Have you ever heard the water in your toilet run continuously even though you haven’t flushed in a while? A running toilet may not seem serious as water is not overflowing, but this can cause problems in the future. A running toilet will increase your water bill as your toilet will use more water than necessary. Follow this article to learn how to fix your running toilet to improve your toilet’s flush, lower your water bills, and avoid larger problems in the future.
Key Points
- Listen for water running or the tank refilling.
- Start checking the fill tube, water level and inspect the flapper.
- A continuously running toilet can waste up to 250 gallons for a medium leak, and 30 gallons for a small leak.
How to Identify a Running Toilet
To identify a running toilet, check the following:
1. Listen for Water Flow
If you hear water running when the toilet isn’t in use, that’s a clear sign of a leak.
2. Check for Smaller Leaks
Some leaks may be too quiet to hear and will need further inspection. Check the following:
- Water trickling down the sides of the bowl without the bowl refilling. This can also leave a stain.
- Water in the bowl is constantly moving or the toilet is not flushing properly.
3. Tank Refilling
If you hear the water valve constantly refilling the tank without a flush, there is a leak.
4. The Food Coloring Test
- Add 10-15 drops of food coloring to the tank.
- Wait 20-40 minutes without flushing.
- If the bowl water changes color, you have a leak.
How to Stop a Toilet from Running – 4 DIY Steps
Now that we’ve run through how your toilet should function without any issues, let’s address what to do when you’re faced with a toilet that won’t stop running.
1. Check the Fill Tube
The issue may be the overflow tube in the tank. First, remove the tank lid and find the vertical overflow tube. There should be a small tube connecting the overflow tube to the fill valve. This small tube is called the fill tube; it pushes water down the overflow tube to refill the bowl after a flush while the tank refills.
If the fill tube detaches from either the fill valve or the overflow tube, the bowl won’t fill up with enough water, and the next flush will be weak. Reattach the fill tube– to the fill valve; it should fit around two centimeters above the rim of the tube. After you’ve reattached and connected the fill tube, flush and check that the water goes down the tube.
2. Adjust the Water Level
The water level in the toilet is adjusted via the float in the tank. If the float sits too low in the tank, the toilet will have a weak flush. If the float is too high, the water will spill into the overflow tube and the fill valve won’t work properly. This can create a running toilet.
Remove the tank lid and find the fill level mark on the overflow tube. This line should be about 1 inch below the top of the overflow tube. Make a mark with your marker where it is or where it should be if you can’t find the line. This will help you see it more easily. Then, flush the toilet and check if the water reaches the mark once the tank is refilled. The water should reach this mark but not go past it.
If the water doesn’t reach the mark, the float is too low and has to be raised. If the water goes over the mark, the float is too high and has to be lowered. If you have an older toilet model, you may need to bend the rod of the float to make adjustments. Flush the toilet after each adjustment until the water reaches the mark as expected.
If your fill valve is broken or defective, you will need to buy a new one. Most fill valves are universal and will fit most toilets, so you won’t need to buy the exact model for a replacement.
3. Adjust the Flapper Chain
If the chain in your toilet tank is too short, the flapper won’t be able to close properly. The drain hole connecting to the toilet bowl won’t be completely sealed which will cause the toilet to leak. This will also cause the fill valve to continuously refill the toilet tank and not allow a complete flush. If the chain is too long, however, it won’t open the flapper wide enough, keeping the flush from completing.
If your flapper chain isn’t the right length, you need to adjust the length to allow only a little slack when the flapper is closed. There should be a few extra links in the chain for this. This can be done by unhooking the chain and either adding extra links or taking out links from the slack before rehooking the chain. If needed, you can cut off any excess chain with pliers. Then, put the toilet tank lid back, and check if the handle arm strikes the lid when you press the flush handle. If it does, keep adjusting until everything is working correctly.
4. Replace the Toilet Flapper (if needed)
If you have completed all of the above and the toilet is still running, you may need to replace the flapper. Turn off the water supply to the toilet, remove the tank lid, and take out the flapper using gloves. To find a replacement, take the flapper with you to the store. If you can’t find the exact model, buy a model that’s most similar to yours, or buy the one with the Universal label. As most flappers are relatively affordable, you may want to buy both models and check which one works best.
If neither flapper fits your toilet, you may need to replace the entire overflow tube. On most toilets, this process includes removing the tank. However, this process isn’t too difficult and will take you about an hour. If you’re comfortable with fixing this yourself,, you can replace the overflow tube on your own and save a call to the plumber.
Two additional steps can be added:
- Check the height of the overflow tube
- Replace the flush valve
Basics of the Flush Mechanism
Let’s start with the basics of how a toilet works. What happens when you flush a toilet?
- STEP 1: To flush, press down on the flush handle located on the tank.
- STEP 2: Once pressed, this handle opens the drain hole at the bottom of the tank by raising the flapper. This drain hole allows the water to flow out of the tank and into the rim of the toilet bowl.
- STEP 3: The water then flows around the rim of the bowl while some water begins to drain into the bowl from the holes of the rim. The rest of the water will drain into the siphon jet, which is the hole at the bottom of the bowl.
- STEP 4: If the toilet works properly, there will be enough pressure to create a siphon effect to drain all water and waste through the trapway. This sucks all contents out of the bowl and into the plumbing pipes.
- STEP 5: As water empties from the tank, the float drops to the bottom of the tank. When this happens, the valve of the refill mechanism is turned on, sending water into the refill tube of both the bowl and the tank. During this process, the flapper is sealed back over the drain hole now that the tank is empty. This allows the water to refill the tank. As water empties from the tank, the float falls and tilts the lever.
Our Opinion
It is possible to repair a running toilet yourself using one of the steps listed above. If none of the steps work, then your toilet may need professional help from a plumber.