We’ve all been there. You flush the toilet only for it to not stop running until you jiggle the handle or you occasionally hear the toilet flush itself and then start running to refill the tank. A running toilet is one of the most common plumbing problems you’ll encounter, in large part because of how many times most toilets get used each day. While many people think of this issue as a mere annoyance, it’s not something you want to ignore.
Why You Shouldn’t Ignore a Running Toilet
The main concern with a running toilet is the amount of water it can waste. A toilet that has a slow leak and only runs occasionally typically wastes around 30 gallons of water a day or about 900 gallons in a month. A toilet that runs constantly usually wastes somewhere between 1 and 3 gallons of water per minute, resulting in your water bill skyrocketing and costing you a significant amount of money.
The other thing you need to be concerned about if your toilet has a slow leak is that it can potentially result in the water freezing inside your sewer line and eventually creating an ice dam that causes the line to back up. Sewer lines are supposed to be buried below the frost line so that they can’t freeze, but this isn’t always the case.
Even if part of the line isn’t buried deep enough, it shouldn’t freeze under normal circumstances due to how quickly water drains out of it. However, if there’s just a small trickle of water running through it from a leaking toilet, it creates a high potential of the pipe freezing. While this doesn’t happen often, it is possible in colder climates when conditions are right.
Common Causes for Running Toilets
Toilets can run constantly or occasionally as a result of an issue with the rubber flapper, the chain, the float or the fill valve. The flapper is what seals the hole between the tank and the bowl. When you flush the toilet, the chain lifts the flapper so that water rushes into the bowl and flushes everything down the drain.
At some point, the rubber will deteriorate to where the flapper no longer creates a full seal, resulting in water slowly leaking into the tank. Once the water level in the tank drops enough, the float will trigger the fill valve to open so that water starts flowing to refill the tank. In some cases, mineral deposits on the flapper can also prevent it from sealing completely.
Other Signs to Look For
If the chain is too short, it will prevent the flapper from ever dropping all the way into the seat. A more common issue is that the chain is set too long and gets trapped under the flapper when it closes or gets tangled on itself and prevents the flapper from dropping back into place. This issue is why you may sometimes have to jiggle the handle to get the toilet to shut off.
If your toilet runs constantly and you can’t get it to shut off by jiggling the handle, it most likely means that the fill valve is broken or stuck. Another issue you could encounter is the float not being set properly. If the float is too high, the fill valve won’t close when it should. This results in water spilling into the bowl through the overflow tube and the toilet running constantly.
What to Check Before Calling a Plumber
Before calling a plumber, you should always take the lid off the tank to see if you can determine what the problem is. If you see that the chain keeps getting tangled or is stuck under the flapper, disconnect it from the flapper and shorten it. You should also lift the flapper to check if the rubber looks deteriorated or if it’s coated in mineral deposits. Replacing a worn-out flapper is usually fairly simple, depending on the particular make and model of the toilet. Pouring vinegar into the tank can dissolve mineral deposits and allow the flapper to properly seal.
The other thing to check is how full the tank is. There’s a line on the back of the inside of the tank that shows the proper fill level. If the water is above the line, it either means that you need to adjust the float or have the fill valve replaced. The latter is definitely something you should hire a plumber for.
Call Avid Plumbing for Toilet Repair
If your toilet won’t stop running or has any other issues, you can count on the experienced team at Avid Plumbing for reliable, affordable toilet repair. We offer 24/7 emergency plumbing services throughout the Madison, WI area and will make sure you get the expert assistance you need to overcome any problem. From kitchen and bathroom plumbing to drain and sewer lines, we do it all.
To schedule plumbing service in Madison, contact Avid Plumbing today.