How to Fix a Running Toilet
Running toilets waste both water and money, as they cause expensive plumbing damage. Luckily, addressing this issue typically doesn’t necessitate calling in professional help – just follow these simple steps to resolve the problem on your own!
Running toilets can often be traced back to an issue with its flapper; however, other possible culprits include too-long or too-short chains or an out of place float.
In this article, we’ll identify what other issues may be causing problems.
Check the Water Level
An ever-running toilet can waste water and add significantly to utility costs, not to mention cause costly water damage to both its bowl and surrounding area. But fixing this issue shouldn’t be difficult!
While keeping the shut-off valve off, open up the toilet tank lid and observe its water level. If it exceeds the overflow tube, this indicates that your float arm could be set too high. To adjust this lower it by turning the adjustment screw located near the fill valve – this will reduce water levels and stop running toilets altogether.
Repeated attempts may be necessary until your toilet water reaches the ideal setting. Aim to keep its level 1 inch below the overflow tube at all times.
When water enters your overflow tube, this indicates that your flapper or overflow pipe isn’t sealing correctly, perhaps due to a broken flapper, poor fill valve, or chain length issues. In such instances, you must replace both elements; you’ll also need to adjust their length by either adding or subtracting links as necessary in order to stop them tangling around float arm and flapper.
Check the Overflow Tube
Overflow tubes connect a toilet tank to its bowl. If water continues to drain into it despite flushing, it could be because the float setting is too high and needs adjusting by using either the float rod or cup (a horizontal rod extending from the fill valve to a float ball or small cylinder wrapped around the float) or using channel locks to turn its screw counterclockwise and lower its setting.
Modern toilets often use plastic fill valves instead of flappers to seal their tank, with floats moving up and down to seal off its contents, but these valves can break or leak, leading to running toilets. No matter which valve your toilet uses, check it carefully for issues like broken handles, rusty hooks, or signs of wear & tear to avoid running issues in your throne.
An excessively running toilet wastes hundreds of gallons daily and can increase your water bill significantly, so it’s crucial that its source be identified and resolved swiftly. Luckily, these issues are easy to identify and resolve with straightforward solutions that will save money while simultaneously decreasing water consumption.
Check the Fill Valve
One of the main causes of running toilets is an improper functioning fill valve or flapper. If your tank keeps leaking or overflowing, chances are your fill valve or flapper isn’t sealing securely enough and likely needs replacement.
Locate the screw that connects a float rod or cup to the fill valve and use a screwdriver or set of channel locks to turn it counterclockwise for one quarter turn, to lower water levels in your tank. Continue making this adjustment until water stops flowing into your overflow tube.
If your water levels continue to fluctuate, it might be time for a replacement fill valve. Closing off and flushing the toilet will help drain most of the tank’s contents before beginning this task.
Once you have located a replacement part, close off the shut-off valve, disconnect your water supply hose, remove refill tube from overflow tube and put a bucket underneath fill valve to catch any potential spilled water while you install new one.
Remove chain from flapper before beginning; slide off both pegs in tank to disconnect before beginning installation process; once adjusted and filled back into position snap lock ring and refill tube back in.
Check the Flapper
If the water in your tank is running continuously without leaving, but is still not escaping, the issue could lie with the float or flapper not functioning correctly. These two plastic tank components are easy to repair without calling in professional plumber services for installation.
The flapper is a rubber piece that opens during each flush before slowly retracting back down over the flush valve to seal off water flow into the toilet bowl. Over time, this flapper may become stiff or brittle or covered in grime, leading to poor seal performance that allows water to continue entering from its tank into its bowl.
Checking the flapper involves taking two steps. First, unlatching and disconnecting the lift chain connected to the flush handle. Second, lift off and release any pegs from overflow tube and replace as necessary (flappers cost around $10 at hardware stores).
When installing new flappers make sure chain is not too tight as this could prevent it from securing drainpipe hole when dropping onto or closing up drainpipe hole.
An annoying running toilet can waste hundreds of gallons every day and significantly raise your water bill, but most issues with running toilets can be fixed using simple solutions outlined above. From replacing flappers or adjusting floats, to removing and cleaning fill valve assemblies – these steps will help save both money and water without costly plumbing services being required to resolve it.
Discount Plumbers to the Rescue!
If you’ve tried all these fixes but are still having issues, call Discount Plumbers. We’ll be happy to send out one of our licensed, professional plumbers.
While we’re located in the heart of Minneapolis, we provide plumbers near me services in 65 surrounding metro-areas. We are in your city daily. So call the number below or contact us here via our webform. We look forward to servicing you today.
