It’s & We’re Always Open!
One issue pretty much everyone has had to deal with at some point is a toilet that keeps running after you flush it or occasionally runs on its own. In many cases, you can get the toilet to quit running by jiggling the handle a few times after flushing. While jiggling the handle may work, it’s not an ideal solution. For starters, your guests may not know that they need to do this, so the toilet may run until someone finally notices it after lots of water has been wasted.
A toilet that runs continuously without shutting off will typically waste more than 4,000 gallons of water in a day, literally causing your hard-earned money to go straight down the toilet. Even a toilet that occasionally runs on its own can waste anywhere from 20 to 200 gallons a day. This is why a running toilet demands attention.
The Chain Is Too Long
When you press the handle to flush a toilet, it raises the lift arm and causes the chain that’s connected to the end of the arm to raise the flapper, so water flows out of the tank to flush the bowl. If the chain is too long, it can often catch underneath the flapper and prevent it from resealing the hole at the bottom of the tank.
A chain that’s too long can also kink and catch on itself, resulting in the flapper not being able to drop back down into place. By jiggling the handle a bit, you can usually free the chain and allow the flapper to drop back into place.
When the handle is in the normal position and the toilet isn’t running, the chain should be mostly tight. A little bit of slack in the chain usually isn’t a problem, but too much slack will cause the chain to frequently get stuck and prevent the toilet from shutting off.
This is something you can easily fix by removing one end of the chain and then reattaching it so that it’s a bit shorter. However, be careful not to make the chain too short, or it will prevent the flapper from ever dropping back into place. In this case, the toilet won’t be able to shut off until you lengthen the chain.
Mineral Deposits Have Accumulated
Another issue you may occasionally encounter in homes with hard water is mineral deposits building up on the flapper to the point where it can no longer fully seal off the tank. The flapper can also occasionally catch and get stuck due to mineral deposit buildup on its hinge, forcing you to jiggle the handle to free it. The best way to get rid of mineral deposits in your toilet tank is with distilled white vinegar.
Start by taking the lid off the tank and then flushing the toilet. Once the tank begins to refill and is about halfway full, close the shutoff valve next to the toilet to stop the water from running. Finally, pour in vinegar until the level in the tank reaches the fill line, and then wait at least 30 minutes before turning the water back on and flushing a few times. If there’s a large accumulation of mineral deposits, you may need to let the vinegar sit overnight and then scrub the flapper with a toothbrush.
The Flapper Is Worn Out
Toilet flappers always wear out eventually due to the rubber deteriorating over time. At some point, the rubber gets so deteriorated that the flapper can no longer create a tight seal. This results in a small amount of water continually leaking around the flapper and flowing into the bowl. This type of leak is often small enough that you won’t see any water running into the bowl.
Nonetheless, the water level in the tank will eventually decrease until the float triggers the fill valve to open, and the toilet starts running. The bowl will also eventually fill up to the point that the toilet flushes on its own — an issue known as phantom flushing. You can easily test for a worn-out flapper by putting food coloring in the tank and then waiting a bit to see if it’s migrated and caused the water in the bowl to be colored.
Depending on the type and model of the toilet, you can often replace the flapper yourself in just a few minutes. However, the flapper and overflow tube are sometimes connected, which can make replacing the flapper more difficult. If you’re not sure what to do or just don’t want to risk damaging other parts of the flushing mechanism, a plumber can usually do the toilet repair job for you affordably.
The Overflow Tube Is Cracked
The fill tube is positioned so that some water flows down into the overflow tube to fill the bowl while some water flows directly into the tank to refill it at the same time. In some cases, the plastic can deteriorate to the point where the fill tube cracks and allows water to continually leak into the bowl.
You could crack the fill tube when trying to replace the flapper, readjust the chain, etc. If you have this issue, it’s best to hire a plumber. That’s because replacing the overflow tube requires disconnecting the water line from the toilet and then unbolting and removing the tank. The main concern is that you could crack the tank, especially when tightening the nuts and bolting the tank back into place.
The Float Is Misaligned
The float needs to be properly aligned for the tank to fill to the correct level and the water to shut off once the tank is full. If it’s set too high, it won’t trigger the fill valve to close when the tank is full. Water will continue running and flowing over the top of the overflow tube and into the bowl.
The only time you’d likely need to worry about the float being misaligned is if someone messed with it. Realigning the float is fairly simple, but you need to make sure not to set it too low. If it’s too low, the tank won’t fully refill, and you’ll end up with a weak flush.
The Fill Valve Is Stuck or Worn Out
Mineral deposits tend to slowly accumulate inside the fill valve and can sometimes cause the valve to suddenly stick in the open position after you flush. The fill valve can also suddenly wear out or break, so that it either can’t close or can’t open.
If the flapper is fully closed, the float is properly aligned and you can’t get your toilet to stop running, you can be fairly certain that the fill valve needs to be cleaned out or replaced. Replacing the fill valve is more complicated than fixing other parts of the flushing mechanism and is something worth hiring a plumber for.
Since 2000, Pipe Works Services has been the top choice for residential plumbing services in the Chatham, NJ area. We offer 24/7 emergency services and are ready to help if you need any assistance with your home’s plumbing.
To get help fixing your running toilet or with any other plumbing issues, contact our team at Pipe Works Services today.
