Solved! What to Do When the Toilet Won’t Flush

If your flapper shows no signs of a problem but there’s too much slack in the line, it won’t react when you try to flush. You can adjust the length easily for a better connection by slipping a different link over the hook at the lever end—leave just enough length so that the flapper can close completely, and nothing extra. Now, pushing the handle should cause the flapper to whisk water through the tank, into the toilet, and down the drain like it should.

What can I do if my toilet bowl fills with water, but doesn’t actually flush?

Instead of actually flushing (or pushing) the water down the drain, it just fills with water and drains out over the course of a few minutes. Anything liquid will drain out but nothing else (not even toilet paper). I want to know if there is something in the back of the toilet that I can adjust, because it seems like it doesn’t even try to flush anything away.

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If it hasn’t been used recently (is not currently filling) and you stand there and keep the lever held down, does it flush?

3 Answers 3

Sounds like the flapper is leaking and/or broken altogether. See instructions on replacing a flapper here: http://www.wikihow.com/Fix-a-Flapper-on-a-Toilet

EDIT: Um, after re-reading the question, I wonder if the toilet isn’t simply clogged. Does the tank re-fill and water stop flowing into the tank after flushing (you can hear when water is flowing)? If the tank re-fills and water shuts off, it isn’t the flapper. If the tank re-fills and water stops, then it sounds more like the toilet is simply clogged. Did you try a plunger? If that does work and the tank does refill properly, then you’ll need the drain snaked I think.

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Yes, clogging. Plunge that sucker. You may need to snake it as well. I once retrieved a toothbrush stuck at the high point of a toilet’s siphon. That collected TP until the toilet acted exactly as described by user27424.

I agree that this sounds like it is clogged. If plunging doesn’t help, then it will need to be snaked. There is a special tool called a closet auger. It is sometimes called a toilet auger or snake. These tools are specifically designed to unclog a toilet. Normal drain snakes are not designed for toilets and will result in scratching up the bowl. I had a plumber fix a clog in my old apartment. They used a regular drain snake on my toilet and the whole inside of it was scratched up pretty badly.

I have even found a light bulb that was flushed. I pulled the toilet no problem found good vent and a hose running for several minutes , I figured it had to be something in the toilet took it outside as it was a very high end colored toilet. That the owners loved, I was going to take it apart as that shade of pink was not available (prior to internet) I laid it on its side and started to rinse it out and a light bulb came out into the bowl, what a shock. Never have seen it before or after. I had used a toilet augger that made it past the bulb , could be something very rare like this.

There are a number of ways to interpret what you are saying, but I suspect the other guesses are wrong. But let’s check.

• I’m assuming that you do not have a UK-style toilet. These are a whole ‘nother kettle of fish, and the flush mechanism involves a syphon and black magic.
• I’m assuming your toilet is NOT blocked. When you flush a blocked toilet, the bowl fills right up and then water slowly seeps away. This is fixed, as others have said, by plunging it. And not with one of those cruddy dome-shaped sink plungers, either! Make sure you get a toilet plunger. In fact, even if you don’t have a blockage, if you don’t have a toilet plunger, get one now. You will thank yourself when your toilet DOES block.
• I’m assuming that your cistern fills up fully, so your flapper is not warped or leaking. That is, once the cistern at the back of the toilet reaches the “full” level, you can hear the running water stop, and if you flush at that point, your toilet still misbehaves.

With those assumptions out the way, let’s get into TOILET PHYSICS! WHOO!

To get the toilet to flush, the water flowing out of the bowl needs to be enough to create a vacuum seal on the downpipe, and then the weight of the water falling sucks what’s in the bowl out. But to fall so smoothly, the water needs some clear airflow. so there’s a vent pipe that lets out onto your roof, that lets air in/out, allowing the water to flow freely, rather than having to let bubbles through and stuff.

So. Sounds to me like when you flush, either the cistern is not flushing fast enough, or the water isn’t flowing fast enough from your toilet because either your drains need rodding, or your vent pipe is blocked (perhaps by leaves, snow, or even incompetent roofing contractors chopping it off, sealing it up, and roofing right over it! Yes, it happens!)

If it’s your outlet or vent pipe, and plunging doesn’t work, your best bet is to get a pro in.

But the cistern is easier. Pop it open, and look inside to see what happens when it’s full and you pull the handle.

• First and unlikeliest, if the chain from the handle to the flapper is too long, then it’ll just lift a teensy bit and maybe not flap all the way open and so not let enough water through, fast enough, that it’ll open all the way. the way flappers work is through buoyancy. They’re filled with air, but they’re tightly sealed all around, so there’s no pressure underneath them to buoy them up. When they lift even a little bit, suddenly that water pressure’s there, flowing under them and pushing them up. and the air that was in them bubbles out and is replaced by water! they sit there, out of the way of the hole they covered, until the water has all gone away, and the weight of the water they picked up pulls them down again, and they settle back down in place, pouring the water down into the pipe and filling with air ready for the next flush. So yeah, if the chain’s not pulling the flapper up, shorten the chain.
• If there just wasn’t much water in the cistern in the first place, then you would have heard running water, either constantly, or occasionally (like every few hours) as water slowly seeped away through the bad flapper seal, and the cistern refilled itself. In that case, the flapper’s bad, replace it.
• If there wasn’t much water in the cistern, but the water flow to it had turned off, then your stop valve needs adjusting to let more water in. If you’ve got a ballcock valve (ball on a stick!) then you can usually either bend the stick, or tweak a screw, to let the ball rise higher before it turns off. If you’ve got a “donut on a pole”, then usually there’s a rod to one side of the donut that has a little metal clip that can be adjusted that governs where the donut stops.
• If there’s something blocking the flapper from coming up, move the thing out the way.
• If the flapper lifts up just fine, but the water flows out slowly anyway, then you’ve a blockage between cistern and toilet, probably limescale buildup in the pipes, or flakes of rust from the parts in the cistern, or gunk from tablets people have chucked in there, or some mixture of the three. Clean out any debris at the bottom of your cistern (it’s good to do that anyway) and then try unclipping the flapper, and using a toilet plunger on the pipe there.

To me, this last sounds the most likely, from your description.

Solved! What to Do When the Toilet Won’t Flush

If one of the most frequently used fixtures in your home isn’t doing its job, don’t call the plumber just yet. Here’s what to do if your toilet won’t flush—without flushing extra money down the drain.

By Tony Carrick and Amy Lynch and Bob Vila | Updated May 17, 2022 11:03 AM

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs.

Q: Help! My toilet won’t flush. The handle moves freely, but nothing happens when I press down. Can I fix it without calling a plumber?

A: For what it’s worth, you’re experiencing an issue that happens at least once in almost every home. Luckily, it’s easy to narrow down the cause and find a fix that works for you! If your toilet won’t flush, just follow these steps to send your problem out to sea.

First, check to make sure the water shut-off valve is turned all the way on.

Occasionally, friction from a nearby object or a deep-cleaning session can nudge it to the off position, preventing water flow to the tank. This leaves just one or two flushes before the water level gets too low for the toilet to work properly. To see for yourself, look just behind the base of the toilet, a few inches from the floor. The flush valve should jut out slightly from the wall and be turned all the way to the left. If it’s not, twist the head counterclockwise, and then give it a minute to reset before trying to flush. Once you’ve restored the flow, your issue should be water under the bridge.

If your valve has been wide open the whole time, it’s possible that you’re dealing with a clogged pipe.

Heavy paper products are usually the culprit here, and they can be dealt with easily. To clear things up, first make sure the water in the bowl isn’t high enough to overflow when you insert a plunger. (If it is, use a disposable plastic cup to ladle some liquid into a bucket or, if there’s no other option, into the tub. Follow up with 2 to 3 capfuls of bleach and a stream of hot water to wash everything down the tub drain.) Next, get a plunger and place its flange directly into the drain opening. Hold it in place to seal the drain while pumping up and down for 20 seconds. If the clog has cleared, you should be able to remove the plunger and flush the toilet right away. Prevent another problem by switching to a lower-ply toilet paper, and remember that flushing paper towels or feminine products is pretty much asking for trouble.

Still nothing? Remove the top of the toilet tank and check the flapper.

Carefully remove the top of the tank and set it aside for a moment so you can check if your flapper, which is shaped like an inflated balloon and often red, is causing the backup. One that looks warped or damaged likely needs replacing. Luckily, this toilet part usually costs less than $10 at your local hardware store and isn’t hard to swap out yourself.

Check that the lift chain is connecting the toilet handle to the flapper.

If your flapper shows no signs of a problem but there’s too much slack in the line, it won’t react when you try to flush. You can adjust the length easily for a better connection by slipping a different link over the hook at the lever end—leave just enough length so that the flapper can close completely, and nothing extra. Now, pushing the handle should cause the flapper to whisk water through the tank, into the toilet, and down the drain like it should.

Check and clear your toilet’s inlet holes.

You may not be able to see them, but just beneath the rim of the toilet are a series of holes that release water from the toilet tank to start the flushing process. These jets are angled, helping to create the circular motion that rinses away waste. These jets can sometimes become jammed with mineral deposits and bacteria, preventing water from flowing out of them. If the toilet isn’t flushing, it may be because these jets have become clogged.

No, you don’t need to stick your head in the toilet to inspect the jets. Simply use a cosmetics mirror to take a peek. If you see orange and black, then bacteria is likely the culprit. Light-colored deposits are often mineral based. To fix the problem, pour a solution of bleach and water into your toilet’s overflow tube in the tank. Let it sit for a few minutes, then flush the toilet. Clean each jet using a piece of wire — a cut coat hanger will work in a pinch—and then flush again.

If this isn’t the first time your toilet won’t flush, ask your plumber to assess the toilet drain pipe design.

If this is not the first time your toilet refused to flush or if the toilet isn’t flushing all the way, then chances are the problem isn’t the toilet itself but rather the plumbing beneath it. A toilet drain must have a downward slope for wastewater to flow quickly out of the toilet bowl, through the pipes and to the main sewer line. If that downward slope doesn’t exist or simply isn’t steep enough, then the toilet mechanics won’t function properly, causing the toilet to stall. Have a professional plumber inspect the plumbing lines and redesign them if they are lacking the required slope to flush properly.

Try pouring water into the toilet to clear pipe clogs.

While this may sound too simple to actually work, hot water and dish soap is actually an effective way for fixing a toilet that won’t flush. Heat a gallon of water on the stove, then add a squirt or two of dish soap to the toilet bowl. Pour the water into the toilet, ensuring that you don’t pour so much that it causes the bowl to overflow. Wait about 15 minutes to give the soap and hot water a chance to soften the clog, then flush it.

If there’s no water in the toilet tank, turn on the bathroom tap to ensure it’s not a water supply issue.

If there’s no water in the toilet tank, the problem may not be with the toilet but rather with your home’s water. The toilet will not flush without a water supply. First, check and make sure the house still has water by turning on the bathroom sink tap.

If you have indeed lost water to the house, call your water provider to determine if there is a water outage due to maintenance or a potential water main break near your home.

If your toilet still won’t flush, it’s probably time to call in a pro.

If you’ve tried all the methods for how to get a toilet to flush and it simply won’t flush, then it might be time to throw in the towel and hire a plumber. The average cost for a plumber to unclog a toilet is between $200 and $700, according to FIXR, an online resource for cost and hiring advice for home remodeling projects. If the problem involves a problem with the drain lines beneath the toilet, the price could be even greater.

Even so, you’re not necessarily in hot water. There are plenty of small issues a plumber can solve without much fuss or financial strain. Good luck!