Toilet Repair in Washington, DC

Quick guide to toilet symptoms

Older bathrooms, older drains

The median home in the District was built in 1957, and neighborhoods like Capitol Hill, Mount Pleasant and Georgetown are full of rowhouses that are much older. Under those toilets you can find cast iron drains, lead or brass closet bends, and flanges that have corroded or been patched more than once. Resetting a toilet on a fresh seal is routine, but a rotted flange or a cracked bend takes extra parts and sometimes opening the floor or the ceiling below. Upstairs bathrooms in rowhouses make a slow leak especially costly, since the water lands on the room underneath.

When the clog is not really in the toilet

A toilet that backs up while the tub or basement drain also acts up usually points to a problem in the main line. In parts of the District served by combined sewers, heavy storms can also slow drainage. A camera inspection shows whether roots, a sag or a broken section of an older lateral is the real cause before anyone starts replacing fixtures.

Mineral deposits

DC Water describes its water as moderately hard. Over years, deposits can build up on tank parts and in the small holes under the rim, which weakens the flush. It is a slow process here rather than a constant fight, and cleaning the rim jets often helps when new tank parts go in.

Fixing versus replacing

New tank parts are a short visit. Replacement usually makes more sense for cracked porcelain, a model with hard-to-find parts, or a bowl that never flushes cleanly. Price depends on the parts, any flange or floor repair, and the toilet you choose.