How to Manually Flush a Toilet

From the awful smell to the anxiety about the repair costs, a faulty toilet can be a huge trouble. You might want to leave the toilet repair to trained plumbers, but what if the toilet bowl is, well, full of it, AND the flush handle won’t work? Embarrassing. Don’t worry though. Your friends here at Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Tampa have a few tricks up the sleeves. We are going to share three ways you can manually flush the toilet. Don’t forget to call Mr. Rooter Plumbing afterwards so that we can get started on the toilet repair. Our friendly representatives are on standby to take your call.

Why the Toilet Won’t Flush

Before we get to flushing the toilet, you probably want to know why it won’t flush on its own. There are a few possible reasons why your toilet won’t flush. It could be that the water level in the toilet tank is too low, or the lift chain or rubber flapper in the toilet tank might be faulty or damaged. These are easy fixes that you might be able to resolve on your own. If you want to leave it to a plumber, then call Mr. Rooter Plumbing today. With that said, let’s get to flushing!

Manual Flushing Method 1: Pour Water into the Toilet Bowl

The first, and simplest, way to manually flush the toilet is by pouring a bucket or two of water into the toilet bowl. The toilet bowl is the part of the toilet you sit on. Be careful not to splash though! Start by pouring slowly then gradually speed up. You will only need to pour a couple of gallons into the toilet bowl, but older toilets may need 3 or 4 gallons to initiate the flushing cycle.

Manual Flushing Method 2: Pour Water into the Toilet Tank

If the cause of the problem is insufficient water in the toilet tank, then the solution is obvious: we have to pour water into the toilet tank. The toilet tank is the part of the toilet that holds the water and where the flush handle is connected. Begin by carefully removing the toilet tank cover. It can be heavy and is fragile! Gently set it somewhere safe. Next, pour a bucket of water into the toilet tank up to the water line or an inch below the edge. Now try pressing or pulling the flush lever. If the toilet does not flush, then move onto the next step.

Manual Flushing Method 3: Connect or Pull the Rubber Flapper

Carefully remove the toilet tank lid. If you look in the toilet tank, you will notice a rubber flapper which prevents water from leaving the tank and going into the toilet bowl. If your toilet is not flushing, then the apparatus might be faulty and might not be pulling the flapper up. If the chain is disconnected, the grab the loose end of it and connect it to the flush handle. Now try pulling the flush lever again. If that does not work, the try lifting the rubber flapper manually.

Call a Plumber

These are mostly temporary solutions. If you want a professional toilet repair, then grab the phone and call Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Tampa. We can have a plumber dispatched to your location in as soon as within thirty minutes.