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One of the most frustrating things that a homeowner or renter can encounter is a running toilet. For one, the sound of the water running is annoying because it occurs all night long and this doesn’t even take into account an increased water bill and a drain (literally) on a city’s resources. Instead of constantly wondering if your children are going to the bathroom 37 times a night, try these solutions to resolve your leaky commode.
Check the Flapper
Not ‘the Clapper’ which you use to activate your bathroom’s lights but the mechanism inside your toilet back. ‘The flapper’ as it’s known in plumbing circles is almost always the cause of water running every 5 to 10 to 30 minutes. If you take off the back off the toilet you’ll notice a rubber stopper near the bottom of the tank. Turn off the water to your toilet and replace this rubber piece, looking for obvious signs of wear (they often need replaced up to 2 times a year and only cost a few bucks at hardware stores).
**Handyman Tip** – place some Vaseline on the bottom of the toilet tank where the flapper closes to create a flexible seal (like a caulk) to eliminate minor leaks.
Water Level Investigation
After you’ve installed a new flapper but your house still sounds like a mall courtyard wishing fountain, it’s time to make sure enough water is going in and coming out of the toilet. Many times after a bathroom remodel, a toilet that has been moved repeatedly will develop issues. Three things that can be checked include:
- The chain in the toilet tank, make sure it is adjusted enough so that the flapper both closes all the way and opens far enough for the toilet to flush completely.
- The fill valve can be raised or lowered by adjusting a screw or clip up or down. Work with the fill valve so that water is only 1″ below the overfill tank when full.
- The refill tube going into the tank should have a slight upward arch in it so that water doesn’t backfill.
Most of the repairs to solve a leaky toilet are inexpensive and can be accomplished for even the novice do-it-yourselfer. That being said plenty of people simply ‘get used to’ the sound of running water or give up after trying the basic remedies. In this instance it’s better to call a handyman because even though the fix will cost more, it’s still better than an increased water bill of $100 to $700 per year.
