Ever have that moment where you hear a weird noise in your home and stop in your tracks to try and find it? If your ears lead you to your toilet because your toilet is running constantly, there are some things you can do to fix it. Here are some reasons why your toilet is running, and what to do about the issue.
Short Flapper Chain
Within the reservoir of your toilet will be a few parts which are essential to how your toilet functions. One of these components is a flapper and the bottom of the toilet bowl. This flapper will be connected to the flushing handle by a chain or something similar. If your toilet is constantly running, it could be because the flapper chain is set too short, not allowing the flapper at the bottom of the reservoir to close properly. Loosen the flapper chain one link, flush the toilet, and then see if it eventually stops constantly running once it has filled.
Float Set too High
In your toilet bowl there is a float. Floats are typically made of black plastic and will be at the water level. What this float does is tells the water that fills the bowl to stop when it hits a certain level. If the float is adjusted too high, the water will fill and then spill into the overflow tube causing the water to run continuously. Simply adjust the float to sit lower in the toilet reservoir so the float can turn off the water before it reaches too high in the tank.
Bad Flapper
The toilet flapper is a rubber stopper piece which keeps the water in your toilet reservoir until you flush. Then the water flows into the toilet bowl. Occasionally, these rubber stoppers (typically reddish in color) will go bad. If you’ve performed all the other items on this list, you can move to replacing items in the reservoir, and the flapper is a good place to start. If you’re not comfortable with replacing or repairing your toilet, get in touch with your local Maryland plumbing repair service today.
At the end of the day, no matter the reason for a constantly running toilet you should get it fixed promptly. A toilet left running will cost you more money in the long-run than the simple fixes required to stop it. For help with diagnosing your toilet’s issue, get in touch with an experienced Maryland plumber today. Michael Runk is an Eldersburg, MD plumber providing full-service residential, commercial and industrial plumbing, water and heating services. To schedule an appointment, give Michael Runk plumbing a call at 410-781-6791 today!