What To Do When A Urinal Leaks When Flushed?

Urinal leaks when flushing is a common issue in businesses and commercial bathrooms. If the situation is not handled properly, the urinal keeps running and won’t stop!

Most urinals and pipes are designed to deal with a limited amount of water when flushing. However, uric acids can build up along the drains, eventually leading to urinal leaking and flooding.

Urinal leaks are irksome and no one wants to deal with it. A lot of people tend to believe that the more a urinal flushes, the cleaner it is. And yet, that’s not always the case.

Let us have a look at how we can solve the urinal leakage in just seven simple steps. Remember to turn the main water line to the bathroom off before starting!

Step 1: Locating the Secondary Water Shut Off

Secondary water shut off is usually located under the first joint from the toilet wall or tile. It is typically covered by a chrome cap. It is when a wrench comes in handy as it easily removes the cap.

Step 2: Stopping the Waterflow

Using a flat-head screwdriver, turn the water supply going to the urinal off by turning the water shut off the screw counter-clockwise. Eventually, this will stop water from going into your urinal.

Step 3: Loosening the Flush Head Screw

With the use of the channel locks, turn the six or eight-sided bolt located on top of your flush head. It will help loosen the flush head screw.

Step 4: Removing the Flush Head Cap

To remove the flush head cap, loosen the screw to the fullest. As you turn the screw, any water remaining in the flush head will pour out. This can be alarming, but it is completely normal!

Step 5: Locating the Diaphragm

The diaphragm is a large disc that is black in color and occupies much of the space inside the flush head. Remove it and put your new diaphragm in.

Step 6: Replacing the Flush Head

After replacing the diaphragm, it’s time to put the flush head back to where it should be and screw the hexagonal or octagonal screw-on top back into place. It is one of the important steps in fixing urinal leaks.

Step 7: Restoring the Water Supply

The final step is to bring the water supply back to the urinal. Turn the secondary shut off to your right slowly.

End Words

Nobody wants to spend their whole day fixing a urinal. Furthermore, not all urinal problems can be fixed with a few simple nuts and bolts. That’s when you’ll have to bring in the big guns. Call Plumbing 911 today and have your urinals inspected for leaks and potential needed repairs.

Plumbing911 has licensed plumbers specializing in servicing commercial, retail and public facilities who are certified to work on urinal leaks in Cleveland, Akron, Medina, Canton, OH, and surrounding cities.

Tips For The Family In The Summer

Summer is a fun season to travel, enjoy and recharge for the busy fall ahead. However, some plumbing problems might spoil your downtime.

During the summer holidays, there might be increased traffic in your house with the kids out of school and family and friends over for parties. This results in more flushing of toilets. More clothes to wash and dishes to clean.

As a result, you might encounter plumbing problems more than usual. From clogged toilets to clogged pipes and many more you were not prepared for.

If You Follow The Mentioned Summer Plumbing Tips It Can Save You Both Time And Money!

1. Identify any leaks

Summer is the perfect time to check for leaks. In winter, it is difficult to find any plumbing issues due to the cold weather. During warm weather, it’s better to take care of any issues before it gets cold again.

The first thing you’d want to do is to inspect the plumbing inside and outside your home. Check all of your faucets, pipes under the sink, showerheads, and bathtub spigots.

Moreover, check your drinking water line behind your refrigerator, water softener connections, water heater, etc.

See if there’s any rust, corrosion, leaks, broken or bent parts, or other signs of trouble. Use a flashlight to see underneath cabinets and in dark corners.

2. Prevent Clogs

Look for any slow drain or weak flush issue during warm weather. Prepare yourself to sort out the issue. Normally, a plunger does the job of handling most normal clogs.

Sometimes, you might notice your toilets flush slowly, or you’ve seen greywater gurgle into the tub during or after heavy rain. That is probably a cause to call a professional for an inspection.

Cracks can also develop in the pipes that will allow water in and prevent the pipe from doing its job. This results in the sewer or septic pipe backing up into the bathtub, and sometimes other drains. It can be very bad if it ever happens.

For kitchen sinks, many times the clog forms in the U-shaped part of the pipe beneath the sink. You can try a pitcher or pan of very hot water to get the clog moving. Then try a clog-clearing chemical product that removes clogs.

For bathroom sinks and some bathtubs, your hair is the biggest enemy. Hair can clog the drain or further down the line. Sometimes, you can clear the ones near the top by hand or with a pair of tweezers.

3. Guard the Garbage Disposal

In summer, you might try out hydrating fruits and vegetables but sometimes these can be harmful to your kitchen garbage disposal. A bonus tip is to avoid stringy foods, such as celery, banana peels, and corn husk.
Moreover, avoid hard melon rinds, chicken skin or meat fat, and vegetation from carrots or other produce. Instead of throwing them in the disposal, keep a sink-side container for your own good.

4. Watch the Washer

In summer you are more prone to dirt and grimes. As a result, you have to do more laundry too. Everyone gets dirty and sweaty. Therefore, more showers and changing clothes. All of it generates more work for the washer.
Start summer by inspecting all the parts of your washer. Look for bulges or any cracks. You might see water, mold, mildew, or other evidence that something is getting wet either constantly or occasionally. At that time, replace any hoses that are cracked or look distressed.

5. Sweaty Pipes

Slight condensation on pipes, faucet heads, and other plumbing components is normal when the cold water is running. Cool water causes the room-temperature or warmer pipes to react and temporarily produce condensation. Usually, the droplets and condensation stop after you finish with the cold water.

If it is constantly present though, you probably have a problem such as a leaky faucet, running toilet, or improper main valve adjustment. There are insulated wrapping products available that will prevent the moisture from forming at all.

End Words

Plumbing issues in summer might cause frustration. It can also hinder your summer enjoyments. Whether you are winding summer up or down, you can count on Plumbing911 to meet all of your plumbing needs.

Plumbing 911 is a family-owned and operated company providing local plumbing services to Medina, Stark, Portage, Summit, Cuyahoga and Lake counties. We will help with everything from emergency calls and clogs to inspections and small or large maintenance items.