Get your toilet flushing again with these quick fixes

Before you call a plumber, try these simple fixes to have your toilet flushing again in no time.

One of the easiest fixes is to check to see if your flushing handle rod is attached to its chain. If you're pressing the handle and nothing is happening, open up the cover to your toilet and check to see if the long plastic or metal rod is connected to a chain. If not, reach into the water in your tank, pull it out and properly attach it. If a connecting piece is snapped off, you can even use a safety pin to reconnect the chain for a cheap solution that can last for years.

For more complicated problems, such as clogs, you might have to try a few different methods to find one that works. Of course, you should first try using a plunger and see if you can unclog your toilet . Also consider using simple drain cleaner for simple clogs, as both methods tend to clear up clogs quickly and easily.

If your toilet is still clogged, you may have something stuck deep inside the piping. For this, you may have to buy a metal snake at your local hardware store and try to remove the blockage with this more advanced tool.

If none of these methods work, you should also check the water channels under your rim, as they may also be clogged with mineral deposits that can reduce or stop the flow of water into your toilet.

Use a mirror to better view these tiny channels and try opening up them with some soft scrubbing with a toilet brush. If that doesn't work, use the tip of a bent wire hanger to clear out your toilet channels, but be careful not to gouge the porcelain.

If this fails, and you want to avoid using hard chemicals, try using vinegar to get rid of lime and calcium. Other cleaning products usually require you to soak the targeted area overnight and then move forward with a vigorous cleaning.

For those who don’t have septic tanks and want a heavy-duty solution, you can use a small amount of muriatic acid, which you would pour down your overflowed hole underneath your toilet cover. You should exercise extreme caution around this substance and read directions carefully, as this acid is highly corrosive. You can wait an hour for the substance to work and then flush your toilet, a method which should leave your channels free from any blockage.

If these solutions are not working, then you may need to call a plumber. They can help locate your problem and use their toolkit to get your toilet running again.