Toilet Repair in Ajax

Telltales that call for toilet repair

• At 3 a.m. the tank hisses and tops itself up although nobody flushed.
• The bowl rocks when you sit.
• Water at the base after flushing, or a brown ring forming on the drywall downstairs.
• Paper left floating after one pull of the handle.
• A hiss from the tank that never quite stops.

How we do the work

We take the lid off and watch a full flush and refill. That one cycle tells us most of what we need. A warped or slimy flapper lets water seep into the bowl; a worn fill valve keeps topping it up. We replace those with parts that match your flush valve size, two-inch or three-inch, and set the water level to the line marked inside the tank.

For a rocking or leaking bowl we shut the supply, drain the toilet, unbolt it and lift it off. Then we look at the flange. When the flange is split, or recessed under new tile, a new wax ring alone will not hold, so we fit a repair ring or flange spacer. The bowl goes back on fresh closet bolts, shimmed level, and caulked at the front and sides with the back left open so a future leak shows itself.

On Ajax streets

Durham's moderately hard lake water leaves mineral crust in rim holes and siphon jets, which weakens the flush over time. Second-floor toilets in many Ajax homes sit over a finished kitchen or family room ceiling, so a slow wax-ring leak can show up as a ceiling stain long before you notice anything in the bathroom.

Price swings on

A flapper or fill valve swap is short work. A pull-and-reset with a flange repair takes longer, and a cracked bowl or tank means replacement.

Worth asking the plumber

• Is this toilet worth repairing?
• Is the flange sound?
• Are there leaks I have not noticed yet?