In the City of Falls Church, a toilet that runs, leaks or clogs usually needs a tank part, a new wax seal or a cleared trap, and in the city's older homes the flange and shutoff often need work too. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Falls Church.
Falls Church is a small independent city just inside the Beltway, and its typical home was built in 1971, with about half built before then. Fairfax Water supplies the city; it bought the former City water utility in 2014. The City's Department of Public Works runs the sewer system, and part of the city's wastewater is treated at Arlington County's plant while the rest flows through Fairfax County to the Alexandria plant. The Falls Church mailing area also spreads into Fairfax and Arlington counties, where those counties provide sewer and permits. In the city's older houses, the toilet may be newer than the flange, bolts and shutoff it connects to, so a repair often includes those parts.
What to do now
- Stop the water. Close the valve behind the toilet. If the valve is old and stiff, close the main instead.
- Don't flush again. Let the bowl level settle first.
- Protect the floor and ceiling. Towels at the base, and check the room below an upstairs bath.
- Try a sink. If the toilet gurgles or the bowl rises, the clog is beyond the toilet.
- Check the basement. Water at a floor drain points to the main line or lateral, which the owner is responsible for.
- Ask about sewer backflow protection. If sewage has backed up before, the City's Backflow Prevention Program reimburses homeowners for a sewer backflow prevention device installed by a plumber under a permit.
Symptoms and likely causes
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Toilet refills by itself | Flapper not sealing on a worn seat |
| Steady trickle into the bowl | Fill valve or water level set too high |
| Water around the base | Failed wax seal or old flange |
| Toilet rocks | Loose bolts or uneven floor |
| Bubbling when other fixtures drain | Partial blockage or venting problem |
| Sewage in the basement | Blocked lateral or a main backup |
Cost factors
- Tank parts or a full reset of the toilet
- Older drain fittings and flange repair
- Replacing an original shutoff
- Where the clog sits and what it takes to reach
- Protecting or patching tile around the base
- A new toilet, if repair isn't worth it, plus haul-away
- After-hours timing
Toilet Repair questions in Falls Church
Do I need a permit to replace a toilet?
The toilet and the basement floor drain backed up together. Who do I call?
Does the hardness of the local water wear out toilet parts?
Can a leaking upstairs toilet damage the ceiling below?
More plumbing services in Falls Church
Toilet Repair nearby
Helpful guides
Sources
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