Do you find yourself needing to hold down the toilet lever in order to completely flush your toilet? Not only is it a nuisance to deal with, but it can waste A LOT of water, which can add up over time. Luckily, this is a common plumbing issue that has a fairly easy fix!

However, it’s helpful to first know a little bit about the plumbing mechanics inside your toilet. In your toilet tank, there is the flush valve – the large opening at the bottom of the tank – and a rubber or vinyl flapper. The flapper is designed to lift up from the flush valve when the toilet handle is pressed down in order to start the flush cycle. At the end of the cycle, the flapper should settle back down into the flush valve, sealing it tightly until the next flush cycle is initiated.

If the toilet doesn’t flush completely unless you hold the handle down for the entire flush cycle, it’s usually because the flapper is not fully lifting away from the flush valve. This problem is caused by too much slack in the lifting chain that connects the flush lever to the flapper. If the chain cannot lift the flapper high enough to allow the full amount of water to flow through the flush valve, then the flapper closes prematurely, thereby stopping the flush.

To fix this problem, simply adjust the chain length so there is about 1/2 inch of slack. If the leftover chain hangs down too far and interferes with any other part of the tank, trim the length of the leftover chain. This may be an easy fix for homeowners that have some DIY plumbing experience, but if this doesn’t fix the issue or you prefer to leave this maintenance to professionals, then give us a call. If you are looking for plumbing repairs or a plumber in Hurst, then Cathedral Plumbing can help diagnose and fix plumbing issues in your home. We travel throughout the DFW Metroplex and surrounding cities to help solve residential plumbing issues.