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Plumbing

How To Fix A Running Toilet

By November 13, 2019April 1st, 2023No Comments

That constant noise coming from your toilet means that the tank is not getting filled. It’s wasting a lot of water and your money. Luckily, fixing a running toilet is easier than you think. Although it may seem intimidating at first, it’s very straight forward. No experience required!

The Flapper

The most common running toilet problem is a defective flapper. When flushing, the flapper (primarily a rubber stopper) lifts to release water into the toilet bowl. As time passes, the flapper eventually wears down, and water seeps past it. A simple way to test to see if the cause is the flapper is to press down on it. If the toilet stops running, then that’s the problem. Now we need to replace it.

First, turn off the water, the water valve should be near the bottom or back of the toilet. Then flush the whole toilet tank. Now you can take the flapper off and dry it off. It’s best to take it with you to the store to know precisely what you need. Flappers come in all different sizes and varieties.

Last, follow the instructions of the new flapper. Basically, redo what you just did. Just remember to adjust the chain from the flapper to the flush arm. If it’s too long, it won’t open the flapper properly, and if it’s too short, it won’t close properly.

Check the Float

There are two different types of toilet floats, the ball float (most common in older toilets), and the cup float. Having either float too high causes the water level to rise above the overflow pipe, which will never stop the toilet from running. To adjust a ball float is as easy as bending the arm that holds up the ball float, modify it only to allow the water to reach about an inch below the overflow pipe. To adjust a cup float, look for a metal rod that’s connected to the float cup. Just pinch the metal clamp on the cup and move it down or up as needed.

Fill Valve

If neither the flapper or the float fixed the issue, then it might be the fill valve. It may be leaking from the fill tube or the actual pipe. To save you a headache, it’s way easier to replace the fill valve than fixing it. A fill valve usually cost less than $20.

To replace the fill valve, first, drain the toilet tank, then unscrew the lock nut from the outside of the tank. Like before, take the fill valve to the store to make sure you are buying the correct one. Then install it, adjust the float, and enjoy the nonrunning toilet.  

If none of these remedies fixed the problem, then you might need to replace your toilet. The issue may be that the toilet itself has a crack in it. In this case, your toilet will never stop running. Contact us now to have one of our best people to come out and help replace that toilet.

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