Charlotte Bathroom Plumbing FAQs

How do plumbers find leaks?

You’ve probably seen the signs of a leak in your home. You water pressure may suddenly drop, or your water bill is higher than usual because your meter is spinning faster. You may know you have a leak, but finding the source can be extremely difficult for a non-professional. It may not be in an obvious spot, such as under your toilet or sink or faucet. You can call our plumbers 24 hours a day and we will send a professional with the correct technology to pinpoint the exact location of a leak. We use advanced cameras that we can insert into pipes to find where the leak is occurring. This camera sends a high-resolution picture to a monitor that is watched by a plumber. Once the leak is found repairs can begin immediately. This is far superior to the old method of locating a leak, which typically required extensive tearing out of drywall and landscaping.

What's causing water to leak from under the bottom of my toilet?

Your toilet sits in a large wax gasket that connects the toilet to the drain it sits over. In time, these wax gaskets wear and become deformed, allowing water to pass through between the gasket and the toilet. You can remove the unit and replace the gasket to fix your toilet leak. Be careful, however, to properly seat the toilet over the gasket. Many times in replacing the gasket, homeowners deform or warp the wax, meaning they’ll have the same problem once the toilet is bolted back in place.

I'm seeing wet spots on the wall in the room behind my shower. Do I have a leak?

If you find a soft or wet spot on the wall behind your shower, consider yourself lucky. Too often this type of water leak goes undetected until it is far too big to miss. If it appears the leak starts higher on the wall and not the floor, it could be a leaking pipe dripping water down the wall. It could also be a leak at the back of the shower head, inside the wall. If the leak appears to be coming from an area near the floor, it could one of any number of issues, including the drain pipe or holes in the grout.

Why does water keep running in the top of my toilet?

A toilet with continuous running water after flushes has a high potential of causing floods as well as expensive water bills. If the water continues to run in your toilet, there is likely an overflow in the fill tube. First, remove the lid from the toilet, and then check the fill tube to see whether it is feeding water properly into the overflow tube. Try to secure the tube into the valve to prevent the water from running over the top. If this fails to fix the problem of your running toilet, contact a local plumber.

Why does my toilet keep overflowing?

When your toilet is overflowing, there are only a few possible causes. You could have a clog that is preventing water, paper and human waste from being flushed down the pipes. You can resolve this with a plunger, most of the time. Or, your toilet may have a weak flush, which may indicate that parts are worn out. Finally, you may have a running toilet. In this case, the flapper in the back of the toilet is often stuck in the open position. That causes water to run into the bowl constantly instead of only when a flush has been triggered. If your toilet is overflowing, contact a plumber for assistance.

My toilet won't stop running. What's the problem?

A running toilet could be symptomatic of a number of issues, among them: Your float could be stuck or damaged. The float is what “measures” the level of water in the tank and stops the flow of water when the tank is full. If your float or float mechanism is damaged, it won’t stop the water flow like it is supposed to. Your tank stopper could be broken or damaged. This is a lot like the stopper you use in your sink. When it is closed, water stops flowing. However, if it doesn’t sit on the drain right, or has cracks or damage, water will continue to flow. If your toilet won’t stop running, the best thing you can do is call your local plumber to have them take a look. Most toilet repairs can be taken care of in less than an hour and can save you hundreds of dollars on your water bill.

Contact Benjamin Franklin Plumbing® of Charlotte at (704) 802-1379 for bathroom plumbing services today!