DIY Tips to Troubleshoot a Constantly Running Toilet

Are you tired of always hearing your toilet running? Is your constantly running toilet having a negative impact on your home routine?

As a homeowner, ensuring that your toilet is working reliably and efficiently should be a top priority.

While a running toilet may not seem like the most pressing plumbing problem, it’s just another example of something not working the way it should.

Before you call a plumber to repair your running toilet, try some of these DIY repair tips to get the toilet back on track:

Adjust the Fill Height

The fill valve controls the fill height. Different toilet models use varying mechanisms to control this. One method is with a ball cock. This is a floating component attached to an arm. When the toilet is flushed, the float is pushed down by the arm.

As the water fills back up in the tank, the float rises until it reaches the fill height at which point the toilet stops filling. The second method is a moveable cylinder that travels up and down the float valve when the toilet is flushed. After you flush, the cylinder travels down and then back up once water begins to fill. Once it reaches the fill height, it stops and the toilet stops filling with water.

If the fill height of your toilet is set too low, you will experience a constantly running toilet. A fill height set too high runs the risk of overflowing.

Make sure your fill height is set at a happy medium and your fill valves are working properly by flushing the toilet with the tank exposed and observing how these mechanisms are working.

Replace the Flapper

The flapper is a rubber flap that opens when the toilet is flushed and seals shut when the toilet refills with water. At times, the flapper may not seal properly or become worn-out and leak, causing the toilet to constantly run.

Make sure the flapper is sealing properly and not leaking by observing it as you flush. When the toilet is flushed, the flapper will open, allowing all the water to drain from the tank.

As the tank starts to fill up again, the flapper should fall back into place completely sealing the tank. If you notice ripples or ridges around the flapper or if you see water leaking from the flapper, it’s time to replace it. Another thing to check for is the length of chain attached to the flapper. If it’s too short, you may notice the flapper not sealing properly.

Check the Fill Tube

The fill tube is the mechanism that refills the tank once it’s been flushed. If the fill tube is leaking, your toilet will run all the time. Another issue to check when inspecting the fill tube is where the end of the tube is in connection to the water level. As a general rule, the end of the tube should always be above the water level to work correctly and keep the toilet from constantly running.

If you give these tips and tricks a try and your toilet is still running constantly, call the experts at Heidler, Inc. in Annapolis, MD at (410) 268-7191 for a professional inspection and repair.