An old, worn tank ball or flapper is prone to leaks. It could also cause excess water use by making your toilet constantly run. The best way to prevent this problem is by replacing the flapper.
A worn-out toilet flapper can cause quite a few problems. Without enough water pressure behind the flapper, the toilet will not flush properly. If it runs continually, not only will this cause a decrease in pressure, but you will also be wasting water like a leaky faucet, increasing your water bill.
A faulty flapper means your toilet tank will empty and fill up repeatedly. This constant filling and refilling of the tank over days or weeks can result in a lot of wasted water—and wasted money.
If you've replaced the flapper and adjusted the float ball, but the toilet continues to run, the most likely cause is a leaking flush valve. Usually, such a leak is around the mouth of the flush valve where the flapper is supposed to make a good seal.
If you've tried replacing the toilet flapper but the toilet still runs, the flush valve seat is probably rough or pitted. You can replace the entire flush toilet flapper valve, but it's a big job.
Toilet flappers usually last for about 3 to 5 years, but the lifespan can vary depending on factors such as the quality of the flapper, the water quality, and the frequency of use.
Several things, like a broken flapper valve, fill valve or float adjustment, can cause a toilet to run constantly. This not only wastes water but can also lead to higher water bills and potential water damage.
The flapper, over time, can become loose or damaged, and it will need to be replaced. The total average cost of this repair is also between $70 and $200.
But if the flapper is old or damaged or that chain isn't set to an appropriate length, water will slowly leak out of the tank. And this decreases the amount of water available when you need to flush.
Vaseline..... put a gob of Vaseline on your finger, open the valve and run it around the perimeter. Don't be stingy, use lots. Problem solved.
When functioning correctly, it creates a watertight seal that prevents water from continuously flowing into the bowl. However, when the flapper fails to seal properly, it can result in: Constant running water. Incomplete flushes.
The Toilet Is Constantly Running
If it's not sealing the flush valve opening, water from the tank will leak into the bowl, and the toilet will run constantly to keep the tank filled.
Measuring for the size of your toilet flapper is easy: all you need to do is measure the diameter of the drain hole your flapper will cover. If it's 2 inches in diameter, which most drain holes are, you need a standard-sized, 2-inch flapper.
Ghost flushing, or phantom flushing, occurs when your toilet tank refills independently without anyone pressing the handle. Water leaks from the tank into the bowl, causing the fill valve to activate periodically to refill the tank. It's similar to your toilet flushing itself, but it's just refilling.
If the flapper does not seat properly, water will leak into the toilet bowl. Often this leak will occur without being heard. A new toilet flapper is inexpensive and can be purchased at any home improvement center with easy to install instructions.
An old, worn tank ball or flapper is prone to leaks. It could also cause excess water use by making your toilet constantly run. The best way to prevent this problem is by replacing the flapper.
Drop 2–3 pieces of toilet paper in the bowl and flush your toilet. If the bowl clears, lower the setting on the flapper by one and flush again. Repeat these steps until the bowl does not clear, then set the flapper one setting higher from your unsuccessful flush.
Assuming that you already have your replacement flapper and these tools, you'll only need about 20-30 minutes to do this job.
Remove the tank lid and look for a hinged rubber disc covering a hole at the bottom. If that disc (flapper) is open, reach in and close it manually. This should stop the flow of water.
If the toilet doesn't flush completely unless you hold the handle down for the entire flush cycle, it's usually because the flapper is not fully lifting away from the flush valve. This problem is caused by too much slack in the lifting chain that connects the flush lever to the flapper.
A stuck/open flapper can be caused by a bound up chain connecting the toilet flush handle or the flush handle getting stuck in the down position, resulting in a potential water loss of 200 gallons per hour.