DESPERATE HELP NEEDED: Toilet will not flush...

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R

Reaching1970

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G'day guys,

Some intoxicated "jokers" turned off my water meter in the front yard last week. I've turned it back on, but since then, the toilet has been flushing but with each flush it's become weaker and weaker in terms of the pressure in the toilet bowl. However, now the toilet will not flush at all even when I hold down the flush button for a long time... 😰

I'm new here so I'd appreciate any help!

Thank you!
 
I forgot to say that the water is working in all other plumbing devices in the house: kitchen sink, shower and even the bathroom sink, but nothing happens when I press the flush button in the toilet.
 
MicEd69 said:
We need to see a picture of your tank internals. Is this a pressure assist flush? Is the tank refiling after a flush attempt?
Click to expand...

I can't take a photo right now, but if it helps, it's an old toilet: maybe it was manufactured in the 1970's?

When I press the flush button nothing happens. No water noise at all.
 
does the tank fill up all the way? does the flapper lift all the way , take off the lid and look .
 
arctic bill said:
does the tank fill up all the way? does the flapper lift all the way , take off the lid and look .
Click to expand...

I can't do this right now, but I will as soon as I can. I've NEVER lifted the top of the lid of my toilet before so I'm scared I may break something...

Is there anything I can do to make sure I don't damage anything when I open it?

Thank you for your replies!
 
I still can't believe how some intoxicated person can turn off the water in my front yard and think it's funny... :( :( :(
 
That same intoxicated person didn't turn off the water supply shutoff valve at the toilet, did they? The other cause might be a bit of rust or debris stuck in the fill valve or filter element in the toilet.

Unless the flush button is in the middle of the top of the tank, lifting it off won't break anything, just set it on a towel when you take it off so it won't break (anything).

Take pictures, so we know exactly what you are talking about.
 
wpns said:
That same intoxicated person didn't turn off the water supply shutoff valve at the toilet, did they? The other cause might be a bit of rust or debris stuck in the fill valve or filter element in the toilet.

Unless the flush button is in the middle of the top of the tank, lifting it off won't break anything, just set it on a towel when you take it off so it won't break (anything).

Take pictures, so we know exactly what you are talking about.
Click to expand...

No the intoxicated prankster didn't turn off the water supply shutoff valve at the toilet.

The flush button is in the middle of the tank. How can I avoid doing any damage when I remove the lid of the tank? :( :( :(

Thank you.
 
Without seeing the lid not sure what to tell you about taking it off. They are not to complicated. It probably just has a plunger that the button depresses to activate the flush. Your float might be stuck and not allowing the tank to refill
 
CT18 said:
It probably just has a plunger that the button depresses to activate the flush.
Click to expand...
What CT18 said, send a picture, but it's probably not rocket science. If it's like my Niagara it just lifts straight off.

Can you hear the water running to try to refill the tank?
 
CT18 said:
Without seeing the lid not sure what to tell you about taking it off. They are not to complicated. It probably just has a plunger that the button depresses to activate the flush. Your float might be stuck and not allowing the tank to refill
Click to expand...
wpns said:
What CT18 said, send a picture, but it's probably not rocket science. If it's like my Niagara it just lifts straight off.

Can you hear the water running to try to refill the tank?
Click to expand...

Thank you for your replies!

I tried removing the lid but it's very heavy because I think it's made from porcelain so I backed off from it... :( :( :(

I'm really worried about doing damage... 😰 😰 😰
 
All of the comments I have read so far seem to be valid to help you. But I will add this: My toilet was slow to flush and without much water pressure to flush. It also was a rather old toilet. So I ried a toilet auger without much help but was able to determine there was no blockage in the toilet or pipes leading out to the sewer. So I cleaned all the little holes under the rim of the toilet as well as the area in and around the larger hole at the bottom of the bowl that expels the waste. There are You Tube videos pertaining to this problem. Used vinegar in the tank and again this process can be found on You Tube. Followin this cleaning job, my toilet worked great and I have not had a problem flushing with force since. Hope this helps.
 
It sounds like the cistern (tank) is either not filling with water or the flush valve is not allowing the water to leave the cistern. Someone has to take the top off and troubleshoot the problem. Possibly when they shut off the water and you turned it back on it loosened some scale or crud and that has plugged something. That's a good reason to have a filter on all water systems, public or private.
 
You can flush the toilet with a bucket of water until you get this figured out!
 
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