The right toilet can increase your overall comfort on the throne, help you save on water, and reduce the times you have to pull out the plunger. The wrong toilet can mean leaks, clogs, smells, extra time spent cleaning, and general discomfort. Obviously, this is a purchasing decision that’s important.
Is It Time to Replace the Toilet?
A common home-repair question is “How do I know when to replace my toilet?” It is one of those things that isn’t thought about very often until some seemingly small thing goes awry to make a homeowner worry. Look for a few key signs of a bad toilet.
The most immediate and definite sign that it’s time to replace the toilet is if there is physical damage, such as a crack in the bowl or tank, or even surface damage that might compromise the toilet’s functionality. If you’re finding leaks or puddles of water around the toilet, it’s time for a new toilet as quickly as possible.
Another often-overlooked sign of a bad toilet is when the toilet starts rocking and wobbling on the floor. This can lead to messy leaks and damage the floor itself. Tightening the bolts won’t necessarily fix the problem over the long term if the toilet is damaged enough to have come loose in the first place.
Other significant signs of a bad toilet can include basic maintenance issues happening more frequently. Constant clogging is a hassle, a potential disaster of gross proportions, and an indication that maybe the toilet is nearing the end of its lifespan. If the tank seals won’t hold and gravity is no longer doing the job of flushing the waste, replacing a toilet is a must.
The individual parts of a toilet can be relatively cheap to replace one by one. However, when that happens consistently, too many times, you’re just throwing good money after a broken toilet, and replacing a toilet can be cheaper in the long run.