If there is any household bathroom item that is often overlooked by homeowners in terms of the maintenance and cleaning it requires, it is likely to be your toilet tank. Failure to clean your toilet tank can result is several issues, most of which can be avoided if proper care and action is taken ahead of time. So yes, one should definitely be cleaning their toilet tank.
Toilet tanks are a vital component of your bathroom that regulate the water that gets drained down whenever the toilet’s lever is pulled, so that it may flush away any excess waste that is left inside the bowl and its proper function depends on frequent maintenance upkeep.
A working toilet tank should operate automatically and acts as follows: The stagnant water from within the tank gets resupplied and filtered back through what is known as a refill tube. When a sufficient amount of water has been drained via flushing (approx 1.6 gallons in modern toilets), a device known as a floater ball is lowered and when it becomes low enough, it essentially communicates with the refill tube telling it the tank needs more water and so the process repeats. A more detailed video on how a properly functioning toilet tank works can be viewed here, so that you know what to look for if any damage occurs.
How Does My Toilet Tank Become Dirty?
A toilet tank may become dirty from multiple different sources. Regardless of where that source comes from, cleaning of the tank is necessary to avoid further problems.
If you notice a tinge of brown discolouration in the water, it is likely due to the presence of iron within the water. This can signify that your pipes are rusting and this is a problem that may require further inspection to fix. Iron within the water can also promote bacteria growth which is never a good sign.
Mold is another common source which requires quick cleanup. Mold is quite common in places with still water such as a toilet tank. If mold is allowed to grow (and it will), this can spread to other parts of your bathroom and pose a serious health risk
Other minerals such as salt can become lodged within your toilet tank and cause problems and a good way to know if this is the case, is if your water becomes cloudy.
Why Proper Care Is Needed
When one disregards their toilet tank cleaning duties, they risk numerous problems. Most notably is the erosion that will take place within the toilet tank due to excess grime and dirt buildup. When this happens, the performance of your tank may dwindle and become less and less responsive. Over time, this can seriously impact your toilets ability to do its job and eventually, if no action is taken, it can become fully unresponsive due to the continued erosion of the rubber and steel components within the tank that allow the toilet to perform its functions.
When this happens, there is little that can be done to save the toilet and a homeowner will likely have to invest in a new one which can cost several hundred dollars that could have been saved had they just taken proper care initially.
How Can I Tell If I Need to Clean My Toilet Tank?
Although you should be checking on the colour of the water within the tank regularly, there are a few other signs to look out for that will signify a toilet tank requiring cleaning. If you notice a buildup of mold beginning to form around your bathroom, you should really check under your tank and see if this is the cause. This will often come with a foul odor and so if your bathroom is permeating a rather unnerving smell, you should definitely consider checking your toilet tank and cleaning it.
By disinfecting your toilet tank, you will be left with a clean, fresh smelling bathroom and most importantly, a fully functioning toilet that is able to perform its flushing duties.
If you believe you are in need of toilet maintenance due to a problem with your toilet tank, contact us at Hayes Plumbing today and we will be happy to tend to it and give you a quote.
