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What is wrong with your toilet if you have to hold down the handle to get it to flush all the way and how can you fix it?
To be honest, my whole family have had to hold down the handle to get it to flush in one of our toilet for two years until today that I searched this page and do my trouble shooting.
I replaced the Flapper two years ago, and did not realize that the first step that you need to do is to cut the collar off from the new Flapper if your toilet has mounting arm. The Flapper is designed to fit two different kind of toilets, the one with mounting arm and the one that doesn't have(and thus need a collar). If the collar is not cut off. it generates push down force every time you press the handle to flush the toilet. That is the reason that you need to hold down the handler. Inside the tank, there is a flush valve. Depending on the age of the toilet, it typically either is a "flapper" or "tank ball' style. Each type have a little bouyancy...when you press tank handle, the suction is broken, and the flapper or ball floats open. As the tank empties and the water level gets lower in the tank, the flapper or ball re-settles on its seat. Your flapper or ball is not floating open. Look inside tank, press handle. Observe flapper or ball. If the flapper or ball does not float open, you may need to simply shorten the chain...just a little. Typically, you can readjust the chain linkage where it connects to the handle. Also, you can pull the chain from inside the tank...without using the handle to see how it is supposed to work and determine how much slack is needed in the chain. Good Luck The "floating open" problem in the previous answer may be from a deteriorating flapper. The upside down cup that holds the air may be torn, and allow the air to escape too fast, dropping the flapper prematurely.
I had the same problem and thanks to these previous answers, I solved my problem. It is very hard to describe parts without pictures, but here goes. There is the small hose that emits water into a "column" which goes to the "rubber flapper". I first checked my flapper to see if it had eroded and it seemed fine, actually almost new. While I was checking that, I noticed that the flapper had a rubber round part which instead of being over the "column", was behind the column. It made sense to me that this round rubber part should go over the column, so I pulled the flapper off at the sides where it was connected (by these two small tabs) and pulled the rubber ring up and over the column. I pushed the ring all the way down to the bottom of the column and over the two plastic tabs at the bottom of the column. I then felt around and made sure the flapper was not leaking (kind of like checking to make sure a rubber stopper in a sink is not leaking) and it was good. The chain was adjusted so there was not a lot of slack.
I had a toilet that was constantly running in the powder room. It is an Eljer installed when the house was built in 1992. The flapper valve was quite deteriorated and the flush handle/lever was worn and sticking. I replaced the other 2 toilets in the house with much higher quality Toto toilets a few years back. Money is tight at the moment so I decided to just fix this one. I bought a new "Korky" flapper valve and a replacement flush handle at a local hardware retailer and replaced them. After this I noticed that the water level in the bowl was much lower after refilling and that I had to hold the lever down to get it to complete a flush. After reading the above answers and several others from other websites I took the lid back off the tank and this is what I found:
The new flapper valve was manufactured with a hole in it that immediately let the air out once the flapper valve is vertical, causing it to drop down and reseal the tank too soon. I shut off the water and removed the flapper valve, dried it off, and placed a smal piece of electrical tape over the hole to see if the flapper valve would then perform properly and it did.
Also I noticed that when I had done the original work I failed to replace the bowl refill tube back into it's original location in the overflow tube and that was what was causing the lower water level in the bowl after flushing.
There is nothing complicated or requiring long explanations about this - Simply remove flapper, get a universal flapper and fit it - done !
What else can I help you with?
What do you have to do in order to flush the toilet if you have to hold the toilet handle down?
If you have to hold the toilet handle down to flush, you need to press and hold the handle until the toilet flushes completely.
What is wrong with a toilet handle that is hard to push down to flush?
Linkage going to flapper is sticking or needs adjusted. Nut holding flush handle to tank may need tightened or replaced. Pressure assisted toilet needs more force on handle to flush.
Why do I have to hold the handle down to flush?
You have to hold the handle down to flush because it allows the toilet to release enough water to effectively remove waste from the bowl. Holding the handle down ensures a complete flush and prevents clogs.
What is the purpose of the toilet handle arm and how does it function within the toilet system?
The purpose of the toilet handle arm is to lift the flapper or flush valve inside the toilet tank, allowing water to flow from the tank into the toilet bowl to flush waste down the drain. When the toilet handle is pressed, it pulls on the handle arm, which in turn lifts the flapper or flush valve, releasing water into the bowl for flushing.
How can I push the toilet to flush properly?
To push the toilet to flush properly, make sure to press down on the flush handle firmly and hold it down until the water in the bowl completely drains. This will ensure a strong and effective flush.
How do you properly flush a toilet?
To properly flush a toilet, simply press down on the handle located on the side of the toilet tank. This will release water from the tank into the bowl, effectively flushing away the waste. Make sure to hold the handle down until the water has completely drained from the tank to ensure a thorough flush.
How do you properly flush the toilet?
To properly flush the toilet, simply press down on the handle located on the side of the toilet tank. This will release water into the bowl, effectively removing waste and sending it down the drain. Make sure to hold the handle down until the water has completely flushed the bowl.
What is the function of the toilet flush lever arm and how does it contribute to the flushing mechanism of a toilet?
The toilet flush lever arm is a component that connects the flush handle to the flapper valve inside the toilet tank. When the flush handle is pressed, it lifts the flush lever arm, which in turn lifts the flapper valve, allowing water to flow from the tank into the toilet bowl. This action creates a siphon effect, pulling waste and water out of the bowl and down the drain, effectively flushing the toilet.
How to flush a toilet properly?
To flush a toilet properly, simply press the handle down firmly until all the water and waste are flushed away. Make sure to hold the handle down until the flushing is complete to ensure everything is properly cleared from the bowl.
Do you flush toilet paper down the toilet"?
Yes, it is generally safe to flush toilet paper down the toilet as it is designed to break down easily in water.
When you flush your toilet the water rises in the bowl and the stuff doesn't flush away What is wrong?
The main drain is plugged. You may need to remove the toilet and snake directly down the drain.
Why does the toilet not flush all the way unless you hold the handle down?
The toilet may not flush all the way unless you hold the handle down because the flapper valve inside the tank is not staying open long enough to allow enough water to flow through and create a strong flush. Holding the handle down ensures that the flapper valve remains open for a longer period, allowing more water to enter the bowl and create a more effective flush.
