If you have a running toilet it means that water is constantly moving from the tank to the bowl. A running toilet is an issue that you should try to resolve as soon as possible. It can waste gallons of water a day, which is not great for the environment or your pocket. And of course, it is also not particularly hygienic.
But you do not necessarily have to employ a plumber to fix the issue. Some faulty components can be pretty easy to identify and simple to fix. And don’t panic – none of these solutions includes putting your hand down the toilet bowl.
Keep reading to learn 3 simple ways to fix your running toilet yourself.
1. Have a look at the flapper chain
When you flush your toilet, this pulls up a rubber cap, which is known as a flapper. The flapper spends most of the time covering the pipe between the toilet tank and the toilet bowl, ensuring the water stays in the tank and out of the bowl. When the flapper’s pulled up it lets the water out of the tank and into the bowl, flushing the toilet.
The flush lever and the flapper are joined together with a chain. If the chain is too short it’ll prevent the flapper from closing properly, which means water will constantly run from the tank to the bowl instead of collecting in the tank. If it is too long, this may interfere with the flapper closing.
If you believe the chain is the problem, it’s easy to sort out. If the chain’s too long, you can just shorten it. Or if it’s too short, you can simply buy a replacement chain fairly cheaply. Just be sure to work out how long the chain needs to be before going shopping.
2. Check the flapper
If the chain’s not the issue, it may be the flapper. Take a look at your flapper and check that it is not broken, warped or dirty. If the flapper has warped or developed splits this might cause it to leak. So instead of the water staying in the tank till you flush the toilet, it will run continuously into the bowl.
A dirty flapper can also cause issues. If it gets covered in mineral deposits, this can prevent it from closing properly and cause the tank to leak.
A dirty or broken flapper is also simple to rectify. If you believe mineral deposits are the issue, just take out the flapper, clean and replace it. If the flapper’s broken, you can easily get a new one and replace it.
3. Ensure the float’s in the right place
If you think the chain and the flapper are both fine, take a look at the float. The float is a plastic balloon that floats on the surface of the water in the tank. It is linked to the water pump in your toilet and its position tells the pump when to start and stop. So if the tank water level is low, the float also sits low and tells the pump to turn on. When the tank is full, the float is higher and tells the pump to stop.
One reason why you might have a running toilet is because the tank is filling too high. If the pump takes in too much water, this will go into the top of an overflow pipe and down into the toilet boil. If the pump does this, it could be because the float is at the wrong angle and isn’t signalling to the pump to stop at the appropriate time.
To solve this issue, try to bend the rod connecting the float and the pump, so that the float sits lower down and will tell the pump to stop sooner.
So now you should know 3 simple ways to repair your running toilet without hiring a plumber.
Fixing your toilet yourself is an excellent way to save funds, time and gain new skills. Even so, there are some jobs that should be left to the professionals. If these 3 methods haven’t worked for you and you require skilled help, complete our online form. We’ll put you in touch with up to 4 local plumbers.