No need to worry, a running toilet is usually a simple fix. The three most common causes are a broken or dirty flapper, too long or too short of a chain between the flush lever and the flapper or a float that is out of position. The first thing you will need to do is turn off the water feeding into the toilet.
Usually this is caused by one of the following problems: The water level in the tank may be at or above the top of the overflow pipe. The flapper or stopper ball that closes off the outlet at the bottom of the tank may be defective. The fill valve may need replacing.
Your shut-off valve is usually located at the bottom left behind the toilet. You'll see a pipe coming from the tank and attached to the wall. The turn-off valve is usually oval-shaped and can be turned clockwise until it can't be turned anymore.
Will a running toilet stop eventually? As fresh water enters the tank, a mechanism eventually shuts off the water flow and the toilet will stop running. However, when things go wrong with the valve, flapper or overflow then it's best to get it sorted.
A continuously running toilet can waste up to 200 gallons a day or more depending on the volume flow down the drain. This can cause a terrible increase to a family's typical water use, so fix toilet leaks as soon as possible. Some leaks are easy to find, such as a dripping faucet or running toilet.
Perhaps the most common reason for a running toilet is an old flapper that needs to be replaced. When flappers get old, they don't seal the way they should, and this allows water to pass constantly from the toilet tank into the bowl.
Bathroom applications usually include a hot and cold-water valve inside the vanity cabinet and a cold-water valve located just behind the toilet. As time takes its toll on these trusted devices, they can become prone to failure. The most common failure found in an old shut-off valve is seizing.
The True Cost of a Running Toilet
For minor toilet leaks, your water bill won't be as drastically high; however, it will be higher than normal. A moderate toilet leak will generally waste about 6,000 gallons of water per month and can cost you an additional $70 per month-- $1,000 per year in waste.
A toilet that won't stop running is another common problem. You can expect to pay between $50 and $400 to repair a running water issue. If there is too much water in your tank, it will be a quick, easy fix and may be possible to do at home.
The average leaky toilet can waste about 200 gallons of water per day. That's over 6,000 gallons a month ($70.06*) for just one leaking toilet! Some toilets may produce a running water sound that is easy to hear.
Running Toilets Lead to Damaging Leaks
Water can easily make its way into the floor of your home, and over time, weaken the structure of your home. This is a dangerous situation for your family and can be prevented through fast action and a licensed plumber.
Toilet Parts
The toilet's flush valve will typically last 6-7 years. A toilet fill valve might only last four to five years. In general, you should expect to replace the parts in your toilet every so often while keeping the actual bowl in place.
There are really only two main toilet tank parts: The toilet flush valve, which lets water gush into the bowl during the flush, and the fill valve, which lets water refill the tank after the flush.
Basically, if the handle is turned 90 degrees to the flow, the valve is switched off. Contrastingly, if the handle remains in line with the flow path, it is on, and fully functional in alignment with your shower system.
Ball valves
As the name implies, you give this valve a quarter turn to fully open it or close it. Open or closed: When the handle of a ball valve is parallel to the valve or pipe, it's open. When it's perpendicular, it's closed. This makes it easy to know if a ball valve is open or closed, just by looking at it.
To test the capability of the valve to perform its safety action, the valve controller can partially stroke the valve that maintains its open or closed position for an extended time. A partial stroke test (PST) verifies the functionality of critical valves that must be in their fail position during an emergency.
While a professional plumber can change as much as $200 for a service call to reset a toilet, a DIYer can do it for just $10 to $20, the cost of a new wax ring. It does require careful work, however, to ensure that you don't crack or otherwise damage the toilet as you move it.
More often than not, the flapper valve could need adjustment, or you may need to replace the toilet fill valve. Both are relatively small fixes that most homeowners can usually handle without calling in a professional plumber or having to remove the toilet and then having to install a new one.
Knowing how to replace a toilet tank fill valve isn't hard to learn. Most do-it-yourself homeowners can handle this project in about 60 minutes. All you need is the most basic understanding of how toilets work, a replacement fill valve kit, and the instructions above.
The first thing you should do when considering replacing your toilet is to look at the age. Most plumbers agree that an average toilet can last around 50 years.