. When the flapper needs replaced, it can result in a toilet that runs constantly or at odd times. It can also weaken a toilet’s flush.

Tank Seals

The tank seals are what keep the tank mounted to the base in a way that it doesn’t leak. There are usually bolt washers and a tank-to-bowl gasket that accomplish this. If the tank-to-bowl gasket goes bad, the toilet will leak onto the floor every time the toilet is flushed. If the toilet tank bolts washers are bad, then the toilet will constantly drip water down onto the floor below.

Base Seal

A wax ring is the traditional method of sealing the base of the toilet to the flange that comes up through the floor. If the toilet is mounted incorrectly and rocks or wobbles at the base, then that compromises the wax ring seal and creates an opportunity for the toilet to leak every time it’s flushed or if the system backs up.

  • The old one flushes great and it’s never had a problem with stoppages.
  • It still looks good.
  • It fits you — the seat height is right, and you don’t experience discomfort sitting on or standing up on the toilet.
  • To repair or rebuild would be a cost-effective alternative to buying a new one.
  • Your house has cast iron drain pipes.
    • This is extremely important! When you have cast iron drain lines you need 3-5 gallons of water that an older toilet provides to push the waste out of your drain system. Current regulations restrict the amount of water a toilet can use per flush to 1.28 gallons per flush which can leave debris piling up in cast iron drain lines.
    • We have seen clients that have had to replace their entire drain systems or put up with stoppage after stoppage because another company installed a low-flow toilet on a cast iron drainage system.
    • A well-trained plumber would not recommend a replacement unless the original toilet was broken beyond repair, even if that is the case they may recommend moving toilets to different bathrooms to minimize any future stoppages.
  • Your builder-grade toilet has never flushed well, and class five toilets flush great!
  • Your toilet has a round seat instead of an elongated seat.
  • You have PVC drain lines and the transition is seamless.
  • You’re looking to save water.
  • The rebate incentives for toilet replacement through some cities can offset the cost of replacement versus repair.
  • You’re shopping for a taller toilet.
  • The cost to rebuild an old toilet can be more than the toilet cost originally.

We strive to educate our clients about the variables that may impact their purchase so they can make an informed decision and use their resources wisely.

Maggie P. of Highland Village, TX asked:

I hate cleaning toilets, so is it OK to use “in tank” cleaners to cut both cost in cleaning products and my time scrubbing the toilet?

Investing in “in tank” cleaners that claim to make your chores easier and cut your cleaning costs can cause you more heartache in the long run. These products can deteriorate the rubber seals in your toilets causing them to fail prematurely. Instead, try pouring vinegar down the overflow tube. At a fraction of the cost, vinegar is a natural deodorizer that removes smelly build-up that can damage the flow of your toilet

Legacy Plumbing is centrally located to provide fast service to North Dallas and surrounding suburbs. If you are looking for a North Dallas area plumber please call us today or complete our Online Request Form.

Our Work is Our Word.

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