The Causes Of A Running Toilet

One of the most common plumbing services involves fixing a running toilet. A running toilet can increase your monthly utility bills and subject your home to serious water damage. Here are some of the causes of a running toilet.

A Faulty Toilet Flapper

The toilet flapper is located inside your toilet's tank. It's the component that lets water move out of the tank into the bowl when you flush. It's a round rubber disc connected to the bottom of the overflow tube. When you pull the chain connected to the flapper, it lets water out of the tank.

When the rubber flapper hardens, it cannot stop water from flowing after you flush. One of the common causes of a constantly running toilet is a faulty flapper. The best test to determine if your toilet flapper is in good condition is to pour some food coloring into the tank water. If after 30 minutes you find that the water in the toilet bowl is colored, you should call a plumber to replace the toilet flapper.

The Flapper Valve Chain

Sometimes if the flapper valve isn't the cause for a running toilet, you should check the flapper valve's chain. The flapper valve is attached to a chain connected to the toilet handle. When you press the toilet handle, it lifts the flapper valve to let in water from the water tank. 

However, if the chain is too short, the flapper valve will not close completely. Similarly, if the chain is too long, it can get in the way and prevent the flapper from sealing the tank properly. Ask your plumber to adjust the length of this chain. If this doesn't resolve the problem, then you may have a problem with the fill valve.

A Faulty Fill Valve

A fill valve is a simple tube with a shut-off valve connected at the bottom of the toilet's water tank. There's an air-filled ball connected to the fill valve. The ball floats in the tank's water and causes the valve to shut off once the level of water reaches a particular height.

Fill valves usually wear out. One sign of a worn-out fill valve is a running toilet. To determine whether the cause of the running toilet is the flapper or the fill valve, run the colored water test described above. If the water in the toilet bowl doesn't change color, your flapper is in good shape. In this case, you should contact residential plumbing services for a new fill valve.