How to Fix Issues With Toilet Handles?

December 17, 2021
 | By 
Queen Plumbing Charlotte

The overall shape, cleanliness, and organization of your toilet can either make your guests love your home or despise being here. Keeping your bathroom and toilet neat, tidy, and organized tells a lot about yourself. However, having wiggly and loud toilet handles can be annoying. What's worse is a toilet handle that doesn't flush at all.

Possible Ways To Fix An Issue With Toilet Handles

Toilet Handle

Over time and use, just like anything else would, a toilet handle shows signs of wear and tear. But these signs are a bit different when these old handles begin to build up grime. Sometimes, toilet handles become too loose, tight, and brittle. Parts may come off and need replacing or repairing at the right angles and clockwise direction.

A Loose Toilet Handle

Not putting too much pressure on the handle is how you will mostly save yourself from having to change the handle frequently. Even though the whole thing is made of metal, the bits and pieces on the inside are rather tiny and fragile. This is why exerting just enough pressure is ideal and prevents a loose handle.

Forcing a wobbly handle to flush over and over with will only worsen the pieces on the inside of the tank. The mounting nut aiding the tank and handle should be changed frequently to ensure proper and clean flush. The tightening of the nut will make sure the handle is placed nice and tight with just enough pressure.

The Chain

If the handle is not causing you the problems, the chains must be it. Begin with turning off the water supply to the tank. Search for the water valve that usually comes up through the floor. The chain should be connected to the lever by a hook or a clip. Unhook the chain from the lever, remembering which goes where. Remove the plastic material connecting to the toilet chain. This red flapper connected lifts and comes off, making it easier to take it off.

Once you have everything out of the way, you should be good to go and ready to measure out the length and install the new chain nice and tight to flush appropriately. Remember to get chains from a good brand that provides delivery with the right item.

Aged Handle

Unsurprisingly, as the handle ages, inevitably, it becomes incompetent and needs to be tended to. The old handle, the lever, flush, chain and all the holes the nuts fit into and are attached need to be cleaned. Any crack needs to be covered, and make sure it holds. Old chains can become brittle and come off breaking apart due to being in contact with water.

If it is a very old handle, chances are it may be unavailable, but you can note down the model number and visit a shop that specializes in toiletries to find your pick and suits your style.

Toilet Handle Problems and Solutions

Toilet handles can cause quite a bit of a problem if left unattended. Choosing the right hand, handle, brand, model, lever, flush, nut, and arm will begin to show signs of aging and require tending. But handle for toilets are known to be rather stubborn and require urgent care. Some of the problems caused by handle are mentioned below, along with their solutions -

Mineral Build-Up And Loose Faucet

Your bathroom fixtures begin to appear cloudy when you have hard water. Minerals build up fairly quickly around the faucets and loosen them. You will notice black slimy matter build-up around the fixtures and the wall.

These scaly deposits are Calcium that begins to store around. However, getting to remove these can be easy if you are using either lime, vinegar, chemicals, or removing the aerator itself.

Wet and wipe down the affected area with a damp cloth and use cleaners, chemicals, or lime. It will dissolve the grime and leave it clean. You can also fill a bag with vinegar to tie it around the fixture while in contact with it for 15 minutes and then wash it away to expose a clean faucet.

Irregular And Inconsistent Flushes

Toilets that don't flush properly can be caused by the chain being disconnected, the lever being off the hook, having the wall build up with minerals, and having any nut come off. Tighten the handle if it is loose and make sure it fits. The red flapper in the tank should not be worn out to ensure proper flush.

If the tank automatically refills itself out of nowhere periodically, it probably is because of an issue with the valve or the flapper. This wastes a huge amount of water each time, making it one of the main reasons to fix any issues with the tank, lever, and nut.

Toilet Tank And Handle Maintenance

Maintaining your toilet tank and handle is not much of an issue if you keep an eye on it. Keeping all the movable parts functional and smooth at the right perpendicular angles and keeping them clean does it all.

Toilet Maintenance

Toilet tanks build up mildew, rust, and grime over time. Cleaning the tank twice a year with the right tools and taking apart the movable pieces with the appropriate wrench will help. If the clean-up is not done, the foul odor will build up from the grime and minerals. The smell will spread all around on the inside of your bathroom, making it unpleasant while promoting quicker corrosion of the parts.

Toilet handle maintenance is also an easy task to pull off if you check in on it and prevent unwanted build-ups. We have mentioned in detail the maintenance for handles thoroughly, which should help you understand how to get it done.

Replacement Handle for Your Toilet

A loose toilet handle could mean you're not receiving the full potential flush that you were looking for. Pressing down on a handle that is wiggly can be an easy fix. Insufficient care and ignorance in taking care of the components of the toilet can cost a lot if you're trying to fix it yourself. Over time, you will end up needing to replace the whole thing if you have not yet gone around taking care of it.

The Nut Placement

Begin by cutting off the water supply to the tank first using the correct type of wrench. Take the top of the toilet tank off and find a nut on the other side of the tank's lid. There should be a nut that isn't receiving the plunge downwards, making the handle lose. A little bit of force to tighten it should be enough to make the flush work properly again.

Improper Installation

If the handle is pressed down to flush constantly, it might not have been installed properly and needs the handle to be replaced. If not, then loosen up the nut and wash it well before positioning it back. Make sure the nut is parallel to the edge of the tank and tighten it back up. However, if you still face issues, you can consult us, as we have the best toilet flush, tank, and lever repairer.

You can either search for us on our website or give a direct call to this number: 704-707-3339

Conclusion

A toilet handle and any other part of a toilet in need of repairing or taken care of needs to be tended to immediately. Whether in need of a replacement or repairing, it is essential not to delay it. However, there are a few aspects to problems related to this that can be taken care of by yourself without needing professional assistance.

This article was intended to help you know more about how you could solve these problems yourself. We hope this article has helped you to make a wise decision before you spend an unnecessary amount of money on fixing or replacing the whole thing.

Therefore, if you ever need any care from us to change, replace, fit or purchase anything for your toilet, feel free to reach out. We offer our services to match your needs and styles. Our prices also vary depending on which brands you prefer us to work with. Reach out to us at -

QUEEN CHARLOTTE PLUMBING

8424 Old Statesville Rd Charlotte NC 28269

704-707-3339.

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