Toilets Maintenance Guides

Hard water leaves mineral deposits everywhere it touches -- and your toilet gets more water flow than almost any fixture in the house. Calcium and lime build up in the tank, under the rim jets, and in the trapway. Over time, flush performance drops, stains set in, and parts wear out faster. Regular cleaning keeps everything flowing right.

A toilet that rocks when you sit on it isn't just annoying -- it's breaking the wax ring seal underneath. Every wobble compresses and deforms the wax, eventually letting sewer gas seep out and water leak at the base. Fix it before the wobble becomes a leak and a stink.

A running toilet wastes around 200 gallons of water a day. That's real money on your water bill every month. Nine times out of ten, the fix is a flapper or fill valve -- both under $15, both replaceable in under 30 minutes with no special tools. These are the two parts that wear out most often, and they're the first things any plumber checks.

Toilets don't ask for much maintenance, but what they do need prevents expensive problems. A quick check every few months catches running flappers, slow leaks, loose connections, and wobbling bases before they turn into water damage or a high utility bill. Here's what to check and when.