You’ve had a long day and just got tucked into bed, your white noise machine is on, and the scent of lavender fills the air. Sleep, oh precious sleep. But then, you hear the toilet tank filling up — randomly — as if the ghost of previous tenants just flushed it. (Phantom flushing is a thing, y’all.) You get up and jiggle the handle, wash your hands, get back in bed and settle down only for it to happen again.
A running toilet has ruined a perfectly good night’s sleep yet another time. It’s so frustrating! We get it. And we haven’t even started with why your water bill is so high.
Why Does My Toilet Keep Running?
The reason why your toilet keeps running is from one of three reasons: there is some kind of slow leak from the fill valve, the overflow tube, or – more likely – the flapper (flush valve). One of the ways you can determine the leak’s source is by using a bit of food coloring or dye in the toilet tank.
“If the flapper is leaking, it’ll keep triggering the fill valve to refill the tank. To see if the flapper is leaking, here’s a simple test:
- Put a few drops of food coloring in the tank.
- Wait for 25 minutes.
- If the color spreads into the toilet bowl, there’s a leak.” Lowes
If your toilet keeps running, most likely the rubber flange (or its rubber seat) isn’t landing 100% perfectly inside the tank. It could be super old as well. Those plastic/rubber flanges may last a long time, but they sure don’t last forever. That is a super easy fix and very inexpensive, too!
“A constantly running toilet indicates that the system is either allowing water to pass through the flush valve flapper or that the water within the tank is flowing into the overflow tube.” The Spruce
How Do You Fix a Toilet That Keeps Running?
Call a plumber! (JK JK but seriously.) Since toilets that keep running aren’t an emergency, this is a good opportunity to develop a relationship with a plumber. Throughout the life of your home, you’ll need that trusted professional in your contacts for emergencies as well as when you’re ready to upgrade your half bath.
However, if you’re experienced with disassembling toilets, and have the right tools and equipment, you may be able to fix your own toilet. There are plenty of tutorials out there from The Spruce to Home Depot Canada to HGTV to Roger Wakefield from “All About Plumbing” on YouTube. But if it seems like it’s too much hassle, or you realize you could be spending your valuable time elsewhere, we’re super happy to help with this common plumbing repair.
Get Your Free Estimate Today!
If you’re frustrated by a toilet that runs all night and disrupts your sleep, why not give us a call? You deserve a good night’s sleep and a lower water bill! We’d love to help you out and keep your bathroom worry-free.
When you’re ready, let’s schedule an appointment and talk about your Door County project.